Cuban dancer finds meaning and work in the streets as the island's art scene fades

Juan Miguel Mas is an avant-garde choreographer and director who founded his own company of plus-size performers in the late 1990s in Cuba. His performances with his company used to fill prestigious venues, but like many Cubans lately, his daily life has been turned upside down from the country’s economic crisis and oil embargo. (AP Video by Ariel Fernández and Martín Silva Rey)

Choreographer Juan Miguel Mas leads an outdoor performance by his young dancers in a neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A young dancer dances during an outdoor performance led by choreographer Juan Miguel Mas, in a neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A woman helps a young dancer with her costume for an outdoor performance led by choreographer Juan Miguel Mas, in a neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Residents watch an outdoor performance of young dancers led by choreographer Juan Miguel Mas, in a neighborhood of Havana, Cuba, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)