DANCE OF THE ORISHAS “YABáS/QUEENS” FOR AFRODIASPORIC WOMXN*.

The power of female ancestors transcends time and is cyclically rediscovered in our societies. The stories and dances of the Yabás, the female “Orixás,” are a historical reflection on the construction of identities of Afro-diasporic womxn* in the present. In this workshop we will dance and sing the female yabás Iemanjá, Oxum and Oyá (or Yansã). Through movement research we will connect with the myths surrounding these Orixás, recognize the ancestral characteristics of the Yabás in our bodies, and relate them to our own life experiences. The goal of the workshop is to open the ancestral memory of the African peoples to which we belong and to offer the possibility of decolonizing our notions of femininity. You don’t need any dance experience, come and celebrate the power of your femininity in the dance of the “Yabás/Queens”. for afrodiasporic womxn*