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Samba do Mar Humboldt and Samba da Alegria invite all community members to participate in the 39th North Country Fair Parade season! Never danced or performed before? No problem! We will build your skills and confidence! Not sure about performing but still interested? Come take the classes. Performance is not mandatory. All levels of experience are welcome!This year the parade dancers will be exploring the beautiful Afro-Brazilian Dance styles created by the Blocos Afro of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
These 9-weeks of classes will focus on the following:
* Learning the history and cultural significance of the Afro-Brazilian Dance styles
* Practicing technique
* Gaining experience dancing to live percussion
* Learning the parade choreography
* Performance training including building confidence
* Community building through dance
Location #1
Class Dates: Thursdays, July 24 – August 7
Time: 5:30 -7:00 PM
Location: Redwood Raks Collective World Dance Studio, 824 L Street, Arcata
Location #2
Class Dates: Thursdays, August 14 – September 18
Time: 5:30 -7:00 PM
Location: McKinleyville Activity Center
1705 Gwinn Road, McKinleyville
Drop-In Price: $17
Session Price: $135
Scholarships Available. No will be turned away due to lack of funds.
Although pre-registration is not required, you can avoid the registration line by registering for class online at https://form.jotform.com/mariadvanderhorst/2025ParadeClassRegistration
Class Info Contact: [email protected]
Parade Date & Time: Sunday, September 21, 1-2 PM (Call Time TBA)
Mandatory Parade Dress Rehearsal: Saturday, September 20, anticipated time 5 or 5:30 PM
*** Parade E-Registration and Costume Information will be made available on Sunday, July 27. Registration and Costume Fees will be due no later than Saturday, August 2. We will be available on Thursday, July 31, after class from 7:30 - 9:00 PM at Humboldt Pie to help with measurements and costume questions.***
Samba Parade 2025 Theme, Background & Inspiration
Gathering inspiration from the Blocos Afro of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, the 2025 Samba Parade arrangement and choreography will be based in Afro-Brazilian music and dance. Playing in the style of Samba Reggae, created by Olodum as well as Ijexá, a traditional Candomblé rhythm. Olodum, one of the longest standing Blocos Afro, is named after Olodumare, a supreme deity in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé, who created the universe and is an ultimate source of power. Candomblé is a religion created by enslaved Africans who were brought to Brazil and is a mixture of traditional Yoruba, Fon and Bantu beliefs from different regions of Africa.
Blocos Afro are neighborhood-based communities in Bahia that encourage cultural activities that are rooted in political and social activism, encouraging race consciousness and the preservation of African history. By bringing music, dance, race, religion and language together, Blocos Afro create expressions of resistance to combat racial, gender and economic injustices. They also serve their community members through promoting racial awareness, self-esteem, education, and general wellness of the neighborhood. Uplifting their communities, especially in times of hardship.
With extreme challenges and uncertainty in our local community and beyond, we must come together, find our strength, invoke our higher selves and rise up for a better future. Creating North Country Fair 2025 “STILL WE RISE”, we challenge our community to be brave and powerful enough to reach the stars.
References:
History of Candomblé. (2009, September 15). BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/candomble/history/history.shtml#:~:text=It%20was%20born%20of%20a,Brazil%20during%20the%20slave%20trade.&text=The%20religion%20is%20a%20mixture,the%20Catholic%20faith%20over%20time.
Fogo Azul website, Samba Reggae History: https://fogoazulnyc.com/samba-reggae-history/
About the Instructor:
Maria Vanderhorst took her first Samba no Pé and Afro-Brazilian Dance classes in 2000 and has been hooked ever since. She has studied in both Brazil and the U.S. with Brazilian teachers including Dandha da Hora, Tania Santiago, Rosangela Silvestre, Ana Laidley, Alvaro Reys, Janete Silva Aide, and Danielle Lima. Currently, she trains with Alex Coutinho, Director of Passistas for Rio de Janeiro's Escola de Samba (Samba School) Paraíso do Tuiuti and the creator of the worldwide Poderosas do Samba Project. She is currently the Artistic Director of Samba do Mar Humboldt and the Dance Director of Arcata's North Country Fair Samba Parade Project (adult and children's dance sections). She has directed 9 North Country Fair Samba Parade Projects. Previously, she was the Co-Director of Samba na Chuva Brazilian Dance Performance Troupe for 15 years. She has been a guest dance instructor at Cal Poly Humboldt, University of California Riverside, North Coast Dance Studios and Pacific Union School. Maria also studied Jazz and Modern Dance at Cal Poly Humboldt. She believes that dance has the power to nurture both the individual and the community.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
824 L St, Arcata, CA 95521-5766, United States
