1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, me Hinde. I just want to give you 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: a heads up. The program you are about to hear 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: may have some explicit language, it may not. It also 4 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: depends on where the vibes and the spirit leads us. 5 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: Hope you enjoy. Welcome to Morenita, a deep dive into 6 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: the Latin X experience. With more Anita, we want to 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: create a community and a shared space with you while 8 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: sharing knowledge and inspiration. This show is about celebrating our 9 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 1: culture with guests who exemplify the best of us. I'm 10 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 1: Darrylene Gastillo Ethane Veto. Not all superheroes were caps. Some 11 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: superheroes are changing the world one dance move at a time. 12 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: That's right, you heard me, dance moves and Manuela ag 13 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: is changing the game with her killer moves and loud presence. 14 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: Manuela the Colombian dancer, choreographer, model, actor, roller skater, activists 15 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: and cultural producer and She was raised in Queens, New York, 16 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: Stand Up New York. Her movement is influenced by Afro 17 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: Indigenous Colombian folk dances as well as street styles from 18 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: New York City. She holds two degrees, one in performance 19 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: arts and one in Social justice I mean, listen, I 20 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: just gave you guys a lot so off. You need 21 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: a moment to process all of her accomplishments. Take a 22 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: second press of rewind if you have to, because Manuela 23 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: is NonStop and she is a woman with a mission 24 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: on changing the world. She is truly unstoppable. Manuela and 25 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: I go in on the life of being an artist 26 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: and finding your voice. It's not an easy task, and 27 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: trust me, it's also something that I've personally battled with. 28 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: You feel all this passion inside of you, and you 29 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: want to create and you want to have a platform. 30 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: But sometimes as an artist, you struggle with what to say, 31 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: what to stand up for? Is what I have to 32 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: say important enough? Who wants to hear me? Manuela opens 33 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: up to us about how she's finding her evolving voice 34 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: and how that's helped her find success creating art in 35 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: the way that she wants to create art. We discuss how, yes, 36 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: the foundation of dance is extremely important, such as ballet 37 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: and institutionalized dance rooms, but it wasn't until she reached 38 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: her roots of her Afro Indigenous Sylumbian heritage where she 39 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: truly found her rhythm and her soul. This connection that 40 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: she began making helped her take off with multiple projects 41 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: when grants and produce and direct her own projects that 42 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 1: we will highlight and discuss. Something about manuela story that 43 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: I found so related well was through her hardships she 44 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: always found her positivity and how this was passed down 45 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: from her mother. Through the struggle, we push and we 46 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: fight with strength. But Manuela and I challenge this thought 47 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 1: as well, why must there always be a struggle? How 48 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: can we diminish the struggle for the future generation so 49 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: we can grow from the past generational trauma. This episode 50 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 1: hits on all of that, and after this conversation, I 51 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: felt so full, so inspired and to leave with light 52 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: and positivity, and I'm so curious what it's going to 53 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: leave you feeling? Fine? Vito, Well, well, well, my people, 54 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: you have a very very very very special person in 55 00:03:52,680 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: the room. Manuela. Welcome to Morenita. How you doing, my 56 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: dancing queen. I am managing my blessings. I am simultaneously 57 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: excited and looking forward to so much and simultaneously exhausted 58 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: and um, you know, working through trauma because yes, necessary, 59 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: all the necessary things. Um, I've already filled in our 60 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: wonderful listeners on the incredible things that you have done 61 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: and the things that you're doing and who you are, 62 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: and now this is like your moment to dive in 63 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: deeper and um, something that I had mentioned in the intro, 64 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: you know, is that you are a dancing superhero. Like 65 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: all the work that you do is for a reason, 66 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: and there's something behind it that is like a moving mechanism. 67 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: And I just want to know and like dig into 68 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: more of like how that became a part of you, 69 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: how that became like your focus. Um, especially during a 70 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: time with COVID. I think that's when your art started 71 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: really flourishing. And I think that that's a that was 72 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: a really difficult and it is still a difficult time 73 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: for a lot of people and a lot of artists 74 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: to push through. I think that the only right way 75 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: to do this is in true Manuala fashion and take 76 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: it all the way back. Because I don't know how 77 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: to answer questions in a very in small words. I'm 78 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 1: a very big word person. UM, So I want to 79 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: say that I think that when I was in high 80 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 1: school and I was sixteen, I knew that I always 81 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: wanted to be a performer and I always wanted to dance, 82 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 1: But it became very clear to me that the world 83 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: was on fire and I had to be somebody with 84 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: a bucket or with some sort of like ladder or something. 