Tony-Winning Choreographers Guide New Cast Through Buena Vista Social Club Tour

The North American tour of Buena Vista Social Club has launched with choreographers Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck, a married couple whose work won Tony Awards for the Broadway production. The choreographers discuss balancing fidelity to the original vision while giving the new cast freedom to bring their own interpretation to the Cuban dance-centered show. They reflect on discovering passionate Latin talent during auditions and their approach to deepening the storytelling through movement for touring audiences.

The touring production benefits from choreographers who share both professional and personal ties to the material. Delgado's Cuban American background provided authentic perspective during the show's development, while both artists drew inspiration from their own wedding celebration featuring the iconic music. The audition process identified performers with existing passion for Cuban culture and dance traditions, creating a cast invested in authentically representing the material rather than simply executing steps.

The choreography itself synthesizes multiple dance vocabularies—ballroom, modern, Afro-Cuban, and ballet elements—woven together to advance character development and historical narrative. Rather than treating movement as decoration, the choreographers intentionally designed gestures to clarify plot points and emotional arcs for touring audiences unfamiliar with the original Broadway production.