|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Reading Time 2 mins
October 28, 2023
Persophone DaCosta Winner Brooklyn’s
2022 Citywide Flag Award For Teaching Excellence.
“My body starts to move[in the pool]. Any stress, anxiety, sadness, or illness… dissipate. Flags … waving in the air, waistlines rotating… It is more than exercise, more than a workout. This is how I Self-Care and Care for My Community Of Sisters.”
Join award-winning Batingua Arts Artistic Director Persephone DaCosta in an in-person Community Caribbean Fitness Session at Mierlyin Dance Studio, Valley Stream, NY, today at 9:30 a.m. and Virtually next week, November 4, 2023, at the same time.
Last week, Dacosta had the privilege of extending her Covid Dance Series by attending the IIY Invest In You; Relax, Relate & Release Women’s Empowerment retreat at The Historic, 1,000-acre Noble Mansion in Bethany, Pennsylvania.
IIY Incorporated asserts that as empowered women, we center the idea that “When we gather purposefully, there is a power that nourishes Women’s Souls and gives us the resolve we need to create the changes we desire in our lives.” IIY INC, a non-profit organization, the brainchild of Darlene Walker-Mungin and Shavon Anderson, is an ongoing reminder of women’s value and how critical it is to self-invest. IIY affirms: “When we invest in ourselves, women are better equipped to handle life’s challenges and support our loved ones.”
Invest in You invited Ms. DaCosta to bring her vast knowledge, creativity, and expertise of Afro Caribbean Culture and dance to the retreat through an African-based movement class and guided meditation. With instruments in hand, “spunk” in their feet, and energy in their waist, in the heart of the formerly forbidden territory, 25 beautiful, inspiring women sang Caribbean folk songs as they clapped their hands and moved their bodies to the beat of the drums. Ms. DaCosta talked to the participants about the “freeness” of African/Caribbean dance and how one does not necessarily need formal dance training to let go and let the spirit of the drum and the sweet sound of Soca music move you. The movement class inspired and transformed the participants, leading to a 7:30 a.m. impromptu Soca Aerobics class in the pool.
Early Morning Soca Aerobics Class, October 19-22, 2023
These classes were not originally on the itinerary but flowed naturally from the dynamics–and Ms. DaCosta happily obliged. The Retreat empowers women to relax, take time for themselves, and self-care. For Batingua’s Director, teaching a morning Soca fitness class in water is “self-care.”
Reimagining the sheer brilliance of the aquatic process, Da Costa affirms and amplifies participants’ moves and waves: “The feeling I get when I hear soca music or drums playing is indescribable. I transpose to a state of euphoria.” While keeping a keen eye on participants’ movements in the pool and replicating what she sees, DaCosta adds, “I don’t have to think; my body starts to move. Any stress, anxiety, sadness, or illness seems to dissipate. Flags are waving in the air, waistlines rotating. Seeing the joy on the faces of the participants in my class brings me great pleasure. It is more than exercise, more than a workout. This is how I Self-Care and care for My Community Of Sisters. This empowers me. This is how I heal”.
Throughout the Fall, DaCosta continues dancing and drumming, spreading The Healing and Empowering Powers of Afro-Caribbean Music Virtually and throughout the NY Metropolitan Area, fostering movement and fitness for seniors, couples, and all families. All are welcome. Virtual and In-Person Sessions will be held at The Maceus Studios, Queens, NY, and Mikerline Studios, Valley Stream, NY., Saturday, November 4, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.