Freedom To Dance
When:
Saturday, Aug 08, 2026 10:00a -
11:30a
Saturday, Aug 08, 2026 10:00a -
11:30a
Where:
JAE Dance Center
2153 Washington St
Boston, MA 02119
Admission:
$30
Hosted by:
Categories:
Classes, Good for Groups, Social Good, Sports & Active Life
Event website:
https://www.soulfulsistercollective.com/event-details/freedom-to-dance
Welcome to the Soulful Sister Collective! We're a community and sisterhood, dedicated to the inclusion, appreciation and empowerment of Black Women. Join Issaura for culturally rooted dance experience at the JAE Dance Center.
Join Mestra Isaura for a 90-minute dance workshop, exploring the African roots of Samba. Samba carries centuries of West African tradition, spiritual power, and Bahian soul. Mestra Isaura brings it all into one transformative workshop:
"Isaura's classes bring Brazilian culture rooted in African and Indigenous traditions - both traditional and contemporary - into the modern environment of a dance studio. Through movement, natural elements, and cultural dance, Mestra Isaura's methodology creates a ritual experience woven with chants, body percussion, rhythm, and storytelling. Every movement carries meaning and purpose, building dance technique, fitness, and overall wellbeing."
Meet Your Instructor:
- Mestra Isaura Oliveira was born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, one of the cradles of Afro-Brazilian culture, where many African and Indigenous traditions and arts are maintained and nourished. Her interest in arts, culture, and humanities started when she was a little girl following her elders in their every-day life. As a cultural educator and independent scholar, Isaura's expertise is dance, culture, history, and social movement of her Afro-Brazilian heritage. Isaura has dedicated her life to teaching culture and creating experimental dance and multi-disciplinary performances.
- Isaura serves as Mestra and mentor in her fields of expertise. Her works have been documented by distinguished sources including the PBS and BBC TV documentary Dancing #5: New Worlds, New Forms, representing Brazilian dance. Her first full-length one-woman show Malinke', is featured in the book Dancing Bahia, in a chapter by Dr. Yvonne Daniel. Isaura's second solo show, and first in the USA, Ancestrais, was supported as an in-progress project by Smith College and Festival Cantar of Costa, Italy. MIT’s Theater and Music departments, sponsored and presented Ancestrais with three evenings of sold-out shows, receiving a positive review from The Boston Globe.
• • To learn more about Isuaura and her work, visit https://raizesculturais.org
What should I expect:
- A warm up to wake up the body.
- A breakdown of basic samba movements
- A good time!
What should I wear? Something you feel comfortable moving freely in. We recommend loose pants or a flowy skirt, to really embrace the experience. This class is best done barefoot 🦶
What's parking like?
St. parking is limited. We recommend Spot Hero for the best available options.
