May 1, 20233 min read

"Dancing is to express my Soul and connect with yours." Awa

Dear Wholehearted Friends,

I hope you are enjoying your Bank Holiday Monday! My heart goes to all those who are working today and are still trying to make it a joyful and harmonious day!!

I am so grateful for the energy you generously share on Saturday mornings with a full house and 15 people on the waiting list!! This Saturday coming is also fully booked!! What a feeling!!

I hope all is well with you, guys, Friends of The Ojas Centre, as it seems I have not seen ''some of you'' for a while... Indeed, the Afro Dance Fusion's numbers are incredibly LOW! Although I am grateful you are completing your forms, it would have been amazing if you could commit to the weekly sessions. Since it seems it has been challenging for you at the moment to commit, I have decided to shorten the length of this season.

The next two coming Sundays we will be filming and preparing for our first performance. So, please do not hesitate to reach out if you wish to shake a leg. Let's cut the chase, if you have been in my Dance Fitness or Zumba classes, I (so) NEED YOU!! Right now, the group needs Dance Participants who are able to pick up the steps, the pace, it does not mean knowing by heart my choreography, I repeat, it is not about learning by heart a Dance Routine but about executing the steps. I need Participants who are used to attend Dance workshops, Dance fitness classes, who LOVE and are used to follow along. If you go to Dance workshops, I need you!! If you go to Dance fitness classes, I need you!! If you're free, reach out now!! This Dance Community Project is FREE!

This Dance project means so much to me and to the group!! We would like to allow our hearts to express themselves; to connect with the meaning behind the lyrics of 'This Time (This Has Gone Too Far)', the song I choreographed on. We would like to celebrate Janet's 30th anniversary album, we would like to embody this meaningful and unique Dance Community Project, we would also like to support WOMEN who (have) experienced emotional abuse. This song is not just about being heartbroken, this song is about voicing the invisible and embodying SOCIAL JUSTICE PEACEFULLY with Love, Peace & Harmony. Please join us NOW, this is the last Afro Dance Fusion Project!! I repeat this is the last Afro Dance Fusion SEASON (full stop, like Janet's Album, eheh!!!).

I also wanted to take the time to thank EVERYONE who has taken part in the Afro Dance Fusion Seasons from the Sponsors, to the Dance Participants to my family and to my friends!! This journey has taught me that Dance is far more than just shaking a leg, to get fit, or for physical health... You can't possibly imagine how grateful I am for my funders to have supported me with developing the concept of World Cultures through Dance and man, I am so grateful for Croydon Council for supporting the idea of tackling Social Inequalities. To be honest if it was not for them, I am not sure whether I would have choreographed the same way!! But my heart, my soul, have never been happier than choreographing for a meaningful purpose to work towards tackling or bringing awareness towards Social Inequalities and offering Social Justice to the Invisible Voices...

This experience has given birth to The Ojas Centre's Dance Theatre Company. Its dance origins being the Afro Dance Fusion. Its soul(s) being the Invisible Voices from all around the world. The format would be different as you would need to audition as the Members would need to come with 'Like- Minded Souls', i.e. they are not coming to exercise or because they have been sent by their GPs and let's be real, because "it sounds exotic"... This space is for Dance Enthusiasts - apologies, "DANCE WARRIORS", who respect the meanings of sitting in the Circle mindfully, Meditation, World Cultures and who are ready to embody the Stories of the Invisible Voices. This Space will be for Women only. We will be rehearsing in a small theatre and I will keep you updated on the audition dates.