African Diaspora Camp 2013 focus on Swing

African Diaspora Camp 2013.

In honor of all the Ancestors who blazed the way for new beginnings in cross-cultural expressions through the Arts.
One Love, One Spirit, we are all One. Blessed Be.

Trace the African Diaspora from the Mother continent to across the waters into new popular dance styles and rhythms.
The 2013, 6th annual African Diaspora Camp has a focus on Swing with International guest teachers, Lotte and Matthew Riddle culminating in a exciting dance party at Universal Grooves on the Saturday night with Hot Club Swing http://www.hotclubswing.com/

2013 International guest Swing dancers: Lotte and Matthew Riddle.
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and experience with passion and love for this great musical era. Such an uplifting and fun dance. No wonder it was created during the Great Depression.
It's popularity will never die thanks to you two!!!

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
FRIDAY 26th July
6.00pm Registration and room selection
7.00pm Dinner
8.00pm Opening Ceremony
10.00pm Hoop Fusion and drumming around the campfire

SATURDAY 27th July
7.30am Zumba
8.30am Breakfast
9.00am African percussion
10.15am Ghanaian Highlife dance
11.30am Charleston
12.30pm Lunch
1.30pm Cuban Salsa
2.45pm Swing dance basics
4.00pm Swing Singing

6.30pm Dinner @ Bellbrae Hall 90 School rd Bellbrae
7.30pm UNIVERSAL GROOVES with Hot Club Swing

10.30pm Ocean Country Park
Fireshow with special guests

SUNDAY 28th July
7.30am Yoga
8.30am Breakfast
9.30am African singing, dancing and drumming for families
10.45am Afro Brazilian dance of the Orishas
11.30pm Lindy Hop
12.30pm Lunch
1.30pm Sound meditation
2.30pm Mystery artists and Closing Ceremony
3.30pm Hugs good-bye

Please email jacqui.dreessens@deakin.edu.au if you wish to purchase the DVD with over 600 photographs and a 30 minute video by www.philhinesphotography.com.au

Overlooking Torquay from Duffields Rd
we acknowledged the Wathaurong as the First Nation People

Kerry-Anne Ansari, our Keeper of the Hearth. Thank you for leading us through the Opening to the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire and water

Demir Aliu honored our Surf Coast environs

Sackey acknowledges his Ancestors, honours the Creator and pours a Libation to the Great Mother

Lukas Enciso shared his story telling of the African roots in Uraguay

Funny Boy the Flamboyant Fireman that performs the funniest fire shows on earth

Ana Soares from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil honors Yemanja, the beautiful Ocean Goddess who travelled to South America protecting her children

Sabiena von Es and Kofi Kunkpe enjoying a Cake Walk taught by Lotte and Matthew Riddle

Sackey challenged everyone's rhythm skills in the Drum Circle

Funny Boy with Ana Soares set up shop with her African Fabrics. Wild Moves will be selling her designs around the Surf Coast markets

Go Joanne Zen and Jacqui Dreessens in some straight kicking for the Capoeria

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Afro-Brazilian dance with Ana Soares

Hot Club Swing at Universal Grooves. Playing all our favorite Swing tunes

Jen Nicholls gearing us up to perform RAGGMOPP at Universal grooves

And here we are!!! Thanks Jen and everyone who supported it.

And we're off dancing the rest of the night, Charleston, Lindy Hop, its all Swing, you name it

Hoop Fusion with Tarnya Gillies

Funny Boy and Tweba getting into a bit of Ghanaian High Life dance

Sackey teaching us the importance of looking at one's shoes. But I'm afraid we could only look at Sackey!!

Adding a bit of yoghurt with sugar to our Salsa, thanks to Tanya de Silva

I have never known a facilitator who could teach Salsa, Rumba and Reggaeton in a Rueda. But apparently Tanya de Silva can!!

We will never forget those blue pants!! Thanks Tanya

Mia Coulishaw dancing with her fire and the Moon and Her reflection

Demir Aliu bringing the African Diaspora to a Closing with his magical Sound Meditation

I just love having all my friends down here to play with so I turned pro and called it Wild Moves International. Thank you from the centre of my heart to all the teachers and Wildmovers who made this possible

 








DETAILED PROGRAM
FRIDAY 26th July
6.00pm Registration and room selection

7.00pm DINNER
Home cooked sustenance by Fee Crawford. Vegetarian only. Please book before.

