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Realizing your dreams is a process. Life can be so hurried and fast paced, you have to schedule a time for your “dreams”. Lack of finances, discouragement from others, and stresses at work can contribute to you losing sight of your dreams, but don’t let it! Do whatever you can to contribute to your own visions. Take a conscious look at what you want. What I truly want is to encourage individuals of all shapes, sizes, colors and fitness levels to get moving. I would love to have a business that would make an impact on the world, by showing others the importance of African culture, rhythm and dance. I have used my love of the movements of African dance in my fitness routines and schedule. Although I have not yet reached all my goals, I am realizing some of my dreams. I will tell you a story about a woman who came and sat in on the Monday night class I teach with Sheila of Sasa African Dance theatre. She quietly sat in a corner during class, and was smiling the whole time. She was grooving to the rhythms and watching me teach the dances. Then it dawned on her! She remembered me from a YouTube video! I was so shocked. She told me the story how my movements helped to inspire her to teach some children creative movement for a performance they were doing at a school. I was so grateful for that loving interaction and her appreciation for that video. This is what inspires me to keep dancing, loving, and moving!

Recently, I was privileged enough to be invited to teach a ChikaMoves African Dance workshop at the Virginia Key Grassroots festival. I also was there in 2014. I had a great time at the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival in Miami, Florida, February 20th to February 22nd. http://virginiakeygrassroots.com The Grassroots organization has festivals in New York and North Carolina. Now they are representing in Miami and I am glad to be a part of it. It is so vital to support this festival and support music and artists of different cultures and music styles. Not only did the Grassroots festival have African music and drumming, but there was folk acoustic music, Bluegrass, Afro Cuban, conscious hip hop, soul music, zydeco and music fused with many different styles. There were various workshops on sustainability, green living, dance, and songwriter circles. Although this festival is about the music; it is definitely much more than that. It is a community that promotes maintaining and preserving different cultures and spreading love and peace through art. My friend always tell me to be the change I want to see in the world, and there is no better place to start than by supporting the grassroots organization!

I taught an African dance class tonight to some beginners and it felt great. There are times when I get lazy, but when I get moving, the energy from the Source wakes me up! I realize that teaching and performing West African inspired movements is something I can’t imagine not doing!