We went to Nashville, TN this weekend for their Cuban Weekender! hosted by Nashville Rueda. We had a blast seeing a lot of friends from around the country, and participating in workshops with friends. In today’s blog post we discuss what the event was, what we partook in, and our overall experience/takeaways. Be sure to check out our clip of the weekend.
What was included?
Both of us had purchased a “full pass” whole weekend pass”. Each full pass included the following:
- Workshops started at 1pm and ended at 4pm. There were 3 total workshops. All workshops provided free water bottles. It also took place at a dance studio with a nice floor.
- Social from 9pm to 1:00am with a DJ. However, there was music playing while they were cleaning up, so we did stay later. The social played Bachata, Salsa, Casino, Timba, and Kizomba.
- Salsa at the park was a free open to the public event advertised with the Weekender. It included a free Rueda class, and 3 hours of social dancing with a DJ. There was Bachata, Salsa, Casino, and Timba played.
Which classes did we take?
There were only 3 total workshops, so we took the same classes.
- 1pm Rumba (live percussion) w/ Jonathan Burke
- 2pm All level Rueda w/ Paul Cassens
- 3pm Intermediate Casino Partnerwork w/ Paul Cassens
Our Favorite Part?
Andrea: Her favorite part was the instructors. 2 classes were all level, and instruction was super clear, but most importantly were fun! Everyone took something away regardless of their skill. Another great part was that both instructors were present at all the events and danced with multiple people. It was clear they wanted to connect with the dancers and foster community.
Alexa: Her favorite part was the all level Rueda workshop. The class truly had a mix of people who have barely danced Rueda and more experienced people which made for a really rich dynamic. The class balanced etiquette, technique, and fun moves. By the end of the class I felt everyone took away something for their future Ruedas.
Overall Takeaway
We had a blast in Nashville over the weekend. Seeing friends from places around the US is always a joy. Both of us have taken classes from JB and Paul before, and as always they were a joy. A lot of us out of towners went out to dinner together before the Saturday social, which was a nice way for everyone to connect. We LOVE when an event can have 100% Timba and Casino, but we understand it was an all music social. Every Casino and Timba was a hit for us, huge shoutout to DJ Cokie.
Sunday we spent some time at Salsa at the Park before driving home. We got to see the Parthenon in Nashville which was fun. Sadly, we did not make it to the Rueda lesson because we stopped at a La Costa Mexican Seafood–which everyone should eat at. See our video to see the yummy fish we had. The park was a nice relaxed way to end the weekend with some Rueda, Casino, and Suelta. We are so thankful to Nashville Rueda for putting together a fun weekend!
Did you go to to Nashville for the Cuban Weekender? Let us know in the comments what your favorite part was. Just so you don’t miss out on places to travel, be sure to check out our travel page with a list of upcoming weekenders and festivals!
Bueno…ya tu sabes.
Ya Tu Sabes 