Dance for Healing

Our Community Healing Project was about connecting health, culture, and self-care through traditional Afro-Brazilian movement. Health is our greatest wealth! Participants in our Community Healing Project learned the basics of Brazilian Orixa dance in the comfort of their own homes with master teacher Dora Oliveira. These inclusive and accessible classes were made possible by the COVID Community Healing Grant from the Seattle Parks Department. We invited and encouraged people of all levels and abilities to enjoy the strength, energy, and relaxation that comes from dance.

Each week our community focused on a different flavor of healing energy, embodied in the rhythm & movements of one Orixá (divine embodiment of an element of nature). Some participants simply enjoyed virtually participating in the weekly classes, while others went deeper, reading additional contextual information shared each week about the content of historical significance of Dora's classes and writing journal entries to share with us about their experiences. We encouraged all levels of engagement to help people find meaning and develop their own connections to the themes of each class. 

To learn more about Dance with Dora, explore our dance and music company at danewithdora.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!