• Home
    • Instructors
    • Class Guide
    • Donate: I Am the Move!
    • Contact >
      • Kids Classes
    • Hire Us! >
      • Corporate & Community Programs
    • Blog
  • 2100 Chestnut Schedule
    • 2100 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Capoeira Movement
    • Prices
  • 812 Chestnut Schedule
    • 812 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Parkour
    • Martial Arts Classes
    • Great on Skates
    • Sunday School with Vinny
    • Prices
  • For beginners
    • The UMA Dip
    • The UMA Dip: The Ron Wood Universe
  • Latin Program
    • 2100 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • 812 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Latin Partnering Classes >
      • Fundamentals: Level 1
      • Fundamentals: Level 2
      • Advanced Beginner: Level 3
      • Intermediate: Level 4
    • Latin Solo Classes
    • Latin Program Pricing/ Packages
    • FAQ
  • Private Lessons
    • Partner Dance Privates
  • Studio Rentals
    • Rent at 2100 Chestnut >
      • 2100 Chestnut Studio Rental Members
      • ARTIST SUPPORT
    • Rent at 812 Chestnut >
      • 812 Chestnut Studio Rental Memberships
UMA PHILLY
  • Home
    • Instructors
    • Class Guide
    • Donate: I Am the Move!
    • Contact >
      • Kids Classes
    • Hire Us! >
      • Corporate & Community Programs
    • Blog
  • 2100 Chestnut Schedule
    • 2100 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Capoeira Movement
    • Prices
  • 812 Chestnut Schedule
    • 812 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Parkour
    • Martial Arts Classes
    • Great on Skates
    • Sunday School with Vinny
    • Prices
  • For beginners
    • The UMA Dip
    • The UMA Dip: The Ron Wood Universe
  • Latin Program
    • 2100 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • 812 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Latin Partnering Classes >
      • Fundamentals: Level 1
      • Fundamentals: Level 2
      • Advanced Beginner: Level 3
      • Intermediate: Level 4
    • Latin Solo Classes
    • Latin Program Pricing/ Packages
    • FAQ
  • Private Lessons
    • Partner Dance Privates
  • Studio Rentals
    • Rent at 2100 Chestnut >
      • 2100 Chestnut Studio Rental Members
      • ARTIST SUPPORT
    • Rent at 812 Chestnut >
      • 812 Chestnut Studio Rental Memberships

uma blog

leilano's afro cuban  legacy

3/12/2019

 
Picture
From Leilani:
"I trained at a Cuban performing arts school (Havana/Miami) in ballet, flamenco, and modern dance. At home, my family practiced the Afro-Cuban religions Santeria (also known as Lukumi or Yoruba) and Palo Mayombe. Both religions involve ceremonies with rituals, drums, and dancing. We prayed to our ancestors via el muerto (Palo),  prayed to Orishas (Yoruba deities) and celebrated them during ceremonies called Tambor during the weekends. 
I vividly remember my mother with a tobacco in hand blowing smoke to el muerto’s face and spitting alcohol onto the preinda (cauldron where el muerto sits) filled with gunpowder. A large fire would loom overhead; el muerto was listening and we can ask for guidance. We sang to Orishas as a form of prayer. In the car, we would sing a lot to Eleggua, the orisha in charge of showing you paths in life, el que abre los caminos. We would drive around in the car, pull the windows down and sing “Eshu o, Elegguara é, Eshu o Mofuribale, o Mofuribale mi padre, Elegguara é” while offering him candy, pennies, and corn in return for his help. ​​
In Cuba, it is not uncommon to participate in both Santeria and Palo religions or even also Catholicism. Living in Miami, though, where most of the Cuban immigrants were light-skinned and Catholic, I was not allowed to share with others that we practiced Afro-Cuban religions. We masked our practice with going to church on Sundays after Saturday’s Tambor.  

During my dance studies as a college student at Florida International University, I had the opportunity to train in Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban modern dance (Tecnica Cubana). Things felt better, more normal -as if the two sides of my upbringing - classical dance at school and religious dancing at home- weren’t necessarily separate.

After graduating college, I moved to the northeast United States, where I felt very out of place. Desperate to bring home to me, I began teaching and performing Cuban social dances (Son, Casino, Rueda de Casino) with my partner Michael Huang, took classes with Gilset Mora, danced for Philly’s Afro-Caribbean percussion group Timbalona (Andres Cisneros, Christian Noguera), and continued to train with other instructors such as Kati Hernandez (LA), Royland Lobato (Oakland), and Chini Perez Domenech (Minneapolis) while teaching and performing at Cuban dance congresses across the country. It wasn’t until Michael began taking percussion classes with Christian Noguera, playing at home, and at Rumbas at Imperfect Art Gallery in Germantown, where I began to feel comfortable in Philly. I finally felt at home.

