5,6,7,8

Back in high school I was nothing but dance. Almost every day of the week I was in class for at least 3 hours after school. Since those high school days, I continued dancing throughout college, but slowly over the last two years I have taken a break from the dancing world… until now!! Lately I've found myself spending those extra hours a day making up choreography in my house—it naturally happens anyways whenever I have a large empty space. That's the thing about Peace Corps; you're left alone with nothing but your mind and creativity. I've been downloading numerous youtube videos of different choreographers and have exceeded my limit on my ipod (external hard-drive anyone?). I even had my mom send me my tap shoes from the states—I feel sorry for my neighbors having to hear my loud beats late at night. It's like my passion has been revived, and I love it.
So here is how I have tied dance into my work here; it has literally taken over my list of priorities [in a good way]. For starters I am now teaching dance twice a week at the private school in my community during their sports period. The kids range from grades 1-7. With the ones at the junior schools I just teach basic grooves, steps, and how to work with an eight count, nothing too hard. Then at the senior school I focus more on choreography and teach them dance combinations. I love it that the teachers are just as thrilled to have someone teach dance as I am to do it. It makes a world of difference when you have their support and enthusiasm. My second project I do is managing a hip-hop crew from my high school. I have 3 boys who are extremely talented at popping, locking, and this Swazi/African style called kwaito. I let them use my house for practice, or find other places for them to use. I get and arrange their music and teach them some new moves; I also try and plug them in any event I can think of. There are a couple events coming up in the next month that I am orchestrating which will feature these boys—one is a HIV community campaign, the other will be them going to an orphanage to perform and teach for the OVCs.
My last place where I have been able to feature dance is with a former ballroom dancer who lives in my community and teaches aerobics. We have a plan set up where I'll start teaching tap dance, and to get a new dance group started in the community. This guy works with the Swaziland Dance Association (it sounds like a big name, but it's not that huge), and he has already told them about me. Apparently there is a dance competition coming up soon soon, so I will be able to get plugged into the dancing community within this country.

Bear with me as I try and get some videos posted of my kids dancing. These kids are super talented and make me a little jealous; it's so impressive to see how naturally rhythmic they are. But like I always say, "This is Africa". t.i.a.