Take joyful loving ownership of your body! Join us for an evening of movement, body mapping, drinks, snacks, and radical dialogue as we deep-dive into the core values of the Dancing Diaspora Collective.
Partake in embodied conversations around identity, body and the impact of our collective reclamation. Claim Yourself, Craft Your Vision, Cultivate Collective Liberation! Event curated by DDC members José Richard Aviles, Rachel Hernandez, and Raquel Lemus.
A suggested donation of $15 to cover DDC artist fees is welcome at the door! Please note that a strict 50 person capacity must be enforced in the space at all times. Doors will open at 6pm, and attendees will be welcomed into the space on a first come, first served basis! More info HERE
Dancing Diaspora is dedicated to honoring, sharing, and reimagining dance practices of the Latin & African diasporas in dialogue with local and global histories of cultural resistance. Dancing Diaspora Collective is a group of local artivistas dedicated to curating ongoing programming for Dancing Diaspora in Los Angeles and beyond. Follow us on IG @dancingdiaspora
Jose Richard Aviles is a multimedia artist, Urban Planner, and Social Worker based out of Los Angeles. As a former organizer with the Bus Riders Union and current Bus Rider, Aviles is interested in the stories of the countless people that still rely on public transportation. Currently, Aviles is working on their second full evening length work, Semilla, that explores the relationship between intergenerational trauma and the memories of the built environment.
Rachel Hernandez began her professional studies in Salvador, Bahia. During her time there, she had the privilege of studying with landmark masters such as: Mestre King, Rosangela Silvestre, Vera Passos, and Nildinha Fonseca. Rachel has danced with Grupo Genisis and Balá da Mata in Brazil, as well as Fusion Dance Company and choreographer Marina Magalhães in Los Angeles. She has choreographed nationally for Ballet Santa Barbara, Viver Brasil Dance Company and Amalkoba, as well as internationally for Ballet Folclórico do Brasil and Capoeira Batuque Japão. She currently teaches her signature Afro-Brazilian dance classes throughout Los Angeles, curates the dance component of Extra Ancestral, and plays percussion with the all-women drum ensemble Bloco Obini.
Raquel Lemus serves the LA community as a Full Spectrum Licensed Midwife, Peristeam Hydrotherapist, Placenta Specialist, Yoga Instructor, and Educator. Raquel believes healing is a multidimensional process that involves the integration of experiences that are physical emotional, mental and ancestral. It is her goal to give her clients and community a framework of practices to support their own bodies’ alignment with optimum wellness and connect people back to the known wisdom and intelligence of their uterus in order to help them experience more joy and alignment with their life purpose!
This program is supported in part by the California Arts Council’s Artists in Communities grant program.