85 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: You know, if the world was on fire, I had 86 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: to be a part of taking care of everyone and 87 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: making sure that I could do everything that I could. 88 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: So I feel like when I was sixteen and I 89 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: realized that I wanted to do something within a realm 90 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: of social justice, I started struggling and figuring out, you know, 91 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: how can I continue to be a dancer and continue 92 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: to be an artist because that's my calling in my life, 93 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: but include the focus of social justice? How can I 94 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 1: uplift my community and provide for the people that I 95 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: care about so much? And that became this long extended 96 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: challenge that I resolved in college because I was able 97 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: to make my own major in college and I started 98 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: off in City College, like you no beavers go beavers, 99 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: So you were able to create your own uh program? Yeah, 100 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 1: So you know, I entered City College, I you know, 101 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: I was in International studies, and then I thought I 102 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,479 Speaker 1: maybe able to creative writing, and then I ended up 103 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: in the theater department, and then you know, everything just 104 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: the math wasn't mathing, it wasn't adding up. I didn't 105 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: feel like I was doing specifically what I wanted, which 106 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: was are and creating social change. And I didn't know 107 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: how to do that until a classmate of mine UM 108 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: jokingly was just talking about his major, telling me all 109 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: about how he created it, and he said, why don't 110 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: you just make your own thing? Like you keep mentioning 111 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: all these things you like, all these topics that you 112 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: want to study. Just make your own major. That's what 113 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: I did, and you know, like a light bulb went 114 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: off in my brain because I've always been somebody who 115 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: creates her own path. I've never UM. I feel like 116 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: I've always had a match through the woods and hacking 117 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: my own path, like I've so hard, so it's accurate. 118 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: I feel like I'm through the woods just hacking a 119 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: path because there isn't one, and I don't want the 120 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: one that everyone else has, so I UM. I tapped 121 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: in immediately and found the Quene Buffaloure at School for 122 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies and UM. It immediately became very 123 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: clear to me that I had the agency and the 124 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,679 Speaker 1: autonomy to really design every class that I took, every 125 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: UM course that I wanted to take, and I could 126 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: also take it at any of the tune schools, so 127 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: I didn't have to only stay at City College, which 128 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,559 Speaker 1: opened up the avenues to studying dance at the Hunter 129 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: Dance Department while taking anthropology class at City College UM, 130 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: and it opened up all these possibilities for me, and 131 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: I began to study my major, which was social justice, 132 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: and then my second major was performance art, so I 133 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: studied theater and I studied dance, and then I also 134 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: studied social justice, which I pulled classes from various courses 135 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 1: like Women's Studies, Latino Studies, Black Studies, UM, I did 136 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: Disability Studies. Because I did so many different courses that 137 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,839 Speaker 1: really I think opened my mind and UM strengthened my 138 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:58,319 Speaker 1: levels of compassion and understanding, and I think that that 139 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: was major for me. So at the beginning of school, 140 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: I was doing a lot of that academic work, a 141 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: lot of the writing, which I loved, and then towards 142 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: the end of my four years, I spent a lot 143 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: of time at the dance department at Hunter, which just 144 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: opened up its arms to me and was so amazing 145 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: about helping me get funding for my pieces and supporting 146 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: me in this journey of looking into my family and 147 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: into my family history, and that's where that kind of began. 148 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: And UM. While I was at City College, I also 149 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: took this class called UM Cultural Storytelling that was being 150 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 1: taught by the Legacy Arts Ensemble, which is a West 151 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: African storytelling group that incorporated percussion, dance, acting UM and 152 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 1: I actually became a part of that group. And the 153 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:49,439 Speaker 1: big takeaway from being a part of that group was 154 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,080 Speaker 1: to live your legacy and to dig deep into your 155 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: roots and to learn about who you are. And I 156 00:09:55,400 --> 00:10:00,080 Speaker 1: feel like in learning so much about the story of 157 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: enslavement in the US, UM, I began this really deep 158 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: introspection of you know, how did that affect my history 159 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: and my ancestry. And that happened to be a big, 160 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: big turning point for me and I UM began to 161 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: create work based on all these questions I had within 162 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: my ancestry. And the two pieces that I made in 163 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: college for my thesis were focused around my grandmother and 164 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: my mom and around just like leadership and