DanceScape
10-15-2004, 10:56 AM
Meet "Cuban Pete" and Barbara Craddock, King and Princess of the Mambo Beat
Source: DanceScape eZine
www.dancescape.com/ezine/pastissues
http://www.dancescape.com/Laura's%20images/petebarb.jpg
Cuban Pete is a legendary dancer known worldwide for his talent and passion for the Mambo. He has been immortalized by Desi Arnez & Lucille Ball on "The Lucy Show", as well as by Jim Carey in the hit movie, "The Mask". Meet the real "Cuban Pete" and his partner Barbara Craddock as they chat and "chick chicky boom"...
DanceScape: We all know you as the "King of the Latin Beat," the "Maestro of Mambo," and the "The Prince of the Palladium". As well, you have been immortalized in the movie "The Mask" where comedian Jim Carey sang a tribute to you, "Cuban Pete". But like all successful people, you had to overcome many challenges early in your life.
Cuban Pete: Yes, I had an extremely difficult childhood. I lived in an orphanage, a hospital and many different foster homes as a child. In fact, I was tormented by physical and psychological abuse from one horrible foster mother. But I survived the pain through my passions - first, for boxing, and then later for Latin dancing. Boxing was how I earned my respect and protected myself. It was how I was able to release a lot of my pain and anger at the time.
How did you discover your passion for Latin Dancing?
Cuban Pete: My mother, and god bless her. She taught me how to dance socially for every party that was held on the weekend at one of my six aunt's house. I learned the Danzon and Bolero from her. She started me off on this, and watched me always. My mom said to me, "Peter, you sure can dance, yes you can dance." Ever since then, nobody can tell me how
good I dance - it's all my mom - since she is the one that taught me.
But it was my good friend Miguelito Valdez who encouraged me to give up Boxing and start Dancing. He entered me in a dance contest in 1950 and I won $1,000. It was at this moment that I discovered that I could make money and change my life with what I loved to do most!
...
You have said that in Latin Dancing, it is so important to understand the difference in various basic rhythms.
Cuban Pete: Yes, I learned the Latin Rhythms, Cuban Rhythms, Rhumba, and Bolero from my friends, Miguelito, Machito, and Tito Puente, may god bless his soul; Tito stayed on my back like a stick! They taught me the importance of dancing to the "Clave", it is our metronome, and I mastered it! And then people began to know me as the master of Clave on the dance floor!
Please explain more about the Clave and the importance of its rhythmic patterns in Latin Music and Dancing.
For more of this exclusive interview with Cuban Pete, please visit www.dancescape.com/eZine . We welcome news and article contributions about the world of Salsa. Please contact Laura Davies at editor@dancescape.com .
http://www.dancescape.com/images/smilie_dancers.gif
Source: DanceScape eZine
www.dancescape.com/ezine/pastissues
http://www.dancescape.com/Laura's%20images/petebarb.jpg
Cuban Pete is a legendary dancer known worldwide for his talent and passion for the Mambo. He has been immortalized by Desi Arnez & Lucille Ball on "The Lucy Show", as well as by Jim Carey in the hit movie, "The Mask". Meet the real "Cuban Pete" and his partner Barbara Craddock as they chat and "chick chicky boom"...
DanceScape: We all know you as the "King of the Latin Beat," the "Maestro of Mambo," and the "The Prince of the Palladium". As well, you have been immortalized in the movie "The Mask" where comedian Jim Carey sang a tribute to you, "Cuban Pete". But like all successful people, you had to overcome many challenges early in your life.
Cuban Pete: Yes, I had an extremely difficult childhood. I lived in an orphanage, a hospital and many different foster homes as a child. In fact, I was tormented by physical and psychological abuse from one horrible foster mother. But I survived the pain through my passions - first, for boxing, and then later for Latin dancing. Boxing was how I earned my respect and protected myself. It was how I was able to release a lot of my pain and anger at the time.
How did you discover your passion for Latin Dancing?
Cuban Pete: My mother, and god bless her. She taught me how to dance socially for every party that was held on the weekend at one of my six aunt's house. I learned the Danzon and Bolero from her. She started me off on this, and watched me always. My mom said to me, "Peter, you sure can dance, yes you can dance." Ever since then, nobody can tell me how
good I dance - it's all my mom - since she is the one that taught me.
But it was my good friend Miguelito Valdez who encouraged me to give up Boxing and start Dancing. He entered me in a dance contest in 1950 and I won $1,000. It was at this moment that I discovered that I could make money and change my life with what I loved to do most!
...
You have said that in Latin Dancing, it is so important to understand the difference in various basic rhythms.
Cuban Pete: Yes, I learned the Latin Rhythms, Cuban Rhythms, Rhumba, and Bolero from my friends, Miguelito, Machito, and Tito Puente, may god bless his soul; Tito stayed on my back like a stick! They taught me the importance of dancing to the "Clave", it is our metronome, and I mastered it! And then people began to know me as the master of Clave on the dance floor!
Please explain more about the Clave and the importance of its rhythmic patterns in Latin Music and Dancing.
For more of this exclusive interview with Cuban Pete, please visit www.dancescape.com/eZine . We welcome news and article contributions about the world of Salsa. Please contact Laura Davies at editor@dancescape.com .
http://www.dancescape.com/images/smilie_dancers.gif