La Rueda de La Vida (The Wheel of Life)

Filmmakers Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider's brief but delightful documentary tells the story of Joaquin Roche “El Oso” Rodríguez, one of the founders of Cuban salsa dancing, or Casino de Rueda. A bright and positive 70-year-old, El Oso (“the Bear”) takes viewers on a well-choreographed tour of his native Havana, underscoring the populist, street-level nature of Casino dance and explaining how it evolved in pre-Castro Cuba because non-whites were not allowed into clubs. With the advent of rock ‘n' roll (some elders here recall the huge impact of Bill Haley's “Rock Around the Clock”), Casino—in which dancers form a wheel, revolving together while still dancing with a partner—was solidified as a social and cultural phenomenon. Rodríguez is not only full of memories, but as a very fit and healthy septuagenarian he continues to dance today. The film ends with a look at Casino dancing in the streets all around the world, from Malaysia to Germany to China. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)