Would you still dance if society tried to silence you?āØWould you still dance without the glamour, the lights, the sequins, and the feathers?āØWould you still dance if it meant risking beatings and incarceration?
On this INTERNATIONAL SAMBA DAY, I would like to remind us all to honor and respect the legacy and resistance of the people whose very culture was seen as uncivilized, strange, and even monstrous. Yet, they resisted, and left us the gift of rhythm that transcends generations.
When I dance, I donāt dance to show off. I dance because of the days that I couldnāt, for the days I was shattered into a million pieces.
I dance because of the days when I was too sick to move. For the days when my only source of solace was on the dance floor, the only thing that kept me steady.
I dance to uplift others and bring them up with me so that, perhaps, we can all rise.
I dance as an act of gratitude for having a body that moves, still learns and improves every day.
I dance for myself, I dance for those who canāt, and for those who havenāt found the courage to do so. I dance anywhere, any day, whether Iām paid for it, or giving back to the community.
But most importantly, I dance to respect and honor the culture I was blessed to be born into, and to highlight the incredible privilege those pioneers created so that I could enjoy it freely today.
My hope is that my steps, ever so simple and however small, may still be woven into the thread of impact dance, and especially samba, has cast across our world.
No, this was NOT written by ChatGPT. š¤š¤Ŗ
Video:
@techboogie
Dress & Shoes:
@atelieneiabombom
Makeup:
@zambranomua
Assistant:
@cristinabayarearealtor
#InternationalSambaDay
#SambaIsResistance
#HonoringTheRhythm
