Testimonials, Community Dance

Testimony:

Your class environment is so inviting and I appreciate that I never feel judged.”
~ Alana Cooper
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…I love to dance, it is healing, worship, joy, blessing all in one! This was the first dance class I attended when I moved to Maine, I immediately felt welcomed and the friends that I have made have lasted for years. No matter what my day is like, I know that when my feet touch that sacred dance space all will be well.”
~ Alison Green-Parsons
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“Your ability to design a space that makes room for multiple degrees of aptitude, as well as just an environment that is immersive and inviting… it’s really a jewel. I feel lucky as one of the early guys who discovered your class. I am sure if more men get how the dances are as rooted in the masculine as the feminine – well, your regulars would be rightfully complaining about overcrowding.”
~ Jonathan Field
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“Your weekly classes are not only a fun activity that is invigorating, energizing, and inspiring; the class promotes a sense of community.  In yoga, it’s called sangha and is considered a key component in our full engagement with ourselves, our life. Sharing in a supportive social setting can often lead to having space and compassion, for the self, and in turn the community.  The growth of this class over the years, as well as how its presence and community has remained strong, attests to what you offer as a teacher.
Whether you are a serious dancer, looking to stay fit, or looking to the class for a weekly, fun release–it is all there. Plus, who can say no to live drumming?!? That continues to evolve too…so awesome!  Thank you, Marita & crew!
~ Megu Hirayama
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“I am a slow learner when it comes to dancing and the way you teach made it very easy and fun for me. I really appreciate it because I have a strong passion to learn and you really cater to the way I am able. You are an amazing teacher. Thank you Marita!”
~ Dena
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Coming home to self comes in different forms. The rhythm of drums, the rhythm of movement has been an integral piece of the puzzle of existing in my body, in my life. Classes with Marita and this community have allowed me to continuously come back home to self, to the beat within that is shared as a collective. Marita is a bridge to the roots of peoples, the places of this traditional Guinean West African style of dance, and has introduced me to a world of community beyond southern Maine. To be reminded of the rhythms of ancestors that exist within my bones is such a gift.”
~ Anne Esguerra
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“You are an amazing teacher and the energy that you and these dances bring to us are contagious! Thanks for everything you do for the community and for bringing a little sunshine every week to our lives.”

~ Raquel Martin Burgos
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“Everyone was so helpful and welcoming and the energy was invigorating. I have a lot to learn, but I’m willing to put in the time because the vibe was so wonderful. The look of pure joy on the dancers faces as they moved was a beautiful thing to witness. I’m so glad I summoned the courage to try it out.”
~ Bonnie
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“The best dance class with incredible energy, drumming and pure joy! Love your huge heart. “

~ Deb Brennan
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“This class is a special experience because you will have a great work out but so much fun while you sweat. Live djembe drumming create vibration and energy, dancing barefoot allows a great connection to the floor and earth… Experiencing a part of a different culture that is more in touch with nature and their heart chakra is so good for this western society that is very much in our head, busy, and distracted. Marita’s class is fun, a real work out and a healing experience.”

~ Tanya Allen
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I Love the On-Demand Dance Videos!  You did a terrific job editing, and explaining the moves beautifully, then repeating exactly the right amount of times with and without the drums, and from the front as well as the back!” 
~ Eve Sawyer
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“Marita, Thank you for an amazing performance last night! Even after watching you dance many times before, I just had no idea! You inspire and invigorate! Looking forward to dancing with you again! in peace,”

~ Patsy
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Performing with Elvis Costello at the State Theatre
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