What is Dance for Joy?
Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance invites you to join us for Dance For Joy this Fall! Dance for Joy! is a donation based dance performance workshop series kicking off October 1st, 2023 culminating into a vibrant performance “Soul. Life. DANCE!” at the Billie Holiday Theater on December 10th, 2023. This donation based workshop series, moved by African & Diaspora culture is community built and open to all levels.
Choose Your Classes
Students can choose one or multiple classes from a selection of eight Cumbe signature classes included in this series. International teaching artists and proud ambassadors of their culture guide students through powerful dance forms and inspire the freedom and strength that comes from rhythmic movement.
Fall is here and as 2023 speeds along, this 11 week dance and performance workshops series is geared toward empowering students to hold on to the essence of joy so beautifully captured this summer. The fall brings a transition of what feels like getting back to the realness of life often leaving behind the beauty, joy and freedom we feel during the summer months. Our Cumbe family understands never letting that feeling go through the power of adding African and Diaspora dance as a consistent practice to your life. We want to share this incredible understanding with the world starting with our close community right here in the heart of Brooklyn at our studio in Restoration Plaza.
Through this beautifully curated donation based program we invite all members of the community to try different classes and find your lane. Once you find your flow with a dance style(s) that speaks to your heart dancer will learn a choreographed dance sequence to be performed in December at our culminating performance “Soul. Life. DANCE!” at the Billie Holiday Theatre happening on December 10th. This shared experience creates a grounding foundation rooted in a feeling of community, freedom and confidence that can only be described as pure JOY.
So this fall get back to life, sign up for classes, and take this journey with us as we Dance for Joy!
DANCE FOR JOY INCLUDES IN PERSON CLASSES ONLY. Learn more about included classes and out amazing teaching artists below.
Dance for Joy Classes!
Student performance showcase at the Billie Holiday Theater on December 10th.
Soul. Life. DANCE!
Soul. Life. DANCE! is our culminating event where students will perform choreography learned in our vibrant the Dance for Joy! series followed by a joyful dance party!
Cumbe encourages students to stand in their unique power and share their talents by performing with fellow students and teaching artists, displaying the creation of their hard work and commitment to learning, dance, culture, community and themselves.
In preparation for this performance each teacher will provide students with additional rehearsal times to ensure a confident and beautifully executed performance. Soul. Life. DANCE! takes place on December 10th at the Billie Holiday Theatre located in Restoration Plaza in Brooklyn, NY.
After the show it’s the after party! Be sure to hangout and dance with us after the “Soul. Life. DANCE!” showcase. We had a time last year and cannot wait to celebrate with everyone yet again. DJ Sabine Blazin’ kept the crowd moving with incredible music, Fumu gave us an impromptu dance class, Julio Jean taught an amazing Konpa class all after Batalá drew the crowd into lobby after an incredible staged performance setting the tone for a joyous dance party!
FAQ’s
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Dance For Joy! is an immersive performance workshop series with two goals:
1.To allow students to dive deeper into their favorite classes and learn more about the origins of the movements.
2. Build a community at Cumbe where everyone, regardless of income level, can experience the joy of African & Diaspora dance.
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Workshops run October 1st through December 9th, with a culminating student show (optional) on December 10th. Please check the Dance For Joy! Schedule for more information.
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This is the ‘building a community’ part! Classes in this series are donation based ($5 - $35). If you can, we invite you to contribute $20; your contribution will help us create a community at Cumbe where everyone can afford to take classes.
Our desire is to pay homage to the cultures within our community of dancers and within our neighborhood by offering culturally relevant classes and by making them accessible to those from their various lineages.
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Everyone! We especially welcome current students and encourage you to help us spread the word.
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Yes! You may use your classcard for this series. You may also contribute a bit more or reserve your classcard for classes that are not a part of the series.
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Speak to one of our studio assistants and ask for them to update payment to your preferred donation amount.
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Yes! All students will have the opportunity to perform in the Dance for Joy! showcase on Sunday, December 10th at the Billie Holiday Theatre. Invite your family and friends to learn something new on this day and take joy in viewing participants performing choreographed dances learned in this explorative journey.
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No, participation in the student showcase is optional although we highly encourage students take part in this incredible shared experience.
“At Cumbé, we hope our students may discover the transformative power of African and Diaspora dance and culture by adding the consistent practice of these incredible dance forms into their lives. As children we learn, grow and explore through art, far too often, we lose this as we become adults. We want to encourage our students to tap into African and Diaspora dance, music and culture as a source of energy, education, inspiration and self-expression.”
- Chicava Tate, Programs Director at Cumbe.