Rumba is a secular Afro-Cuban music and dance that has been passed down through the generations, a community celebration ("Rumba" also means "Party" in Spanish). The music is primarily percussive, carried by three tumbadoras, or conga drums, and led by a lead singer who improvises a call and response with the rest of the singers. When the music gets to its peak, dancers join in as well.

There are 3 types of Rumba. Rumba Guaguanco is the most prevalent today, and the dance involves a hen and rooster like game of pursuit between the male and female dancers. Rumba Columbia traditionally is danced by only male dancers; it is an energetic and acrobatic style which involves dancers showing off their prowess and battling each other. Rumba Yambu is the slowest of the genres, and is considered the dance of the older folks. It is a sensual but restrained dance of courtship.

Today, I continue my training with master professor Marisol Blanco (Havana/Miami) where she directs the Afro-Cuban dance company Sikan, making Afro-Cuban dances and traditions better represented, even among the Cuban community. Thanks to her, I feel like coming home as an Afro-Cuban dancer and practitioner isn’t as isolating anymore. I continue learning and bringing information and more of home back to Philly. I’m happy to call UMA my second home now, where I can share my heritage and culture with students who are eager to learn and move to our infectious polyrhythms. ​

sanchel brown's celebration  of home

3/12/2019

 
Congratulations to Sanchel! She took us on an epic journey!
Missed it? Check out a review at thinkingDance.
Below are some photos Lily snapped on opening night. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

in da house, in da uma

3/5/2019

 

Our first house dance party last Saturday was a blast. Thanks to everyone that came out. You all made it an unforgettable experience. When we first started working on Movemakers/UMA, we didn't have in mind a venue for parties. But now we do! Vince was pleasantly surprised by the feel of the party. He wrote in his weekly members newsletter, "It felt like my first encounters with loft parties in the mid 2000s (Sadly I am too young to have recollection of the OG loft happenings of NY.)  UMA was full of good vibes last Saturday, inviting and uplifting. And all of you that were there were so free! It was a privilege to share with you. You all inspired me to practice and party more, hence my impromptu trip to NYC last night, a juicy all nighter that reminded me of my days first starting in the club scene. Many thanks to the Hood Lockers, Lauriane and Mai Le! " 

The exchange in the video below between Tyger and Vince is just a small representation of what went down. 

On another note, this event will be called IN DA UMA going forward. Our next event is April 27th. Mark your calendars!

    Contributors

    Kayla Bobalek
    ​Lily Kind
    Vince Johnson

    Archives

    April 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Locations

812 Chestnut St

Search ​'Urban Movement Arts @ 812 Chestnut' on Google Maps

2100 Chestnut St. 2nd Flr

*entrance is on 21st! between Rione Pizza & Monde Market*

Social

UMA welcomes all ages, body types, experience levels, races, genders, sexual orientations and nationalities. 

what the people say

"TALK ABOUT GREAT VIBES AND ENERGY! " - Stylishly Fearless
"This is the spot people! keep it up UMA." - Scott S
  • Home
    • Instructors
    • Class Guide
    • Donate: I Am the Move!
    • Contact >
      • Kids Classes
    • Hire Us! >
      • Corporate & Community Programs
    • Blog
  • 2100 Chestnut Schedule
    • 2100 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Capoeira Movement
    • Prices
  • 812 Chestnut Schedule
    • 812 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Parkour
    • Martial Arts Classes
    • Great on Skates
    • Sunday School with Vinny
    • Prices
  • For beginners
    • The UMA Dip
    • The UMA Dip: The Ron Wood Universe
  • Latin Program
    • 2100 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • 812 Chestnut Latin Program Schedule
    • Latin Partnering Classes >
      • Fundamentals: Level 1
      • Fundamentals: Level 2
      • Advanced Beginner: Level 3
      • Intermediate: Level 4
    • Latin Solo Classes
    • Latin Program Pricing/ Packages
    • FAQ
  • Private Lessons
    • Partner Dance Privates
  • Studio Rentals
    • Rent at 2100 Chestnut >
      • 2100 Chestnut Studio Rental Members
      • ARTIST SUPPORT
    • Rent at 812 Chestnut >
      • 812 Chestnut Studio Rental Memberships