About

Raices Profundas Director: Juan De Dios Ramos Morejon

Professional History

From a very young age, Juan De Dios started working as a soloist dancer, singer and rumba percussion player at several venues such as Cabaret “El Nicho”, La Taberna De Pedro, Pompilia, El Chori, El Pensilvania, Isora Club, El Club De Los Munequitos, Ali Bar, El Nacional De Prado, Moroco, Club, Via Blanca, Teatro Marti, and multiple public venues.

His entrance into the professional art world occurred in 1959, when he was evaluated at the “Lagunas & Perseverancias” evaluation program for the National Syndicate of Arts & Shows (SINTAE), under Alberto Alonso and Sonia Calero. He performed 42 shows as part of the program, as rumba soloist, dancer, singer and percussionist.

In 1962, the Cuban National Council of Culture (CNC) opened the invitations to create Cuba’s National Folkloric Ensemble (CFN). Juan participated in the auditions and passed all tests made by the evaluation board. From that moment he was named one of the  “founding members” of the Ensemble, and remained as part of the group for many years as a principal dancer, professor and choreographer.

In 1975 he founded his own folkloric performing ensemble named Conjunto Folklorico Raices Profundas. Juan’s tireless energy and talents as director coupled with his profound knowledge of Cuban cultural traditions led the group to notoriety and acclaim as one of the most authentic performing ensembles conveying Cuban identity through artistic expression. Juan is highly revered as a pedagogue and is a major influence in conserving and maintaining Cuban cultural traditions.

Juan is the recipient of a vast array of awards of recognition and artistic achievement. His work includes a wide number performances and cultural education activities.

In 1980 Juan creates Raices Profundas, a dance, music and culture research & creative collective of Cuban folkloric and popular music. Its mission is to create a folkloric repertoire of all the Cuban dances & music. He remains as a professor, choreographer and artistic director of the group to date.

His studies include a Graduate Degree from the CNC/University of Havana’s Country Work Faculty. He is also an avid reader, self-learner and researcher.

Professional Development History:

1962- Started the Cuban National Folkloric Ensemble:
1963- Choreography training Program with Mexican Professor Rodolfo Reyes Cortes
1964- CFN Acting Training Program at the CFN
1965- CFN Stage Manager Training Program
1967- CFN Costume Design Training Program
1981- CFN Choreography Training Program by Professor Ramiro Guerra
1984- CFN Choreography Training Program by Professor Ramiro Guerra

International Events & Festivals with CFN:

1964- Paris Theater & Dance Festival, at the Sarah Bernhart Nations Theater, France
1966- 6^th Latin American Festival at La Habana, Cuba
1972- Carifesta 72, Georgetown Guyana
1973- Folkloric Festival at the 6^th Conference of Non-Aligned Countries
1973- Journey of Cuban Culture in the USSR, Moscow, Leningrad & Riga.
1974- 2^nd International Festival Cervantino de Guanajuato, Mexico
1974- Festi-Danza 74, Araquipe, Peru
1974- 12^th Central American & Caribbean Sport Games, Santo Domingo DR
1974- Jeux d’suteame 1975 et 30 ’eme Fetes Internacionales de la Vique, Dijon, Francia
1975- L’Humanite festiva, Paris France
1975- Cuban Dance & Thearer Panorama, La Habana Cuba
1976- International Folkloric Festival, Bellingham UK
1977- International Folkloric Festival, Burga, Bulgaria
1978- Ballet Festival, La Habana, Cuba
1978- 11^th World Youth & Students Festival, La Habana Cuba
1978- 6^th Cervantino International Festival, Guanajuato Mexico
1979- Carifesta International Caribbean Festival, La Habana Cuba
1980- CFN United States Tour
1981- CFN Belice Tour
1982- CFN Venezuela Tour
1984- CFN Italy Tour
1984- CFN Canada Tour

Countries:

France, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Spain, Romania, Holland, Sweden, Argelia, Guyana,Jamaica, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Canada, Guatemala, Venezuela, United States