Land & Water Acknowledgement
I am honored to live and work in Bellingham, WA and I acknowledge that the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe are the original inhabitants of this land and the water around it. I recognize that I am here, along with other nonindigenous people, as a result of colonization. The practices in mediation, connection, learning and teaching, engagement with the land and my holistic approach is directly from the indigenous peoples in this country and around the world. It is important to deconstruct colonization, white supremacy and oppression of all types. Mindfulness, awareness, expression and embodiment stemming from ancient practices are critical steps in the journey. I am grateful to learn from my native neighbors.
You can read about the Lummi Nation & Nooksack Tribe joint efforts in protecting water rights in the basin. See how you can support these efforts and learn more:
Find their individual pages to learn more:
For anyone who would like to know more about the native land around them, check out this link.
Culture Acknowledgement
As a white dancer and dance instructor, I want to acknowledge that hip hop and twerk are styles of dance that originated by black folks in black communities.
Hear Dr. Marcyliena Morgan share a brief history of the origins of hip-hop. Follow her work for more information:
Twerk comes from a celebratory dance, Mapouka, originating in Côte d’Ivoire West Africa. Twerk evolved with Bounce music in New Orleans. To learn more about twerking and the history, read more about Bounce.
For a more detailed timeline, you can also read this PopSugar article:
When Did Twerking Go Mainstream? A Look at the History of This Now-Iconic Dance Move
As a belly dancer, my study and practice originates with Jamila Salimpour and her daughter Suhaila Salimpor. Jamila paved the way for tribal belly dance through her creation of Bal Anat in the late 1960’s. I have been fortunate to train with Suhaila Salimpour and by those who were certified in her school of dance, specifically Kandice Grossman with Moon Belly Dance Studio. While in Oakland, Suhaila was influenced by Walter “Sundance” Freeman and Boogaloo dance, incorporating isolations in a popping style into her style of belly dance.
Learn more about their histories through this video:
Jamila Salimpour Bellydancing History
I’m grateful to have lived and/or worked in Honduras, Brazil and The Federated States of Micronesia. Learning from traditional ways of dance from these regions has also shaped my journey as a dancer immensely.