3 months later... Still floating. What a blessing to STILL seamlessly move + flow through two worlds, artistically & spiritually.
To have had the honor of presenting "Connecting Through the Waters: Haiti, Africa, and Artistic Expression" for the first time at Yale University's Black Sacred Arts conference feels like a full-circle moment.
Upon receiving the acceptance, and also learning I was graciously given a stand alone, 60 minute session, caused instant anxiety. My nerves! Yall, my nerves! 🤣 THIS is the time to call on your people, the spiritual realm squad + physical village, your sisters and brothers, the coaches, the public speakers, the scholars, to assist in the opportunity for growth. We do not do this work alone!
Entering with ritual theater, sharing the dance film, then transforming the space with a collective embodied movement session for Agbe & Agwe was everything! Feeling the energy shift as the audience rose to move, was a testament to the power of shared ritual and a reminder that our stories continue to live and breathe in our bodies. "Go 'head Manbo, Ayibobo" were music to my ears. I was charged! To the discussion that followed, to the Q&A that sparked deep reflections on my past Vodou Voyages to both Haiti & Benin, highlighting the interconnectedness of our histories and spiritual journeys through MY lens of artistic expression.
Supreme gratitude to my coach
@elevate_your_now for those late night sessions while in Panama, to Yale Sacred Music Department for curating a nourishing platform. To everyone in that room who watched, listened, asked questions, and trusted the space to get out of your academic comfort zone to dance, after a long day of presentations, I offer a grand Ayibobo!
Feeling humbled, inspired and ready for what comes next.
📷
@alixintheworld x Iya Yanique x Yale
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