Roses Spring from Concrete

Hola!! La gira sigue!!

So, we have just spent the past two days in San Pedro Sula working with youth at Central Didactica de FUNADEH, a center in Chamelecon, one of the roughest areas in the city. We were briefed beforehand and reminded by everyone, including natives, that San Pedro Sula is a very dangerous city. Gang violence and homicides run high. This is not disturbing to me as I was born and raised in St. Louis, a city rocked by gang violence in the 90s and that consistently ranks in the top three for most dangerous/crime-ridden cities. Despite this, I like to think I turned out "okay," and I even attended public schools. So, in many ways I feel prepared...but then again what in the world do I know?!

Streets are different. Driving patterns are different (just say a prayer while riding). The poverty is different...vastly different. But the kids...there's something familiar about them. They are super excited and eager to meet us and hungry to learn. This is their first dance class...ever!!! And while they have heard about and seen images of Hip Hop, this is their first personal encounter with it. Juli and I teach them about the history, including the 5 elements and the 4 principles, along with basic steps. These kids are natural movers and absorb everything like sponges, extremely enthusiastic sponges.

We also did some self-image and self-esteem exercises to encourage these talented youth to embrace what they love about themselves and to be open to working on those things that they don't like so much. To our surprise, the students embraced this self-exploration and movement exercise. The guys were champs...not afraid to move or speak. Some of our young ladies in one group started out a bit timid, but by the end they too were "jammin on the one!"

So here's the long of the short of it: In one and half days, we worked with 100 young people and put on a show. For most, if not all, this was their first public dance performance. Although this is the beginning of the rain season here and we had some afternoon showers, the sun came out and lit up the stage at the center. A few words about this stage: It had been completed only 3 days before our arrival, created/funded by Coca Cola and was made of concrete. What an honor...our program was the christening for this performance space. No, concrete is not the ideal surface for dance. Nor is concrete an ideal source for flowers to grow from. But I'll tell you what, something beautiful happened on that concrete stage this afternoon!

And now, I realize why these kids seem so familiar. Their faces, their gorgeous faces, remind me of faces from my childhood - mine and those of my family and friends growing up in the hood, you know, that 'concrete jungle' as it has been called. I remember not having much in the way of money, feeling stressed by life at home at times, but being so eager to learn from any artist coming across my path. I remember being super geeked up about special assemblies at school and any chance to be picked to participate. So here I am in this different but familiar place, remembering myself in these new faces and realizing that I am "the assembly lady." I'm so happy to be "the assembly lady" because I am living proof that roses can grow and flourish from concrete gardens and jungles.

This afternoon those kids rocked that stage, performing our choreography and presenting their own. Juli and I shared 2 solos and a duet and were greeted by, almost mauled by our students, wanting autographs, photos, email addresses AND phone numbers. Some kids from the neighborhood came and wanted one more thing...besos!! As Juli fended off her smooches line, I looked at that stage and those little faces and realized that maybe concrete ain't so bad after all.

Muchas gracias a Arturo Aleman, Leslie Gamero y todos a FUNADEH, Barrio-Ciudad y Chamelecon por su trabajo. Esto ha sido un sueno realizado para nosotras y queremos seguir trabajando (y luchando) juntos!! Chamelecon Hip Hop Festival 2009 fue un exito enorme...hasta la proxima vez!! Un abrazo fuerte!!

-Aysha (y Juli)