Havana - Cuba

'Cubans learn to walk and then they learn to dance,' British director Stephen Rayne whispers as we sidle into the theatre mid-rehearsal.

On stage, members of Havana-based dance company Ballet Rakatan are working on Manicero, a street scene about the city's peanut-sellers. When it ends, my lone applause rings hollow around Teatro Municipal, a rundown, draughty venue that, like much of the Cuban capital's architecture, has seen better days.
I've flown to Havana to watch Stephen and Cuban choreographer Nilda Guerra put the finishing touches to Havana Rakatan, a high-octane dance show that launched last week at London's Peacock Theatre and is enjoying a month's run as part of the Sadler's Wells season.

It's a tough remit. The show strives to explain the history of Cuban dance in a two-hour nutshell, no mean feat considering the 'Sugar Island' has been dancing since the 15th Century.

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