women. But 165 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: I hadn't quite clicked the part of using my cultural 166 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: dance and folkloric Colombian dance as the aesthetic. I feel 167 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: like I was still stuck in Oh, I have to 168 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: make this look like contemporary dance that you know that 169 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: I've been taught. Um, I've been taught and it's been 170 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 1: so redundant that okay, like, if I want to make 171 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: it in dance, it has to be this these very 172 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:05,120 Speaker 1: year eccentric dance forms. And you're talking like a jazz 173 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: like all those like you know, kind of the basic 174 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: one of one dance classes that you normally would take. Yeah. Yeah, 175 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 1: so UM, I feel like, UM, when I entered Hunter, 176 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: there was this bigger picture of you know, you can 177 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: do anything and it doesn't have to only be this. 178 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: And I also feel like my work with L A. E. 179 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: With like a CRTs ensemble, they also really were all 180 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: of their dance was afrocentric. And it made me remember, 181 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: you know that everything I was taught with my tech, 182 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: with my eurocentric techniques that I learned, it wasn't the 183 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: end all and be all. It wasn't the God in 184 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,439 Speaker 1: the center of the universe. You know, it was a 185 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: technique that is in my toolbox that I can use 186 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 1: and UM, and that really started to you know, percolate 187 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: my brain and I made my pieces. Um, and I'm 188 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: very proud of the work that I did. But I 189 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: want to say that when I graduated college and when 190 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: I was out of school and I was in the 191 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: midst of the pandemic now where I couldn't be in 192 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,839 Speaker 1: dance class, where I couldn't train, um, and I was 193 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: kind of in the vacuum of my bedroom. All I 194 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: had was my family at home. And then I started 195 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: listening to a lot of traditional music for fun and 196 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: UM asking my mom about, you know, the the history 197 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: of some of the songs that I was really liking 198 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: at home, like with Gumbia specifically, and you know, um, 199 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: I remember that there was this one Gumbia song called 200 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: Senaida and she started telling me about how it's this 201 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: beautiful poem that was turned into a Columbia and the 202 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: poem it talks about this Campasina, who you know, was 203 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: walking through the village selling her goods and she was 204 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: really old and she's still got up every morning to work. 205 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: And there was just something that really spoke to me 206 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 1: about that, something that told me, you know that there 207 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: is an oral history here. There is a very very 208 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: rich history in this. And I just went crazy into 209 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: this rabbit hole of of this history of Gumbia and 210 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: I started researching it and in my bedroom where I 211 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: was stuck, where we were all stuck. At some point 212 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: at the very beginning of this I I had this 213 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: epiphany where I found the history and I and I 214 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: learned that Glombia specifically is the dance of liberation for 215 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:44,199 Speaker 1: my ancestry because in the times of enslavement in Colombia, UM, 216 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 1: you know parentheses for a little history check, so of 217 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: course we know that you know, enslavement didn't just happen 218 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: in the America's UM. It did happen in the America's 219 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: for the longest period of time UM for for Afro 220 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: diasporic peoples. But UM the port of Garta Hana and 221 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:03,680 Speaker 1: Colombia had one of the highest number of UM African 222 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: people coming in UM. It had a very high number 223 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: for the Americas. And in that in those regions and 224 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: those coastal regions when enslavement was still something that was 225 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 1: being practiced. UM, there was also a large number of 226 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: indigenous people native people to the area, to to the 227 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: to the regions that were also being colonized. And we're 228 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: also experiencing a lot of hardship and cruelty and UM 229 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: and I feel like in the midst of that difficulty 230 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 1: and that hardship, there were there were still moments to 231 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: to celebrate. Kind of similarly, and I draw this line 232 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: all the time to what I learned about the about 233 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: Afro Usonian enslavement, which would be like Jubilee and Juba, 234 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: where at the end of the day they would still 235 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 1: find a way to celebrate and enjoy. I I connect 236 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: the Juba and the sense of its intention to Cumbia 237 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: because Gumbia was danced with a candle and it was 238 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: according dance of like love and flirting and just celebrating 239 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: and enjoying at this time of very difficult trauma. Um. 240 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: And it was this dance between the natives and the 241 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: and the Afro dis work people who now end up 242 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: becoming the Afro Colombians. UM. And you know, there was 243 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: enslavement and shackles, and that's why their feet are um. 244 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: That's why the dance, the quality of the movement within 245 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: the feet is is close together, so it's a small 246 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: little step because their feet were shackled. And that just 247 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: broke my heart. I was just I was so moved. 