31st January 2022. I really enjoyed the weekend. People were so polite and gracious. I had thought it was going to be a Cuban festival not just Cuban dance classes (which I say with no criticism) as I observed the dance instructors putting in a lot of time to teach people and effort to include everyone in the fabulous dances of the country were wonderful to witness. As a person outside of that dance community, I see great potential to grow this with Cuban cooking classes, Cuban Craft classes, Cuban drumming and music classes and perhaps some type of fundraising for a charity project in Cuba with a call for volunteers to go to Cuba to help (that would interest me; I am an English teacher) I BLESS all of you and thank you for sharing your wonderful Art and dances and I look forward to seeing more cultural aspects being shared in the future.
26 January 2021. This last weekend I was invited to portrait an amazing festival that happened on the GC, the Afrekete Afro-Cuban Festival. Right now, I'm just amazed by the synchronicity in life! I came from the other side of the planet, from a place that also cultivates and honour Orixás, and they became part of my life. These cultural manifestations from Cuba share a common root to those in Brazil, and I found myself witnessing the expression of that on the other side of the world in Australia!! with anthropologists, musicians, dancers that are also passionate about this art and culture. It was a nice journey. If you want to know more about afro Cuban Culture, please take a look into the WHO IS NATURE? Documentary from Melbourne University.
27th May 2025 Wow, what a four days it’s been Afrekete isn’t just a dance festival, it’s a full-body, full-heart, full-spirit awakening. Every beat, every move, every sacred moment cracked me open in the most beautiful way. My cup isn’t just full, I’ve now got a cup with extra, and it’s spilling into every corner of my being My heart is full. My body feels alive. My soul feels seen. Thank you, Christina Monneron for putting this incredible event on and to every single person who poured their heart into it, the teachers, the wisdom, the connection, the culture, I can't even put it into words at how amazing this has been If you’ve ever craved a space to reconnect with your body, your joy, your truth, this is it
29th May 2025 Thank you Christina. How we show up for each other is everything. This festival is so deep in spirit. But I think what everyone is feeling is the ability to truly be seen and to be met at where you are in that moment. No ego. No bullshit. Just pure joy, mutual appreciation of each other, support and honesty. Let’s continue to grow together I am grateful that I have been led to this. So much love.
What an amazing weekend! Afrekete has ended, but I am still buzzing from it. There’s something about being immersed in rhythm, movement, and shared energy that brings me into my body. It shows just how far we’ve drifted from that in everyday life. So many of us live in our heads. We’ve become addicted to our thoughts and disconnected from our bodies. We’re not taught how to feel or process our emotions. We’re not taught how to be in our bodies, to listen to the signals, the sensations, the wisdom that’s there. And part of the journey to understanding ourselves, to knowing ourselves, to feeling ourselves, is through the body. Our emotions live in the body. Emotion literally means energy in motion. When we suppress or bypass our feelings, that energy gets stuck. It stays in the body, unprocessed, stagnant, blocked. Connecting to our body is how we begin to meet that energy. It’s how we start to feel what’s going on. It’s how we create safety in our body. Safety to feel. Safety to be seen. Safety to express. And for me, one of the most powerful ways to connect to the body is through movement. Through dance. Through mindful movement. Feeling into what part of the body wants to move. Letting the body receive what it needs. Letting it move in a way that feels supportive. Not performance, expression. This weekend reminded me of that. The rhythm of the drums, the vibration, the energy. The frequency. That’s what movement is. That’s what we are. Frequency. Vibration. Energy. Moving as one and moving as part of a collective. Feeling our own intention and the shared intention. Feeling our own energy and the shared energy. It reminded me, we are not here to do this life alone. We’re here to move and feel. We’re here to move together. To feel together. To be seen, held, and witnessed. We carry the ability to lead, to be led, and to lead ourselves. This weekend for me was about learning. Embracing different cultures, learning new steps and rhythm, and feeling all of that in my body. Letting it land. Letting it be experienced. Letting it be embodied. This work, this way of being with ourselves, isn’t just about having fun. It’s part of healing. Part of releasing. And a big part of reconnecting. It’s about connection. It’s about coming into deeper awareness of who we are. Of getting to know ourselves. Of letting our connected self take the lead. That’s why I do what I do. And I’m so looking forward to bringing more of this into my work. Spaces where we move, feel emotion, honour our bodies, allow our expression, and deepen the way we lead ourselves from the inside out. Because the more we connect with our body, the more we come home to ourselves.