Danza Voluminosa: Giving a new meaning to belly dancing

Members of Cuban dance group Danza Voluminosa (Voluminous Dance) rehearse at the National Theatre in Havana on January 13. (AFP)

Updated on: Jan 19, 2016 8:29 PM IST

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Members of Cuban dance group Danza Voluminosa (Voluminous Dance) rehearse at the National Theatre in Havana on January 13. (AFP)

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Based in Havana, the dance company gives talented oversized performers an opportunity to showcase their abilities. (AFP)

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All the members of the group are professional dancers. (AFP)

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The group was established in 1996. It is currently rehearsing for their newest act, Crisalidas or Chrysalis. (AFP)

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Danza Voluminosa was the brainchild of the group’s director Juan Miguel Mas. He wanted to adapt overweight people to modern dance techniques. (AFP)

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Other than dancing, the group also helps its members overcome negative emotions associated with being overweight. (AFP)

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Members of the group do not seek to lose weight through dance. In fact, they design creative moves in accordance with their physical abilities, and let their emotions and feelings come out. (AFP)

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The success of the group has belied the notion that dancers must be skinny. Their work has been praised by critics from all over the world. (AFP)

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Since the group’s inception, it has produced three full-length choreographed shows and 30 shorter works. In 2004, it was the subject of a Canadian documentary called Defying Gravity. (AFP)

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The group members are mostly artists who’ve gained weight, but it also includes a few retired dancers. (AFP)

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Two of the group’s presentations, a light-hearted take on Swan Lake and a comedic version of Can-Can got them a lot of attention worldwide. (AFP)

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Mailín Daza, the company’s prima ballerina, weighs in at 130 kg. (AFP)

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Unlike other dance groups, Danza Voluminosa stays away from pirouettes and mid-air leaps. Instead, they excel in slow turns , and arm movements that create motions, rippling through their bodies. (AFP)