Where Are They Now: Aissa Medina

Dancer at birth

Aissa, as she recounts, was born into dance. She has lived dance, in its many forms, throughout her entire life. She remembers from an early age having experienced multiple styles and forms of artistic expression, saying, "I have the artist in my blood." 

Later on, her passion became her academic expertise as she entered the university to study musical education. Following this path, Aissa went on to teach Salsa, as she worked in the tourism industry in Cuba. 

Her pedagogy in dance would become so influential that it allowed her to develop a technique that mixed Salsa with belly dance. In doing so, Aissa became the first woman in Cuba to work with such fusions of dance styles. A completely different style in Cuba, it greatly raised women’s self-esteem. She also goes on to say that, “the dance was so inside of [her] that [she] could dance any styles and belly dance would come out”. 

Her devotion to dance shows the importance of it in her life. “Dance is part of me. Indisputably, it was born with me. I’ve been dancing since before I had consciousness. In dancing, I express all that I feel. […] Dance has made me a more flexible person, more confident, a sensual woman, and above all else free.” [emphasis added] 

She recounts the importance of Havana Habibi in this process, which echoed so greatly in her life. For Aissa, whose exposure to dance began way before Havana Habibi, the festival was relevant not as an introduction to dancing itself, but as a way of teaching her how to truly dance with her heart.

Aissa would, later on, go through a hard moment in life which compromised her physical ability to continue in dance as actively as she once did. As someone to whom dance means life itself, this was an incredibly challenging moment. That’s when she found her entrepreneur skills alongside her immense strength to overcome difficulties. 

In trying to make the best of this situation, Aissa worked to create her own business, opening an innovative hostel in the Chinese neighborhood in Havana, one that proposes to mix the experience of the stay with art. Hostel Aissa, as she named it, brings together people from all over the world who hope to explore Cuba while fostering a deep connection to the art world. 

When thinking about her life, past and present, Aissa mentions how much has changed. Currently taking care of her baby she mentions her devotion to him at the moment: "I am 100% focused on giving him all my love and attention, and now I have the time for it." 

Learn more about Aissa’s hostel through the Instagram: @hostalaissa 

By Juliana Bastos de Mello