Elizabeth Schwall, ‘Dance as a Public Good in Cuba: 1959-1980’

This presentation investigates how and why dance became a public good in Cuba in the 1960s and 1970s. This history involved dance leaders developing a nationwide system of dance schools, as well as efforts to create an informed public through dance appreciation initiatives. As a result of these campaigns, hundreds of thousands of Cuban citizens danced and watched dance, consolidating Cuba’s reputation as an island of dancing publics.