October - 2019

The Beauty of Salsa Dancing In a Small Town

The Beauty of Salsa Dancing In a Small Town

#ArohaAfroLatinDance #ArohaLatinDanceClass #FlorenceSCLatinDance I was walking to my car after lunch at Top Hat Special Teas when, at the intersection of Evans and Irby, a car horn honked. I looked over and behind the wheel was one of my past dance students waving from her open window. As this student drove on, another student who was waiting at the light called out of the open window asking how I was doing and let me know they were going to call that evening about an event.

Farewell Hard Rock

Farewell Hard Rock

In December 2016, Aroha Latin Dance began promoting Latin Night and teaching Latin Dance lessons at Hard Rock Cafe. When I first brought my organization to Hard Rock it was after months of effort to make contact and collaborate. I knew that when the door finally opened the time was right and just as the time was right then, the time is right now for me to make an exit. I can't put my finger on anything particularly concrete but my intuition is telling me that it is time for

Self Care Through Dance

Self Care Through Dance

Be prepared for magic during the Kizomba Salsa Weekend we will be hosting in Florence, SC the weekend of February 16-18. One of the women coming is someone I absolutely adore and love like a sister. She is energy, love, grace, generosity, and groundedness personified. She is an amazing dance instructor and dancer and what she has truly shown a passion for is self-care. Taking the time to rejuvenate, replenish, love, reconnect with ourselves to be able to give to others and fo

SUCCESS!!!

AmbiDancetrous: Dancing Beyond The Box

AmbiDancetrous: Dancing Beyond The Box

For years I was only an On1 Salsa dancer. When I first became addicted to Salsa and all dances of Latin/Afro-Latin origin I had no clue there were so many different ways to interpret the music. The first time a guy asked me to dance On2 I had no idea what he was talking about. I had no idea I was dancing On1! I avoided learning On2 for as long as possible and was very lucky to not live anyplace where On2 was the ONLY way to dance Salsa. Then I traveled to Colorado to receive

Dancing As the World Falls Apart

Dancing As the World Falls Apart

What is the place of art as things begin to fall apart? Where do we go for happiness in the midst of the horrifyingly sad events happening around us? These are the questions that have stayed with me as I have planned, organized, trained, taught, and traveled to dance classes and events between Florence and Myrtle Beach. On these drives I have thought and prayed for my sister in Standing Rock, whose family led the movement that became the Water Protectors. To this day she and

Social Media and Growing a Dance Community

Social Media and Growing a Dance Community

I remember a time before the ever present Facebook, Websites, Blogs, and Instagram when I taught classes and students came through word of mouth. If I was lucky I got an article in a newspaper but mostly, it was based on my merits as a teacher not my "look" as a teacher. Now, a person can take pictures and post it with hashtags and make it "look" like it was the best time ever had and it is your loss that you weren't there. With the right angles and the right music, a video c

A Year In A Growing Dance Community

A Year In A Growing Dance Community

There have been moments in my life where everything I have prayed for and worked towards intersected. Never have I achieved such significant milestones alone. Most often it has been a chance conversation that led to exactly what I envisioned. I see these chance conversations as prayers answered. This is what happened with Hard Rock Cafe. I knew that an important element to fostering growth in a dance community was to have a venue that people would be drawn to. A place where c

Bow Down to the Courage of The Beginner Dance Student

Bow Down to the Courage of The Beginner Dance Student

Awww man! Today was one of those days. You know, the ones that feel like answered prayers days. One of those days that made all the hours of driving, the hours of building, the hours of working on a computer, the hours away from home and family, the cool trips I missed, the setbacks experienced, the fear and doubt I worked through - today made it all worthwhile. It has taken me a year to experience growth in Myrtle Beach. Believe me, I was ready to throw in the towel. I was t

Kizomba With Kimberly Nicole

Kizomba With Kimberly Nicole

It is a rarity to find a dance instructor who not only knows the dance they teach but can also give you cultural and historical context. All dances came from somewhere and are rooted in an authentic human experience expressed through movement. Kizomba is just that type of dance and Kimberly Nicole is just that type of instructor. The awesome thing is that she doesn't overwhelm you with all of her knowledge but rather gives it to you in small manageable increments. Cuz Kizomba

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The Beauty of Salsa Dancing In a Small Town

The Beauty of Salsa Dancing In a Small Town

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