The Center for Latin American Studies and the Department of Dance invite you to the "Afro Diasporic Dances: Latin America and the U.S." workshop series.
As part of the Black History Month events from CLAS, this series aims to celebrate the contributions of Afro-Latin and African-American cultural practices. The workshops will be facilitated by the Department of Dance Faculty members and guest teachers.
The event is open to the public and registration is required.
Please bring comfortable clothes to move in.
The workshops will take place at Studio 250 in Sullivant Hall, and Studio 247 will be available for stretching and warm-up.
Schedule:
Saturday, March 2
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Krump (Don Isom)
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch recess
1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. Maculele (M. Lobinho)
1:50 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Recess
2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. Capoeira (M. Lobinho)
Krump with Don Isom
Don Isom
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Isom, AKA “Ice”, has been heavily active in the dance community for over 13 years teaching dance workshops, hosting events and showcasing/performing improvised and choreographed pieces. He started a dance group in high school that pushed clowning and krumping in Cleveland. This work motivated him to found and take on the role of CEO of the creative and performing arts company I AM D.A.N.C.E. LLC and the I AM DANCE podcast show. “My inspiration is conversation through dance,” says Isom. “My company spawned an underground movement and I became a pioneer. I used my influence to train youth in the community in garage parks to help develop them because they couldn’t afford dance classes.”
Isom studied abroad with some of the world’s top dance instructors for two years and danced for the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team. He continues to study and train in the dance styles of hip hop, krump, popping, locking, and house genres. With I Am D.A.N.C.E. LLC, he has been involved with TEDTalks/TEDx Youth 2012/2013, America’s Got Talent, NBC News, World of Dance, Pepsi, Radio Show Opener for Sevyn Streeter, and B.O.B. He travels all over the globe performing and teaching battling.
Maculelê and Capoeira with Mestre Lobinho
Mestre Lobinho (Fábio Cunha)
Fabio Cosmo da Cunha, known in the capoeira world as “Mestre Lobinho” began training in 1998 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Lobinho has been teaching in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas of Michigan for 8 years. Lobinho has taught kids programs from ages 2 to 18, adults, and specializes in persons with disabilities. As a young boy, he was a student at a non-profit in Brazil to help underprivileged kids in the community. Coordinated by his teacher and under his guidance, Lobinho had the opportunity to train and participate in many capoeira events around the world and is well known across the globe. By the time Lobinho was 16, he was already teaching classes to other adults. When he was 18, he worked in local preschools teaching capoeira full-time in Brazil. Lobinho has extensive knowledge of capoeira and is a wonderful teacher for persons of all ages.
About the workshops
Maculelê
This workshop will introduce us to this dance form from Bahia, Salvador, with an Afro-Indigenous-Brazilian base. Maculelê uses two sticks as part of the dance, to reproduce the idea of a battle within the dance, following the beat of the drums. In this class, we will explore some of the movements that are part of the dance, as well as how to combine them in a spontaneous and improvised way, while creating movement phrases connected to the rhythm of the music.
Capoeira
Capoeira is a unique Afro-Brazilian art form that combines martial arts, movement, music, and popular culture. Capoeira is a fight for those who fight, a dance, for those who dance. Or why not, both? In this class, we will discover how capoeira can redefine notions of what aesthetic and martial movements can look like or be experienced. Capoeira movements, have the quality of being beautiful and effective at the same time. Moreover, the element of music in capoeira adds to this practice an additional element that may not be found in other martial practices. The connection between the music and the pace at which capoeiristas interact in the capoeira game (jogo de capoeira) allows us to develop the capacity to create a dialogue and a connection at different levels. Movement with movement, one person to another, movement with music, music with lyrics, etc. This class will give a glimpse of how all these elements are combined holistically, ultimately, in the ritual of the roda de capoeira (capoeira circle).
This event is sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies through NRC, Title VI funds from the Department of Education, and is co-sponsored by the Department of Dance.