248 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: I kept thinking, Wow, like we celebrate this dance and 249 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: we don't even talk about how their feet were shackled 250 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: and now our feet are are free, but we still 251 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: do this dance and we hold this history of cumbia 252 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: Um within our bodies while we're doing this at home, 253 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: when we're when we're partying, when we're doing all these things. 254 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: But we never talked about it. And you know, that 255 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: just broke my heart and I said, Wow, they were 256 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: finding freedom in this moment while their feet were still shackled. 257 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 1: They were finding freedom by loving each other, by emboldening 258 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: their humanity through through moving their hips. So the feet 259 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: were shackled. But you know, you can't hold these hips. 260 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying that was that was like 261 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: these devites could don't lie. They gotta do what they're 262 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: gonna do. They don't lie. And I was so moved. 263 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: I said, Wow, their feet were bound, but they couldn't 264 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: bind their souls. They couldn't bind their love for each other. 265 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 1: They couldn't bind you know, even the drums, the percussion 266 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: that that my ancestors were they brought. You know, these 267 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: people brought, and they brought so much even though so 268 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: much was taken from them, And that is just a 269 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: huge highlight for me so in learning that history, I 270 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: you know, I started just putting on skirts in my 271 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: room and recording videos for fun and no longer for 272 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: you know, I'm so nervous about my dance career and 273 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: what that's gonna mean. And I kind of dropped that 274 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: fear all of a sudden, all this anxiety that I 275 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: had around you know, what am I going to do 276 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: with myself? And I just started having fun. And I 277 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: believe that the same spirit of play and celebration that 278 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: was in creating Columbia and turned my body and I said, 279 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna play, I'm gonna celebrate. I'm gonna enjoy myself 280 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: in my space with the people I love, and all 281 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,879 Speaker 1: of a sudden, you know, and just this play I 282 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: started creating and I started sharing it, and everyone started 283 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: tapping in and asking me too, Oh, can you come 284 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: for cultural day at school and teach, you know, about 285 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: your culture and teach like a class. And then I started, 286 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: you know, bringing this research into the classroom or into um. 287 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 1: There was a Juneteenth celebration that invited me and wanted 288 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: me to share a little bit about this liberation story, 289 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: and you know, slowly, I just got so excited because 290 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: I said, this is mine, Like, nobody can take this 291 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 1: for me, you know. I I'm so happy that this 292 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 1: is something that I really just I grabbed it and 293 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,120 Speaker 1: I said, Wow, nobody can tell me this isn't mine. 294 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: Nobody can tell me that I'm doing it wrong. Nobody 295 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 1: can tell me, you know, that there's something wrong with 296 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:20,360 Speaker 1: what I'm doing. I felt so rooted in that. I mean, 297 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:25,920 Speaker 1: everything that you just have said is you finding your purpose? 298 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: And I think that for many artists that's extremely difficult. Um, 299 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 1: what was your upbringing? How did that fold into who 300 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: you are today? And and all of this passion that 301 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: you just are zooting and speaking about and the knowledge 302 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: that you have. Yeah. So I think that for a 303 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 1: lot of people of color, when it comes to being 304 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: excited about social justice, it's because we're, you know, our 305 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: testimony as a direct result of all of the issues 306 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: that we're fighting for. And I feel like my experience 307 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: in immigrating at four years old, Um, I immigrated with 308 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: my mom. My mom was a single mom, and there's 309 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,679 Speaker 1: so much there. There was so much poverty and difficulty, 310 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 1: you know, um, where we come from, even though we 311 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 1: were very joyful, had lots of family, had lots of 312 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: opportunity to coming um because my mom is also a dancer. 313 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 1: She had you know, her dance academy in Columbia, and 314 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: she had you know, this comfort of this community she 315 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: had built. But as a single mom, she said, you know, 316 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: I want I want more for my daughter. And I 317 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: feel that she dropped everything she had to make this voyage. 318 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 1: And we got here on September nine of two thousand one. 319 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,880 Speaker 1: So we got here two days before the Twin Towers 320 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:54,120 Speaker 1: came crashing down. And that was actually my mom's first job. 321 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 1: She was like cleaning rubble and cleaning dust. I think 322 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: back on that, and I think on how my mom 323 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: brought me here promising that I'm gonna go see Donald Duck. 324 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:15,919 Speaker 1: You know, she said, man, has that happened? No? Have 325 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:20,439 Speaker 1: I met Donald Duck? No? Oh my god. But you 326 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: know she told me that because this was a game 327 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:28,199 Speaker 1: we were playing in a very dangerous game. This is 328 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: squid games. Okay, this is this is life or death. 