“Los Ayala” by Samuel Lind. Ayala family dance troupe performing their classic Caribbean African dances, 2011.
Update: Due to the latest State orders, our last two lessons have been canceled.
Join us for a a four-part Bomba and Plena dance series led by Sojourners Rafy Amador and Karla Resto starting Saturday, July 11th from 6pm-7pm in Shelby Park. We will follow guidelines for social distancing, marking places 6ft apart for people to stand on, and participants must wear masks. Ladies, wear a large skirt with pants underneath or bring a sheet in order to do some of the dance movements.
Considering the current tensions between race, culture, and injustices, we wanted to provide a joyful, family-friendly, and unifying activity to bring together the Sojourn and Shelby Park communities. Taught by Rafy Amador and Karla Resto, these dances developed in Puerto Rico as the African, Taíno, and Spanish populations on the Island, Borinken, created a fusion of cultural expression. We hope, through the teaching of the Afro-Caribbean folk dances, to celebrate the beautiful fusion of culture and traditions of different people groups. The two rhythms that will be explored are Bomba, a dance that is a dialogue between a dancer and the main percussionist, and Plena, a dance distinguished by its energy and adaptability.
Lesson One: Saturday, July 11th at 6pm
Lesson Two: Saturday, July 18th at 6pm
Lesson Three: Saturday, July 25th at 6pm CANCELED
Lesson Four: Saturday, August 1st at 6pm CANCELED
Puerto Rico is a Spanish speaking, U.S. unincorporated territory in the Caribbean. It’s people, as well as its culture, is a fusion of the African diaspora who came through the Middle Passage, the indigenous Taíno natives, and the Spanish Conquistadores.
Different forms of Bomba were developed on the Island as the descendants of the African and Taíno people expressed the celebrations and tragedies of their communities throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, Bomba is still played in the coastal regions of Puerto Rico, and has become a form of protest to denounce the injustices of its history and current position.
Different forms of Plena were developed throughout Puerto Rico to also illustrate the celebrations and tragedies of the Puerto Rican people. Words were often written to the rhythms of Plena, illustrating the joys and sorrows of sugarcane plantation workers.
For questions, reach out to ramador@sojournchurch.com or jlienhoop@sojournchurch.com.