Since she was a child her studies have been addressed toward dancing, in fact she started to attend “la casa de la cultura 10 de octubre”. Thanks to her strong attitude toward dancing she was invited to join the activity of Asociación Sainz in “ISLAMADA”. In 1993 she joined the dancing school of “GAVIOTA S.A.” artistic company, where she got specialized in contemporary, classic and popular dance and Afro-Cuban Folklore. She started her working career in the “Osirad Azul” company directed by Raul Cabrera, belonging to Asociacion Caribena de Cuba. She worked with them in many cabarets such as “Rincon del Alameda” today called “Las Yagrumas”, Cabaret “El Recreo”, Cabaret “Turquino” Hotel Habana Libre with Cole-Cole orchestra where she worked as dancer and animator. Then Rayda joined the school of Empresa Beny Morè, in view of becoming part of the new company. She succeeded and participate in a cultural exchange with the portorican “JALA-JALA DANCING” company, where was carrying on a portorican salsa stage while they were doing a Son stage. It was a unique opportunity to improve her skills in dances and rythms of another culture such as the portorican. In 1994 she entered the “Ritmo Caribe” company working in Hotel Plaza, Hotel Bello Caribe, Hotel Neptuno in the “Salon Cristal” with the orchestra “El Medico De La Salsa” and Jose Luis Cortes y N.G. La Banda. Hotel Presidente, Hotel El Viejo y el Mar, Disco-Show Papa’s of Marina Hemingway, Casa Della Musica EGREM with “El Tosco” N.G.La Banda, Cabaret “Tropicana” .
In 1995 after a successful try-out Rayda joined the “TURARTE.SA” agency becoming part of the dancing group of Cabaret “Continental” in the Hotel “Internacional de Varadero” where she got various shows as solo performers, such as “Mi Primera Rumba” and “Tripita en la Habana” for which Rayda would like to thank her teacher Andres Gutierrez (Director and Coreographer of Cabaret ). In 1997 she participated in a selection carried out by the direction of artistic talents of the Cuban television, where she was choosen to became part of the company “Caribean Show”. She worked as dancer and choreographer in the clubs Rio Cristal, Hotel “Las Terrazas”, Hotel “Tropi-Coco”, Villa “Las Brisas”, Disco Show “Papa’s of Marina Hemingway”. She participated in April 1998 to a dancing race “CUBADISCO 98” winning the first prize together with her partner Wilbert Marin, under the expert view of CRISTI DOMINGUEZ (Director of Ballet in Cubana Television), CARUCA (trainer and first dancer of the same Ballet), TONY MENENDEZ (director, coreographer and dancer in the same company) and SANTOS, (well known “bailador” winner of the dancing race in the program “PARA BAILAR” on TVC, ambassador of music and popular dancing in Italy and many other countries). Thanks to this she was called by Tony Menendez to realize the video of the song “IDILIO” for the musical group “Laito y su sonora”. She was also called to participate in the award of this video in the program “LUCAS” on Cuban Television, in “Karl Marx” theatre. Later on she participated in the video ”LA CHARANGA” by CUBAILE. At the end of the year she got the title of Director – Producer – Scenographer and Choreographer of “Centro Provincial de Superaciòn del Artista”.
In 1999 Rayda was contacted by “TURARTE,SA” agency to become part of the dancing group “CABARET PARISIEN” in the Hotel “NACIONAL DE CUBA” . In 2001 she started with the company “PINOS NUEVOS” just for their 20th anniversary, celebrated in “Teatro America”. With them she worked in Hotel “Sevilla”, Disco Show Papa’s Marina Hemingway, Le Selet, Hotel Melia Coiba. In the same year she was called to make her first trip abroad. She made her debut in Italy on the stage of festival “Latinoamericando” in Assago and Verona, next to “Eliades Ochoa, Alina Izquierdo, Celia Cruz “ and in the stand of Ristaurant Tocororo with the group Son De Cuba . Than Rayda went back to Cuba and went on working with the group “Pinos Nuevos” in Hotel Melia Habana, where she made a show for the tribute to the famous Cuban singer Celina Gonzales, representing YEMAYA, Saint of the Yoruba panteon to which the singer is particularly devoted. This was an important event filmed by Cuban and foreign journalists on Cuban TV . A few days later the magazine Prisma went out with an article on the show where Rayda appeared in folkloristic dresses next to the artist. On the same magazine she participated in a photographic session representing Yemaya for an article describing a few aspects of the Yoruba Afro-Cuba religion. Later on, in cooperation with the company of NELSON PENA, she worked at the realization of the show “HAVANA RON” in view of a promotional European tour,sponsored by ron HAVANA CLUB”, where she got to distinguish herself as coreographer and dancer. The show was presented at Melia Coiba and, later on in cooperation with Ballet of Cuban TV, at the International Congress for Alternative Medicine.
At the end of 2002 Rayda came back to Italy where she definitely established and created the Exhibition and animation group Cubana “SON DE L’AVANA” involving Cuban dancers of various cities. Sce then she has been working in many clubs in Milan (Havana Cafe, Creazy Jungle, Onda Latina, Le Le BHAIA in Lissone with ALBERTICO C5ALDERON, MAYKEL FONTS, OSBANI SANCHEZ, MAYKOL RODRIGUEZ). In April Rayda participated, with the group “Afro Cuban Company” of Maykel Fonts, in the realization of the show “Buleria e Batà”, ,made as preview to the Mondial Congress in Milan and later on in various cities such as Bari and Padova. From 2004 to 2005 she was part of the group Fonts Factory with Maykel Fonts, Dawes Figueroa and Kirenia Cantin guests of Salsa Word Festival by Lazaro Martin Diaz. They got prized for their work in developing the Cuban Culure in Italy, as best Group and best choreography with the show “Montuno”. She participated in many congress events such as: Salsitaly, Maremma che salsa, Salsa terme, Baila conmigo,Milano in salsa, Sicilia salsa festival, Berna and Zurigo in Swiss. In 2006 she cooperated with the school “New style dance” in Abruzzo with many shows together with the dancer Giulio Malatesta. In 2007 the project Obini Ire” was borne, formed by the pair Rayda Salas and Niovis Soto, where Rayda was involved with stages and shows all over Italy. In 2008 the pair Rayda Salas y Dawes Figueroa joined again and gave birth to the project CubaRumba.com, proposing a mix of Cuban folkloric dances and contemporary styles in Europe.
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=-Hybg-9flx0
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=MinrE-81XtQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=47BFpAwwDys
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=vGnpptspEJ4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=f-14LjRgq60&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=xknh56UYm5I
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=JABfRLDIVcY
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