Objectives:

• Introduce participants to the history and cultural meaning of piquetes.
• Explore the relationship between dancer and drummer.
• Teach participants to create their own piquetes and connect them with live drumming.
• Build confidence in improvisation and self-expression through movement.

Agenda

0:00 – 0:15 | Welcome & Introduction

• Greeting, introductions, and icebreaker (name and one movement).
• Brief overview of Bomba in Puerto Rico, focusing on the role of piquetes.
• Show a short demo (live or video) of dancer–drummer call and response.

0:15 – 0:35 | Warm-up & Foundations

• Gentle body warm-up with rhythm (marching, clapping to bomba beats).
• Practice basic bomba steps (marcaje) in a circle.
• Introduce the concept of the batey (dance space) and body posture for piquetes.

0:35 – 1:05 | Learning Traditional Piquetes

• Demonstrate a set of foundational piquetes (e.g., floreo, punta, vueltas).
• Break down movements step by step.
• Pair practice: half the group drums/cua/claps, the other half dances piquetes.

1:05 – 1:30 | Improvisation & Call-and-Response

• Introduce the lead drum (barril primo) and how it follows the dancer.
• Volunteers enter the batey to try short improvised piquetes.
• Rotate dancers so everyone gets a turn with live drumming.

1:30 – 1:50 | Create Your Own Piquete

• Small groups (3–4 people) create a short sequence of 2–3 piquetes.
• Encourage mixing traditional steps with personal expression.
• Groups rehearse with drummers.

1:50 – 2:00 | Sharing & Reflection

• Each group presents their piquete sequence.
• Quick group reflection:
• What did you feel when creating your piquetes?
• How did the drum respond to you?
• What surprised you about improvisation?
• Closing circle with everyone dancing together.

Materials Needed:

• 1–2 barriles de bomba (drums)
• 2 cuás (sticks on wood)
• Maraca
• Speaker for recorded music (backup)
• Open dance space (at least 15×15 feet)