• Submitted by: manso
• Travel and Tourism
• 03 / 27 / 2011

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Blaine, WA (Vocus/PRWEB) March 27, 2011. Cuba Education Tours together with U.S. professors has launched an arts excursion to Cuba from June 26 to July 3, 2011. Participants will witness the island’s stellar achievements in theater, ballet, modern dance, music, museology, history and nature. The program is legal for Americans keen experiencing Cuban culture and island life first hand.

Merchant at a Havana farmers market offers organic pineapple and papaya.You'll meet Cubans from all walks of life, learn about the island's unique arts and society, and establish enduring friendships.Quote end

After 52 years of diplomatic and economic separation, President Obama, on January 14, 2011, decreed Cuba travel a reality for most Americans. In response, Cuba Education Tours, one of the oldest North American Cuba tour operators, has teamed up with professors at the Los Angeles Unified School District Arts Education Branch to host an action-packed eight-day overview of Cuban arts, music and dance.

The Cuban Arts and Culture Tour takes place from June 26 to July 3, 2011. It is a rare opportunity for Americans to see the island in its pristine form before U.S. Cuba travel burgeons later this year.

The tour itinerary is geared to lovers of the arts – people keen on music, dance, museums and natural history.

The “pace and quantity of activities is extensive. Not for the faint of heart.” says Cuban Leonardo Hechavarría, Cuba Education Tours organizer. “We worked hand-in-glove for months with Cuban museums, artists and musicians to create a program to allow Americans to experience the best of what’s happening in my country in a brief period.

“There is so much to see,” says Hechavarría. “To learn everything would take months. But we’ve condensed the most exciting island arts encounters into eight days – an Cuban arts boot camp. This is an introduction to Cuban arts at an unprecedented level.”

Hechavarría reveals some program highlights.

“You’ll stay in the best accommodations, enjoy delicious native food and rousing entertainment. The tour is nearly all-inclusive. Our guides are youthful, sophisticated and eager to convey their knowledge and love for the island openly and candidly.”

The tour includes a fabulous stay at the historic boutique Hotel Telégrafo in Old Havana. Participants will attend a performance of the world-famed National Ballet of Cuba. They’ll dine at the whimsical studio of internationally acclaimed Cuban ceramist José Fuster, and take in a fashion show at Casa de La Maison in Havana’s swank upscale Miramar neighborhood.

Each traveler will receive personal dance instruction in salsa, son, rumba, mambo and other popular Cuban rhythms. They’ll visit a half-dozen museums, including the house of literary titan Ernest Hemingway. School visits include a community learning center for K-12 students, the National Ballet School, and the Institute of Superior Arts University.

Special meetings are scheduled with members of the Union of Cuban Writers and Artists, Organopónico Alamar (a massive urban organic garden employing 600 people), and several Afrocuban cultural institutions. These are special occasions for honest dialogue and candor.

Graciella Quiñones, a Cuban travel consultant with Cuba Educations tours says, “Americans who travel with us are kind open-minded people. They are the opposite of the stereotype of the ‘ugly American’ abroad. My people are eager to host them as special emissaries, future friends, colleagues and creative collaborators.”

“I am happy to explain the ins-and-outs of legal Cuba travel for Americans. We ensure people from the States can go to Cuba legally now, and return without complications,” assures Quiñones.

Marcel Hatch, a founder of Cuban Education Tours believes the most important aspect of this tour is the chance for “Americans to be part of the authentic daily life of Cubans. You'll meet islanders from all walks of life, learn about their unique society, and establish enduring friendships.

"This is why we began the project. It is life changing. It remains the reason we endeavor. Everyone comes home from Cuba is refreshed with new insights and outlooks."

About the company:

Cuba Education Tours was established in 1997 as a project for peace, friendship and understanding between Americans and the people of Cuba. In 2000, it expanded its scope to include educational travel abroad to Cuba for schools and universities. Today the organization helps thousands of Americans go to Cuba legally on culture, education, history and nature tours.

Source: www.prweb.com/releases/2011/3/prweb8242180.htm