"Los Pasos Prohibidos"—The Forbidden Steps—explores the individuality at the heart of salsa dancing, where each dancer brings their own signature style to an unspoken, friendly competition. This personal flair keeps the tradition alive, dynamic, and deeply communal. In Venezuela, a rumba is more than a party—it is a cultural institution, a joyful fusion of music, dance, and food that shapes identity and belonging.
This project begins in La Plaza El Venezolano in Caracas, where elderly community members have gathered for decades to celebrate their heritage through a public rumba. As afternoon fades into evening, the plaza becomes a sanctuary of rhythm and movement—a liminal space where tradition meets new faces, and where participants shed their inhibitions to join a ritual that is both spiritual and communal. Amid the city’s constant change, La Plaza El Venezolano stands as a testament to resilience and cultural memory. Through this visual narrative, I aim to honor those who safeguard this tradition and reveal how dance and music continue to evolve across generations, preserving memory and showing how cultural practices endure, transform, and connect us all.
