Embody the Rhythm

I am so pleased to finally be able to respond to the demand for a “true, blue beginner” oriented West African Inspired Dance Class ~ Join us for this upcoming 8 week session!

Tuesdays, May 13th – July 1st, 2014, 7:30pm

at Portland Yoga Studio

If you have friends who’ve always wanted to try out a class, please spread the word for this new Tuesday night session!

To pre-register, please contact me for info by clicking this link: Embody the Rhythm

Bakunda (We Love) is a very special performance that is coming up next month and we are so excited to share it!

It is my pleasure to invite our drum and dance community to this production, which is the culminating project of my studies at Goddard College. I’ve been blessed to be joined by a wonderfully talented group of performing artists, some of whom you will certainly recognize!

Photo credit: Arthur Fink

Please join us Saturday, April 19th at 7pm ~

Bakunda (We Love) weaves together an original blend of Flamenco, B’Inganzo, West African, Contemporary, Step
Dance and Spoken Word to highlight resilience and interconnection with one another and with the rest of the natural world.

Portland HS Auditorium, 284 Cumberland Ave.
Tickets at bakunda.brownpapertickets.com or At the door (Doors 6:30)
Adults $10 advance/$12 door, Children $6

Energetic and graceful dancers Alicia Yip, Lydia Bakunda, Marita Kennedy-Castro, Bianca Abdalla & Lindsey Bourassa (shown in photo from left to right) will provide the heartbeat of the show.

Sontiago (Sonya Tomlinson) heads up the poetic verses, accompanied by Zahro Hassan and Maryan Hassan.  Annegret Baier, Jeff Howe, Janice Erickson & Sandra Benson provide West African drumming and members of Olas Music & Dance, Chriss Sutherland, Leif Sherman-Curtis, Molly Angie & Anna Giamaios contribute guitar, palmas and vocals. Additional fabulous dancers include Alpha Castro, Megu Hirayama, Erica Alt and Sontiago!

If you know any of these artists, you’ll know this is to be quite a special one-time event!
Please help spread the word (this is a facebook link) ~ Thank you!

Giving thanks to Solomon’s Seal ~ An honored healer of joints, tendons and ligaments, amongst other things

Hello hello!

In an interesting “twist” of fate, I will be carrying through the next month behind a drum at dance class while wonderfully capable teacher, Janice Erickson, leads the dancing. Janice will continue right along with the fabulous dance, Soboninkun, this month and then lead on into a new West African rhythm and dance for February.

I’ll be having a small, arthroscopic, meniscus surgery to my left knee on Wednesday, Jan 22nd and be back to (gentle) dancing in 1 months time, then back to full dancing speed and pain-free capability (oh, how I’ve missed it) in the months to follow!

Sending out HUGE gratitude to Janice for keeping this class going in the meantime! There will be no gap in classes and this will offer you an opportunity to enjoy the strengths and talents of another seasoned teacher! I’ll be there too, behind a djembe, healing up to the rhythms of the drums.

I will pick back up teaching just as soon as I am good to go (mid-February), and in the meantime I am excited to see you all dancing from the front end of the room!!

Blessings, healings and waxing light,
Marita

Let’s welcome Youssouf and Namory Keita here with a huge showing of support from our community! You can pre-register to reserve a spot or just arrive a little early on Thursday October 31st.  Join the buzz and excitement!

I’m so excited to share this opportunity and experience with you!

Yousouf & Namory will also be making stops in Brattleboro, VT, Kittery, ME and Cambridge, MA. Please scroll down to last weeks post for more details!

Hello hello! I hope you’re all enjoying a glorious summer evening as I write to you from beneath this amazing full moon. It was actually a BLUE MOON yesterday, which, I just learned from a dear friend, is actually the 3rd full moon of a season. It is the perfect time to be dancing Yankadi and Makru, as these 2 dances of the Susu people of Guinea were traditionally danced at night, under the full moon. We have one more week to celebrate these beautiful dances, so come join in the sultry and celebrational groove!

I am excited to share that our talented community member, Alison Green-Parsons, will be bringing along her lovely hand-made journals and jewelry for everyone to peruse this week before & after class. I encourage everyone to bring a little extra cash, as her wares are difficult to resist… They make great gifts too!

Alison’s hand-covered journals

Also, next week’s class (8/29/13) we’ll have guest teacher, Nyama McCarthy-Brown, back to the studio. For those of you who’ve danced with her before you know what fun is in store, and for those of you who haven’t… well, lucky you! I will be on my residency at Goddard College in the mountains of VT, and you will be in good hands. Your pre-purchased class cards will apply, so let nothing hold you back from experiencing a new teacher! Enjoy!

…Hope to see you all this week on the dance floor…

Alison’s hand-made earrings

Can you believe how blessed we are? I am so excited to dance with you this evening and so grateful for this beautiful, kind, supportive, celebrational drum and dance community. “Big up” to all of you! 

Dance Class Notice: A quick heads up that we will not have class next Thursday July 4th, as many of our community will likely be preparing to watch vibrant colors explode into the evening sky and shimmy whistle their way into dust. Have a great couple of weeks and stay tuned for July dance news! Peace

In Portland we have a beautiful community tradition called Ebune, in which we come together to celebrate the return of Spring after a long, cold winter. People pour out of the woodwork to don costumes and masks, musical instruments, flowers and bells (or even simply their favorite street clothes) and become part of a colorful community celebration.

Ebune ~ All Peoples, All Creatures Parade and Spring Celebration

For many years the Museum of African Culture has been carrying this tradition with support from various Maine College of Art students and community participants. Last year they decided it was time for someone else to “pick up the torch”… Being the lover of fire that I am, I decided to give it whirl!

*The event this year is to celebrate All Peoples and All Creatures*           

Please invited your friends, neighbors and families and join in the celebration on Sunday May 5th, 2013!

All cultures and creeds of our Portland community are invited to come together in celebration of the beautiful diversity of nature; of the many peoples that make up our diverse community and the many creatures & species that call Mother Earth home along with us; celebrating the blessing of spring’s return after a long, cold winter.

This event is made possible by the community for the community. The call is out for volunteers and funders! Please check out the website FMI, and get in touch.

See you on the 5th!    

www.Ebune2013.com