Aloy Junco
Melbourne, Australia
A musician, dancer & dance instructor
Growing up in Havana, Cuba, where each neighbourhood had its own Casa de la Cultura – a cultural hub for art, music, and dancing – meant that Aloy was always surrounded by music and dance. Not to forget famous Cuban street dancing. Naturally, Aloy started dancing at an early age, having his first performance in his neighbourhood’s Casa de la Cultura. It was a full house, and the event was a success that kicked off Aloy’s dancing career.
Aloy’s interest in percussions developed when he was 16, and he got the opportunity to take classes with the Conjunto Folklórico Raices Profundas, under the direction of maestro Juan de Dios Ramon Morejon. He was fortunate to play at many tambores – religious festivals, where different orishas are celebrated. While studying dancing, at the National School of Art, Aloy’s passion for percussions kept growing through more studies and performances at numerous festivals.
Dancing had already become an important part of Aloy’s life when his exceptional talent and physical flexibility got him through admission into the esteemed National School of Arts. Aloy graduated in traditional and contemporary dance. His path brought him from performing at the most prestigious stages in Havana to touring the world, as the principal dancer, with Havana Nights Dance Company and the Cuban National Folkloric Dance Company. Aloy transitioned into an independent artist, collaborating with many dance schools, leaving his true mark as one of the most authentic representatives of Cuban culture.
Watching him dance, it is easy to conclude that the rhythm is flowing through his veins. Whether he is dancing Afro-Cuban traditional dances or Cuban salsa in a club, Aloy’s dancing is graceful yet masculine. His endless passion for dance always shines through.
One of the true pioneers of Cuban dance in Australia, recognized as one of the finest Latin and Cuban folkloric dancers and dance teachers around the world, Aloy is currently teaching in Melbourne and participating in festivals around Australia.
