“Buenas” or “Bom dia” as they say here in Brazil. This is Jana, executive director of Urban Bush Women. Right now we’re beginning our final day here in Brasilia, Brazil, the last of two cities (São Paulo was first) in our last of three countries for this memorable inaugural DanceMotion USA tour.
It’s been a fast and amazing journey and now that it’s drawing to a close, I’m feeling wistful for the people we’ve met. It’s that odd feeling of missing people yet knowing they will be with you always. What makes the feeling even more powerful is thinking about our purpose here of cultural exchange. I’ve gained a deep appreciation for just how connected our world is today and an affection for the people who have made it their life’s work to connect us more intimately either through their art or their diplomacy.
When we arrived in Caracas, our incredible hosts, Sally and Elena, gifted us with a beautiful bag that included a jazz CD by Pablo Gil, the same Pablo my jazz pianist friend Edward Simon had suggested I reach out to in Caracas. Pablo came to our show, relieved he and his family had survived the earthquake in Chile and happy to be invited to connect with me and my jazz friends when he visits New York City.
Sally also gifted us with her (now) famous homemade rum cake and the treat of meeting her housekeeper, Rejoice, a lovely lady from Ghana who was delighted to meet our dancer Meghan, whose husband is from Ghana.
After taking us to the lovely colonial village El Hatillo, Sally threw us an impromptu party in her home, and Rejoice made her tasty olive poppers (which we now call rejoices in her honor and will be bringing back to America; although she refused to give us the recipe, so we’ll have to do some kitchen experimentation!).
Square in El Hatillo
The morning of our departure, Sally and Elena treated us to our last delicious arepa (cornmeal fried and wrapped around filling of your choice – ham, cheese, chicken, eggs) and a misty-eyed send-off. These women went above and beyond the call of duty, as did our incredible drivers, our sparkling interpreter and translator, Cheryl Coello (una nueva Urban Bush Woman por vida!) and the amazing teachers and students we met, whom other UBW bloggers have mentioned.
In Colombia, our Embassy host Marlene was another incredible, warm woman who put together a terrific plan of activities for us that allowed us to meet local dancers, students and arts and community leaders in Cali and Cartagena. We were very impressed by the Centro Colombo Americano (called the BNC), which works to teach English and connect the Colombian community with Americans.
We taught a great dance class there and held a powerful conversation too that veered from dance to America to race. The funniest moment was when we asked where people were from and a guy yelled out, “Brooklyn!” Brooklyn pride is worldwide! We send our gratitude to everyone at the BNC but especially to JoEllen and Michael for their great leadership and to Camilo and Julian for taking us out salsa dancing!
A lasting relationship was begun with the dynamic Gloria Castro Martinez and the phenomenal dance program and school she created and runs with Roberto Duran and their amazing staff .
Gloria of Incolballet and Jawole
Called Incolballet and based in Cali, the program takes young people mostly from impoverished backgrounds and uses dance as the foundation for providing a disciplined, structured environment in which they study everything from math to science.
Her program clearly has provided countless young people with a new path for their lives, and Incolballet has become the most respected dance company in the country. We were excited to have her students attend our rehearsal. Their buzz of energy lit up the beautiful Teatro Municipal theater! As their country slogan declares, “Colombia es pasión!”
Upon arriving in Cartagena Saturday night, we couldn’t help but notice something large and shimmering out of the right side of the bus – the ocean! It was a marvelous site especially coupled with the outstanding old walled city.
Wow! As one of our dancers said, “This place is like the real Disneyworld!” We had a memorable welcome at our hotel by this regal toucan and then an outdoor dinner in San Pedro Plaza.
The next day, Sunday, we had a rare day off and headed to the beach, which was a beautiful and comical experience at the same time.
A parade of vendors came our way, using every charming plea they could muster to get some business. Jawole and I took them up on the fried fish, which was amazing! A nice cold beer would have topped the meal off, but it was election day and therefore, “ley seca” was in effect. The “dry law” mandates that no alcohol be served or consumed in public election weekend from Friday 6pm to Monday 6am!
Workshop, Universidad San Buenaventura, Cartagena
Again the world seemed so small as later in the day, I was reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Love In the Time of Cholera” (I took it to Colombia to honor this Colombian genius) when someone at the hotel told me his house was right next door AND that he was in town! Jawole even made a plea on La Universidad de Cartagena radio station for him to come out to our show…unfortunately, it seems he wasn’t tuned in that day.
The show at Teatro Adolfo Mejia (still called Teatro Heredia by the locals) was wonderful and lively, filled with the friends we had met teaching at the BNC Cartagena, the Universidad de San Buenaventura and the exceptional program, Colegio del Cuerpo. Run by the megawatt leader, Alvaro Restrepo, Colegio del Cuerpo (College of the Body) is just that – like a PHd program for connecting the mind and body and spirit, as we discovered on a very special day on Baru Island with the Fundación Educativa Instituto Ecológico Barbacoas, which incorporates Alvaro’s work into its overall educational programming for over 800 school kids.
We couldn’t thank our Embassy hosts, Rex and Marlene enough for making our exchange with Colegio del Cuerpo and that visit possible. It hit us hard that dance is really helping to save lives; that cultural exchange opens countless doors for all of us; and that just maybe, our individual exchanges with young people on this journey will be a defining moment in their promising futures. As the young Fayed said when I pinned him with a joined flag of Colombia and the United States, “You (US) / me (Colombia) / here.” Exactly.
-Jana La Sorte
