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The non-profit organization Treinta Y Tres Delaware Rueda, dedicated to promoting the Cuban Rueda de Casino in the United States, received a grant of $50,000 from the national program "Caminando Juntos: Investing in Folklife in Communities of Color," a support that will strengthen the teaching and dissemination of this tradition among the Cuban community and the American public.
The aid was announced this Thursday by the United States Regional Arts Organizations (USRAO), which distributed 3.34 million dollars among 96 organizations and artists across the country through a pilot program administered by Mid Atlantic Arts.
Thirty and Three Delaware Rueda will allocate the funds to expand its training programs, keep its community events free or accessible, and continue promoting Cuban culture through classes, presentations, dinners, and dances throughout the state of Delaware.
“This opportunity will allow us to continue spreading the joy of dancing Rueda de Casino,” said a representative of the organization. “It helps us keep our community events accessible while sharing the rich cultural traditions of Cuba through our performances, dinners, dances, and ongoing classes, generating greater cultural awareness throughout the state of Delaware.”
The program's grants do not require a financial counterpart or impose restrictions on the use of resources, providing beneficiaries with greater flexibility to develop cultural preservation projects.
In Delaware, only two beneficiaries were selected. In addition to the Cuban organization, the artist Terry Sammons, a resident of Wilmington and specialized in working with beads from the Lenape indigenous nation, received a grant of $15,000.
Jessica Ball, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, emphasized the importance of both projects. "The arts have a unique power to bring people together, preserve heritage, and strengthen the fabric of our communities throughout the state of Delaware," she stated.
The Rueda de Casino, which emerged in Havana during the 1950s, is a form of group dance in which several couples form a circle and perform synchronized figures following the leader's instructions, constantly changing partners.
Over the years, Cuban emigration has brought this cultural expression to numerous countries, where associations and community groups work to keep the tradition alive. In Cuba, there have even been attempts to establish a Guinness World Record with a giant wheel, and there is an initiative to have it recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, although that request has not yet been approved.
This year's call for applications received over 2,000 submissions from organizations and artists across the United States and its territories. After an evaluation process conducted by experts in folklore, cultural heritage, and traditional arts, 96 beneficiaries were selected.
Of the total assistance awarded, 56 organizations received $50,000 each, while 40 individual artists received grants of $15,000.
Juan Souki, executive director of Mid Atlantic Arts, emphasized that preserving cultural traditions "is crucial for strengthening the vitality of historically marginalized communities" across the country.
The beneficiaries come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, with at least one selected project in each of these jurisdictions.
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