8.00pm
FRIDAY NIGHT DRUM N DANCE PARTY
In honor of the Ancestors and all that have blazed the trail of One Spirit through music and dance
Opening to the Elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air with Kerri-Anne Ansari
Honouring to Aboriginal, Surf Coast, African, Cuban, Brazilian, American culture with Jacqui Dreessens, Demir Aliu,  Julius Bright Sackey, Ana Soares, Jen Nicholls, Matthew Riddle and  Lotte Riddle
10.00pm
HOOP FUSION and drumming around the campfire

Saturday 27th July

7.30am 
ZUMBA
Jenny King will start the weekend off on a whirlwind of African inspired grooves that have influenced this cross-cultural fusion of dance fitness

8.30am
BREAKFAST
Home made brekky by Fee to keep us going

9.00am
AFRICAN PERCUSSION
Be led through the grounding rhythms from Ghana, West Africa with Julias Sackey from Cape Coast.

10.15am
GHANAIAN HIGH LIFE DANCE
Sackey will help you get into this groovy 1940's popular dance to learn some smooth moves influenced by American soldiers stopping over on their way to Europe.

11.30am
CHARLESTON
Lotte and Matt will introduce you to this African inspired American popular dance style of the 1920's and 30's that changed a nation's way of thinking. Dance has no boundaries!!!!!

12.30
LUNCH
A meat dish or vego dish by Phil Hines

1.30pm
AFRO-CUBAN SALSA
Tania De Silva from Raka Ta will take you through the steps of Salsa from beginners to advanced and into the Rueda...changing partners in the round. Feel the African Spirit that weaved a new community of social dance with the beauty of Latin culture that is distinctly Cuban.
https://www.facebook.com/RakaTaCrew?fref=ts

2.45pm
SWING BASICS
Lotte and Matt will teach you everything you need to know to get on the dance floor and free yourself from all constraints while learning how to enjoy dancing with a partner, no matter who or where they came from. This is the dance that brought black and white people together in U.S.A.

4.00pm
SINGING
Jen Nicholls will gather a group of singers who are keen to perform at Hot Club Swing in the evening. Just come and sing and feel the buzz of the Swing era. Too cool!!!

6.30pm @ Bellbrae Hall, 90 School Rd
DINNER
Yummy pasta by Marite Pazos from Uraguay, South America (Please book before)

UNIVERSAL GROOVES ON THE SURF COAST
7.30pm Featuring a performance with Lotte and Matt Riddle and HOT CLUB SWING
Get dressed up!!!!
Run by UGrooves committee of SCArts.
Supported by Regional Arts Victoria.
($20/15 tix at the door; Family tix $40, kids $5)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/172693342831200/?fref=ts

Sunday, 28th July
Ocean Country Park, Torquay
100 Duffields Rd (corner Firnbach's Drv)

7.30am
BODY MIND AND SPIRIT
TBA will lead you through her beautiful mind-body centering through a playful mixture of massage, stretching and healing arts ready for fun and vigor.

8.30am
BREAKFAST
Home made brekky by Fee to keep us going

9.00am
AFRICAN SINGING, DANCING AND DRUMMING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
This is a fun class for the child at heart to get everyone fired up together and understand where the his/herstory of Roots rhythm comes from!!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/473974015972912/?fref=ts

10.15am
AFRO-BRAZILIAN DANCE OF THE ORISHAS
Ana Soares from Salvador, Bahia will take you on a whirl wind of empowerment through the archetypes of Afro-Brazilian culture. Intermediate-advanced drummers welcome to drum with Sackey and Jacqui

11.30am
Lindy Hop
Matt and Lotte will pick up the pace of the Swing dance with a few extra kicks and hops as you learn the grooves of this great Big Band era.

12.30pm LUNCH
Final yummy lunch all together with a film showing

1.30pm
SOUND MEDITATION
Demir Aliu is our intuitive sound maker experimenting with rhythms of the Surf Coast fused with his eclectic mix of universal sounds that will earth you to finish a beautiful weekend of music

2.30pm
MYSTERY ARTISTS AND CLOSING CEREMONY
To send you on your way with a song in your heart, rhythm in your blood and love in your being. Shine it to others and keep the African Spirit alive

INVESTMENT:
$200 weekend workshops + Saturday night accommodation
Add $30 Friday night accommodation
$20 camping byo gear

Workshops:
$180 weekend workshops
$20/15 conc. per workshop
$30 x 2 workshops
$40 x 3 workshops
$50 x 4 workshops

FOOD
Byo everything or
Individual meals $10.00 - $12.00
Chai and mulled wine $3.00
Bottled water and cans lemonade $2.00
Please book
Tea and coffee available

ACCOMMODATION
Bunk beds in cabins on first in first served basis with mattress.
Please bring pillow, sleeping bag, towel, toiletries
Hot showers available
Runners for Zumba, bare feet for African, flat shoes for Swing, high shoes if you want for Salsa.

