Earth Beat
World Afro Fusion dance experience
Penélope was born and raised in Colombia, a place pulsing with the sounds of African, Indigenous, Arab and Spanish music melding together to create vibrant cultural landscapes, a way of both colonizing and resisting throughout the ages. Here in Missoula, she creates a dance experience where bodies are invited to “be entered” by the ancestral, present, and futuristic sounds of the African Diaspora. She leads this experience by way of curating fabulous playlists of liberatory, healing, ecological, protest, dance music from all over the globe, giving special attention to Afrodisasporic music from the Americas. Throughout the flow of music, Penélope makes invitations using words, steps, or improv exercises and group movement prompts to generate intentional connections between participants while dancing. Participants can expect to be free dancing 70% of the time. The remaining 30% is occupied by Penelope's active leading. This class it is a workout for the body and the soul.
What to expect:
Warm-Up: The class begins with an enlivening warm-up to get your body moving and ready to dance. These movements are designed to energize your muscles and connect you to the rhythm.
Learning Afro Moves: Penélope guides you through improvisation prompts that help you learn Afro dance moves. You’ll explore the rich and diverse styles of World Afro Fusion music.
Easy Choreography: Penélope offers simple choreography that you can follow along with, or you can choose to dance in your own way. The focus is on freedom and dancing together.
Community Collaboration: The class fosters a spirit of shared creativity, where participants of African or Latin descent or with extensive experience in African dances, are encouraged to collaborate with Penélope in choreographing and teaching during the session. This is where the community truly comes alive, as everyone contributes to the collective energy.
Party Atmosphere: Throughout the class, the vibe is that of a dance party. You’re free to follow Penélope’s lead or improvise on your own—either way, you’ll find yourself immersed in the joy and freedom of dance.
Please bring:
details
Meet Penélope
Penélope Baquero is a Colombian artist and a dreamer of ecofutures, profoundly inspired by the other-than-human and her Indigenous, Spanish, and Black, mixed race ancestors. She is a survivor of a rigid and full-of-shame religious education where her right to dance as a youth was traumatically stripped away from her by punishment and prohibition over time.
She went back to dance in her early 20's, always guided by AfroDiasporic music and mountains, jungles, streams, beaches, forests, and desserts (as well as people) in many places throughout the world. Her artistic and facilitator work has been inspired by caring for and healing the gem repressed inside.
Penélope weaves personal growth with eco social change. She is a compelling dance expression facilitator, moved to bring the passion of her dance culture, opening pathways for people to connect with self, music, movement and ancestors.
Registration for this event is $25
✨ Your pre-registration is appreciated to help us keep the event on the calendar.. ✨
To ensure Sacred Ally remains accessible to our diverse community, we offer the option of a socioeconomic discount. We ask that people reserve the use of these discounts for those who need it most.
Annual Income $0-30k = 20% discount —> Code: Socioeconomic20
Annual Income $30-40k = 15% discount —> Code: Socioeconomic15
Annual Income $40-50k = 10% discount —> Code: Socioeconomic10
Annual Income $50k(+) = We ask that you pay full price