My name is Esmilda Galano Navarro, I was born in Havana, Cuba. I have loved to dance since I was little and I enrolled in Classical Ballet. This practice contributed a lot to my physical and mental preparation because it takes a lot of perseverance and discipline.

Later I practiced contemporary dance and this continued to enrich my life, since I had a lot of opportunities for improvisation, thus developing my creativity. I have had the opportunity to give dance classes in Spain, Italy, Poland, and here in the United States.

Cuban religious syncretism is part of our culture, this means that so that Africans could preserve their religion, the saints of the Catholic religion were named after the saints of the African religion. They did this in order to continue with their traditions, which gave them so much protection.

The dances I want to teach are the following:

• Yemaya (ruling virgin), Owner of the Sea

• Oshun (Copper Charity) Owner of the River

• Shango (Santa Barbara) Justice, thunder, fire

• Obbatala (Virgen de las Mercedes) Creator of the earth and sculptor of the human being.