BOOKINGS
All bookings and information through
Jacqui Dreessens
Email: jacqui.dreessens@deakin.edu.au
Mobile: 0409 025 062
www.wildmoves.com


YOURS IN RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT
Jacqui Esi Tweba Dreessens

Universal Grooves on the Surf Coast-Hot Club Swing 27 July 2013

Enjoy these photos of the great night we had with Hot Club Swing at Universal Grooves. Many thanks to Surf Coast Arts Inc. Regional Arts Victoria and also to the UGrooves committee. We wouldn't have these great nights without your generous support. Wild Side Pics www.philhinesphotography.com.au

Local songstress Jen Nicholls, started the night off

During the day we had a singing workshop with Jen Nicholls and got to perform "RAGGMOPP" Go Jen, do more singing workshops, we loved it!!

And the band that pumped out a continuous non stop beautiful array of songs from the Swing era.

“Hot Club Swing capture a warm, swinging all-string sound taking audience hearts and imaginations captive….the band’s intuitive and empathic interplay is a feature of their live set.” The Age.
The quintet features: Ben Calderazzo (leader/guitar); Phil Smurthwaite (violin); Rob Gador (double bass); Jeremy Bourke (rhythm guitar), and Nadine Joy (vocals) and is inspired by the original masters, Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with influences from more modern groups such as Latcho Drom & Bireli Lagrene.

No gender distinctions in this dance

Out international swing dancers, Lotte and Matthew Riddle took us for a Swing basics dance workshop at the Wild Moves Camp and had us dancing relentlessly dancing all night. Their passion for this dance style is unmatched!!

Ekow Crentsil "Funny Boy" was of course in on the action

and so was everyone else. Duets by Sabiena von Es and Greame Perry

Always room for individual Boogie Woogie

And all in together

To top it all off, the band was totally impressed with our groovy crowd. Go Universal Grooves on the Surf Coast. Forget dancing in your own lounge room. Get to a UGrooves World Music and Dance concert. Next one November 16th with Asanti Dance Theatre from Ghana

Lotte and Matthew Riddle will teach you some smooth moves on the night to get you up and Swing dancing.
Or come to their dance workshop during the day 11.30am and 2.45pm @ Ocean Country Park 100 Duffields Rd, corner of Fernbach's Drive, Torquay.
Contact Jacqui to book: 0409 025 062

An opportunity to sing with Jen Nicholls on the night if you come to her singing workshop during the day at 4pm. @ Ocean Country Park 100 Duffields Rd, corner of Fernbach's Drive, Torquay. Contact Jacqui to book: 0409 025 062

This was our second Universal Grooves interactive performance for the year. The idea is to provide our community with World Music and Dance experiences where professional artists can teach simple songs, chants, rhythms and moves to the audience for the pleasure of engaging with them in performance. Or the audience can choose to simply relax and observe and be entertained  in a lounge room concert performance. It is an insight into the stories that artists share about their creative journey.

There is always a supporting local Surf Coast artist who will perform first and they usually would share a similar instrument or genre to the guest artist. 
Our guest artists may also run workshops in conjunction with Wild Moves or Singing for Fun.

Refreshments are available in a relaxed atmosphere. Lots of parking. Easy access into the hall.

Many thanks to the Surf Coast Shire's Community Grant 2010, for helping to get the event up and running. Since then we have also gained community grants for the ambient lighting in the Bellbrae hall, sound curtains and a Universal Grooves banner. Major thanks to Surf Coast Arts Inc and  Regional Arts Victoria, without their generous support our concerts would never get of the ground!! Thanks to all our volunteers from Wild Moves for helping to form the Grooves Committee and organising these fun-filled events where you can sing, play and dance alongside professional performers. 

Here is what a few people have said about Universal Grooves on the Surf Coast

Michele Barnes from Singing for Fun about  

Valanga and Andrea Khoza

What a fantastic night this was. Firstly the opportunity to be up close and personal with such inspirational performers, and to experience their amazing harmonies and rhythms together. Then to be guided to join the music with my very well spent $5 hired drum, so that I could be part of the sound, was amazing. It was great too, to see others invited on stage to play guitars and other instruments. Both Valanga and Andrea showed such warmth and support for this interactive experience. Clearly they both have wonderful skills and a belief in music as a shared experience for all. Thanks to Universal grooves for bringing this rich interactive cultural experience to all of us on the Surf Coast. 

Sabiena Van Es from Wild Moves about  

Asanti dance theatre

I just loved dancing with these guys. They brought their whole family and their kids couldn't keep off the stage. It encourages other children to join in as well. Full on high energy traditional African dance and acrobatics that you just have to hold your breath. Joining in with the drums was easy, we just had to follow Appiah who helped us to hold a rhythm. As a dancer with Wild Moves we could get up and show the Africans what we do with African dance on the Surf Coast. Great night, hope there is going to be more.

...And more there shall be ....