The Cuban dancer Daniela Rittoles shared on TikTok a testimony about her experience emigrating to Germany and working in the same profession she studied in Cuba, evoking what she heard on the island about the lack of job stability in the arts.

"I left Cuba and today I live from what I studied. When I was in Cuba, many people said that dancing was just a hobby, that outside it wouldn’t be a real job because it paid very little. Now I live in Germany and I am still a dancer; what for many in Cuba was just a pastime has helped me open doors to get to know other countries, work, and grow," she stated.

In his message, he pointed out the difficulties of finding well-paying jobs on the island and the perception of instability that some have regarding art as a profession: “I know that the salary will never be like that of a doctor or a lawyer, but living off my passion provides me with stability and a comfortable life, doing what I love, without having to take on a thousand jobs to get by.”

The video generated over a hundred comments, ranging from congratulations to a debate about the prestige of ballet in Cuba. In response to the opinion that this discipline is socially respected on the island, Daniela clarified: “For those of us within the school, yes, but there are many people outside who tell you, 'If you were a doctor or a lawyer, you would have a better future abroad and would be paid more.' Moreover, they claim that it's very difficult for dancers to practice their craft outside, often suggesting that they mostly end up working in bars (which is true to some extent), but it's not always the case.”

In another exchange with users, he emphasized: “I never said they should claim that ballet in Cuba is bad, but it's true that nothing in Cuba pays well, and when you leave, not everyone manages to join a company and end up doing other things or working multiple jobs to support themselves.”

Some agreed with her that "in Cuba there are many people who do not value art," while others defended that "Cuban ballet is part of the social elite" and that it is "highly prestigious." Daniela replied: "Among colleagues and professors, they know about the prestige; I'm talking about people outside of that world, about the people in the 'street' as we say in Cuba."

Cuban dancer in Germany recalls that in Cuba they used to tell her that art was not a real job

The Cuban dancer Daniela Rittoles shared on TikTok a testimony about her experience emigrating to Germany and working in the same profession she studied in Cuba, evoking what she heard on the island about the lack of job stability in the arts.

"I left Cuba, and today I live off what I studied. When I was in Cuba, many people said that dancing was just a hobby, and that it wouldn't be a real job outside, because it paid very poorly. Now I live in Germany, and I continue to be a dancer. What many in Cuba saw as just a pastime has helped me open doors to meet people from other countries, work, and grow," she said.

In his message, he highlighted the difficulties of finding well-paid jobs on the island and the perception of instability that some have regarding art as a profession: “I know that the salary will never be like that of a doctor or a lawyer, but living from my passion gives me stability and a comfortable life, doing what I love, without having to do 1,000 jobs to get by.”

The video generated over a hundred comments, ranging from congratulations to a debate about the prestige of ballet in Cuba. In response to the opinion that this discipline is socially respected on the island, Daniela clarified: “For those of us within the school, yes, but there are many people outside who say, ‘if you were a doctor or a lawyer, you’d have better prospects abroad and would be paid better.’ Additionally, they tell you that it’s very difficult for dancers to pursue what they do outside, that they’re generally working in bars (which is true to some extent) but that’s not always the case.”

In another exchange with users, he emphasized: "I never said that they should say that ballet in Cuba is bad, but it is true that nothing in Cuba pays well and that when you leave, not everyone manages to join a company and they end up doing other things or working multiple jobs to make ends meet."

Some agreed with her that "in Cuba, there are many people who do not value art," while others argued that "Cuban ballet is part of the social elite" and is "highly prestigious." Daniela replied, "Among colleagues and professors, they are aware of the prestige, but I'm talking about people outside of that world, about the people on the 'street,' as it's said in Cuba."

From Art to Numbers: How Much Does It Cost to Live in Germany

Days earlier, the dancer had posted another video detailing her monthly expenses in Germany. Under the title “How much does it cost to live in Germany as a Cuban artist?”, she showed that she pays 600 € for rent (including water), 64 € for gas and heating, 60 € for electricity, 40 € for internet, totaling 764 € for housing and utilities. In addition, she spends between 200 and 250 € on food, 100 € on outings (“I hardly have a social life, I don’t know many people”), 58 € on transportation with the Deutschlandticket, and 200 € on extras, reaching an approximate monthly expenditure of 1,372 €.

In the comments, users from other European cities compared prices and salaries, and inquired about taxes and labor contracts. Daniela explained, “I read that the average in Germany earns €2,100 after taxes, but I’m not sure how accurate that is.” Regarding her job situation, she noted, “I pay about €400 from my salary and my work covers the rest, so it’s like half (I’m on a Festestelle contract).” She acknowledged that she is still learning about the system: “In my country, we didn’t pay any taxes… it takes a bit more time to adapt at first.”

He also specified that he lives in Stuttgart-Obertürkheim, "a little outside the city," in a 35-square-meter studio apartment, and that the landlord gave him the rent because "she loves ballet."

More Cubans in Germany

The case of Daniela adds to other recent testimonies. In July, Mayara, a Cuban nurse, shared with CiberCuba how she emigrated without spending a dime through a social volunteer program that provided her with accommodation, food, and health insurance, subsequently opening up job opportunities for her. In January, Roly, known as @rolylabestia1985, celebrated his German citizenship after arriving in 2015 “without knowing German, without a job, and in an illegal situation,” emphasizing that he achieved it through “study, effort, and patience.”

In a migratory context where thousands of Cubans seek legal and safe alternatives to leave the island, the stories of Daniela, Mayara, and Roly illustrate different paths and challenges in thriving in Germany without giving up on their vocations.

From Art to Numbers: The Cost of Living in Germany

Days earlier, the dancer had shared another video detailing her monthly expenses in Germany. Under the title “How much does it cost to live in Germany as a Cuban artist?”, she revealed that she pays 600 € in rent (which includes water), 64 € for gas-heating, 60 € for electricity, 40 € for internet, totaling 764 € for housing and utilities. In addition, she spends between 200 and 250 € on food, 100 € on outings (“I hardly have a social life; I don’t know many people”), 58 € on transportation with the Deutschlandticket, and 200 € on extras, reaching an approximate monthly expense of 1,372 €.

In the comments, users from other European cities compared prices and salaries, and inquired about taxes and employment contracts. Daniela explained, “I read that the average salary in Germany is €2,100 after taxes, but I'm not sure how true that is.” Regarding her job situation, she stated, “I pay about €400 from my salary and the rest is covered by my job, so it’s supposed to be like half (I’m a Festestelle).” She acknowledged that she is still learning about the system: “In my country, no taxes were paid… it’s a bit harder to adapt at first.”

She also specified that she lives in Stuttgart-Obertürkheim, "a bit outside the city," in a 35-square-meter studio apartment, and that the owner agreed to the rent because "she loves ballet."

Other testimonies from Cubans in Germany

The case of Daniela adds to other recent testimonies. In July, Mayara, a Cuban nurse, shared with CiberCuba how she emigrated without spending a cent through a social volunteer program that provided her with accommodation, food, and health insurance, later opening up job opportunities for her. In January, Roly, known as @rolylabestia1985, celebrated his German citizenship after arriving in 2015 "without speaking German, without a job, and in an illegal status," emphasizing that he achieved it through "study, effort, and patience."

In a migration context where thousands of Cubans are seeking legal and safe alternatives to leave the island, the stories of Daniela, Mayara, and Roly illustrate different paths and challenges to thrive in Germany without giving up their calling.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Experience of Migration and the Lives of Cubans Abroad