dance battle in streets of Havana
Yosmel Azcuy, 29, a break dancer, shows off his moves during a dance battle in front of Catedral Del Picadillo, a multipurpose center in the Havana neighborhood of Jaimanitas. Break-dancing in Cuba goes back to the early 80s, the same time it rose to prominence in the United States. But in the late 1980s through early 2000s, the movement all but disappeared — the result of Cuba being disconnected from international culture and media. Now break dancing is back and gaining momentum with the new music and style emerging in Havana. Red Bull, an energy drink company based in Europe, has even brought several Cuban "breakers" on tour through Europe. And now, with wifi connections across Havana, YouTube videos and movies of dance battles are being watched and downloaded regularly.