Hi! Thank you for being here!

a huge passion of mine is to provide affordable dance classes to my community. this is heavily inspired by my relationship with the pacific island ethnic arts museum, in Long Beach, ca (scroll down my “about” section to learn more). so — free jazz class? why? how? read my thoughts below!

why?

I deeply believe that dancing allows us to align ourselves physically, spiritually, and politically with our ancestors and our purpose. When i dance today, even if it’s not a traditional tau’olunga, i know that the ability to move my body the way that i do with music and with people is a gift that has been carefully passed down through many cultures and generations. no matter your background, dancing demonstrates our collective endurance.

with that said, something that i’ve consistently heard and experienced among my peers in the industry is the growing financial burden of taking dance classes and simply moving our bodies in a group setting.

dance classes HAVE BECOME SO expensive. this kind of paywall limits access to the body awarness, pleasure, and community that is generated in a dance studio. most importantly, this limits all movers, not just those who are actively pursuing a professional dance career.

my firm stance is that anyone and everyone should be afforded the opportunity to connect to their body through music and dance, whether they are a seasoned professional, a “former dancer” looking to engage in childhood healing (ps you are always a dancer! i promise!), or an absolute beginner.

the best way i know how to address this: free jazz class !

my expertise lies mainly in jazz technique, though i am definitely self-aware enough to know that i will always be a student of this craft. as a community member, i feel it is my duty to pay it forward to my peers and students, even if i feel that my teaching experience may be imperfect. by hosting free/pay what you can comunity jazz classes, my goal is to lower the stakes for all involved:

• allow all level dancers the freedom to move their bodies in an appropriate studio space (joint-safe sprung marley flooring, high quality speakers, mirrors, etc.)

• allow all level dancers the chance to experience the euphoria of dancing and flowing with a group; build body awareness, pleasure, and community

• allow all level dancers the opportunity to learn or revisit jazz technique, whether it is a recreational or professional pursuit

• allow myself the space to experiment/refine my teaching style and practice curating a healthy, shame-free environment to better serve my community

• generally facilitate more frequent and affordable dance classes and/or industry training for all

• share my knowledge and experience with other dancers, especially other Pacific Islanders! who are so vastly underrepresented in the current professional dance industry!

how?

so, how do we make free classes happen? this is where you come in! if this work interests you and you want to financially support this queer pasifika artist’s developing community offering, donations are happily accepted here via venmo!

if you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know here VIA EMAIL!

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all information on how i’ve organized previous classes listed below:

Logistics:

• marketed exclusively via Instagram (tap “free class” highlight on profile)

• studio space reserved at west coast dance theatre, studio B

  • quadruple-sprung joint-safe marley floors, state of the art audio and lighting system, familiar location for the Los Angeles dance community, affordable rate ($60/h)

• donations towards rental costs logged and accepted via venmo

• all rollover funds used to reserve follow-up class rental in the same space

Class content:

• class intro to the space, the people, and simple breathwork

• pilates-based warm up (about 40 min)

  • full body “around the world” mat series WITH MODIFICATIONS AVAILABLE

  • dynamic stretching + isolations

  • footwork and engaging center floor exercises

• across the floor progressions

  • upper + lower body coordination, taking up space, full body + spirit and expression

• >1 min. choreography combo (playlist of my class choreo examples) AND/OR IMPROVISATION EXCERSISES

• cool down stretch and breathwork to seal practice !