July 2020 newsletter
This is a copy of what I sent out today:
Hello Beautiful People!
I hope this finds you well and safe. So much has been and is changing in and around us. Now that we are in Phase II of Covid 19 activities, I have the opportunity to go back into Balance Studio (and can bring one person under 65) to offer online sessions on Zoom. I’ll send another email in the next day or so with specifics & details after I go into Balance Studio to learn the early ropes. Big ups to Aileen and Daniel for the powerful ways they have kept their mission with dance and culture going during these challenging times. As I step back into teaching it is very important for me to honor and acknowledge how profoundly my creative life has been inspired by music and cultures from Africa and its diaspora. This love has brought me beautiful powerful experiences, teachers, friendships and collaborations. I have visited Brazil and studied in Mali and those experiences continue to be great influences for me. From the start, ihas not my intent to present what I offer as an “African” dance class or to be an authority on cultures outside my own. That’s not possible. There are very good dance teachers here in Seattle that are African, Brazilian, Puerto Rican, Cuban and more, who work hard and their wonderful offerings are available to you! As a lifelong student and teaching artist in Seattle, I see my role as sharing what I learn and am inspired/challenged by from deep wells of my privileges, inspiration, examination, ongoing dialogue, truth seeking, re-learning history as a citizen of the world, spirit sources and movement studies as a springboard for people to experience a taste of for themselves and offer resources for how to go deeper with the music and movement that speaks to you. As white person whose life has been so enriched by cultures outside my own, it is important for me to advocate for African and Black arts and artists and social justice. When we dance, we dance. I will also be putting together more resources to be shared on my website and finding the best way to share the music I use and putting that in the context of where it comes from.
I’ll be back in touch as soon as final details are in place for our online July experiment. |