About Us

We are an organization of founders, friends and family who love the arts – particularly music and dance.  Alisa Froman, Executive Director, established PlazaCUBA in the year 2,000 and continues to be the visionary creator of projects and events.  Alisa is an accomplished Afro-Cuban folklore and salsa dancer and performs in the Bay Area with various groups.  She has studied Cuban culture and religion for many years and remains an important, knowledgeable and loving member of an international community interested in investigating and preserving Cuban culture.

Many people have played instrumental roles in the development of PlazaCUBA. We are appreciative of the constant support we have received from the following important contributors: Donald Gronberg, Melissa Daar, John Calloway, Vanya Goldberg, Ariana Hall, Don Skoog, Loralie Froman and Carmen Aguirre (photos coming soon). Thanks to our web designer, Dana Smith and film editor, Flecher Fleudujon, as well as hundreds of other supporters of this work who have enabled us to continue to enrich the community with Cuban music and dance.

Projects in the U.S. Inspired by our Work
Before 2004, Cuban artists were more easily able to obtain visas to enter the U.S. to perform, receive awards and display their work. During this period, PlazaCUBA had an OFAC license in the “Educational/People-to People” category and we were able to organize music and dance trips, which supported our goals for cultural exchange and preservation. During these fertile years of exchange between the US and Cuba, PlazaCUBA played an important role in connecting artists in collaboration and investigating and preserving some of Cuba’s rich artistic traditions. We are excited about a future rich with possibilities for International collaboration and exchange of ideas with our Cuban counterparts.

Since the development of PlazaCUBA, we have been involved in many events and projects here in the U.S. Here some of our accomplishments and collaborations. Alisa Froman and Melissa Daar, through their work with Caribbean Music and Dance Programs and PlazaCUBA, have contributed to all kinds of great collaborations over the years. Roberto Viscaino, percussionist and teacher, is brought annually to Cleveland by the Contemporary Music Project to teach and perform. Course participant and music professor Chris Brown brought ethnomusicologist, Miguel Angel Garcia to Mills College in San Francisco. Course participant Dean Anderson, a Dean of the Berklee School of Music, invited Enrique Plá of Irakere and other percussion masters to the Berklee School for the International Percussion Conference. Melissa Daar produced a tour with the Narciso Medina Contemporary Dance Company, which toured schools and universities, performing and giving workshops through the Western US. Melissa Daar and Alisa Froman produced a similar tour the following year using teachers from Narciso Medina’s group as well as teachers from the National School of Dance in Havana. Yosvany Terry taught at Stanford University Jazz Workshop at the invitation of Jim Nadel, Stanford music professor and the Jazz Workshop director. These are the types of artistic connections that have been established over the years.

Past Events

Valle Son Tour August 2003
PlazaCUBA assisted in booking Valle Son in the Bay Area during their extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada. We worked in collaboration with Michael Cherashore of SalsaBlanca.

Juan D’Dios March 2003/August 2000
We assisted in arranging classes, lectures and workshops with Juan D’ Dios Ramos on both his U.S. tours. Mr. Ramos is one of the founding members of the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional and Director of Raices Profundas.

Havana/New York 2002
We helped sponsor an artist exchange between New York visual artists - Paul Waldman and his assistant, Alex - and Raices Profundas that culminated in a short film and opened the door to other projects.

2 U.S. Tours-Ban Rarra, Febrauary 2001/June 1999 PlazaCUBA collaborated with Michael Cherashore of Salsa Blanca on two U.S. tours featuring the well-known folkloric dance group, Ban Rarra.

ODC Theater, May 2000
Event produced by PlazaCUBA. The group, Alafia, was made up of an all-star line up of performers, including special guests: Regino Jimenez and Sandy Perez, as well Michael Spiro, John Santos, Jesus Diaz, and dancers Susana Arenas, Jose Francisco Barroso and Juan Carlos Blanco. The series included performances, a giant rumba dance party and a Salsa dance workshop.

Bay Area 2000
PlazaCUBA brought piano player Frank Emilio Flynn to San Francisco to make a rare Bay Area appearance.

La Peña
We support Bay Area community theaters and organizations like La Peña who represent many Cuban groups and offer programs for children and adults.