329 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:37,159 Speaker 1: And lo and behold we arrived, right, praise God, we arrived. 330 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: The TSH agent talks to me and says, Nina, like, 331 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: you know, not even were an American? Now, hey, little girl, 332 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,359 Speaker 1: like where you going or likes whatever. I spoke Spanish. 333 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: I'm sure it wasn't Spanish. Whatever. Um, so he was 334 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 1: like like, where are you going? And I go to 335 00:20:54,480 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: see Donald Duck, so, um, you know we're gonna stay. 336 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: We we were staying with my aunt. Um, so we're here. 337 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: My mom is, you know, freaking out, so afraid, she 338 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: tells me like I was getting prepared for them to 339 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: separate us. I had all these different scenarios in my brain. 340 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: So because when my aunt immigrated, I have another aunt 341 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: who immigrated here who was taken to to jail prison. 342 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: She was incarcerated for a while for for trying to immigrate. 343 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 1: That was that she didn't do anything wrong. She was 344 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:31,920 Speaker 1: just trying to be here. Um, and they took her 345 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,120 Speaker 1: for many months and then she was sent back home. 346 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:40,159 Speaker 1: We got here, and I feel like just experiencing the 347 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,359 Speaker 1: first four years, and when I recount my life, I 348 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: feel like I really had to relearn what happened, because 349 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: I feel like my brain erased a lot of things. 350 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: And also my mom was the magician of no, we're 351 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: not you know, like when we got evicted once, what, No, 352 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,199 Speaker 1: we're just we're having to sleep over slumber parties at 353 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,440 Speaker 1: our friend's house and you know, and I think back 354 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:05,159 Speaker 1: on that and I'm like, wow, my mom was playing 355 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,399 Speaker 1: a game with me to make sure that I was 356 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 1: that I wasn't going through the same level of stress 357 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: that she was. She was trying to, you know, cover 358 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: it for me, and um, you know, we were hopping 359 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 1: around our friends houses and I was, you know, going 360 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:22,639 Speaker 1: to school from different places for like a little while. 361 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: It was moments like that that I realized, Wow, like 362 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: the child of a single parent of immigrants, like, it's 363 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: such a challenging life. And I don't want to say 364 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: it's it's not even just that it's not easy. It's 365 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: specifically designed to be the most challenging. And I think 366 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: that in seeing that struggle and living it, I feel 367 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: like I'm I'm uncovering a lot of that trauma now 368 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: because growing up, my mom was just always present and providing, 369 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 1: and no matter what we did or like the you know, 370 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: the three jobs she worked, I got to school with 371 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: my hair slick, with my beauniform clean, and she always 372 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: made sure to make me breakfast and pack me lunch. 373 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:08,439 Speaker 1: And I just think that that's insane, you know, I 374 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: think it's insane that she was working so many jobs 375 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: and doing so much and still trying to dance. Like 376 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 1: she was still like performing sometimes and like you know, 377 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 1: competing sometimes and like teaching dance classes. And she was 378 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,119 Speaker 1: working at you know, she worked everywhere. She worked at 379 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 1: hair salons, she worked at dance studios, she worked, you know, 380 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,439 Speaker 1: she did so many things. And I think back on wow, like, 381 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 1: despite all that, she still managed to make me breakfast 382 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 1: and do my hair and send me to school with 383 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 1: a clean uniform. Right, it also makes me think of Manuela, 384 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: Like as you're speaking and as you spoke previously about 385 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: the work that you're doing in the social justice and 386 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 1: how this one concept of finding joy, and it's so 387 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 1: interesting because it's something that's very evident in our history 388 00:23:55,680 --> 00:24:00,080 Speaker 1: as a Latina people, not only as Colombianos Dominican in 389 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,400 Speaker 1: Puerto Ricane, just nothing the community itself and how we 390 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 1: deal with trauma and how we deal with these very 391 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: serious things that are happening around us. Yet your mother 392 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 1: was still able to get you to school, the clean 393 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 1: uniform would slick hair, and you would have these sleepovers. 394 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: You know that you wouldn't even know what's happening until 395 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: now that you're older. And something that is like really 396 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 1: fascinating to me as I'm listening to you speak, is 397 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:33,479 Speaker 1: that right now, with what you're doing, it's almost like 398 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: you are untying all of that trauma. This or purpose 399 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,240 Speaker 1: just keeps coming back to me. This purpose of like 400 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 1: in that explanation, right, because we don't need to explain 401 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: ourselves to anybody or prove anything or it's like we 402 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: know the real right, But you're actually like digging into 403 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: like the trauma and like and understanding it and those questions. 404 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: And I wonder if you're doing that because of everything 405 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 1: that you've been through and everything that you have have 406 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: gone through, you know what I mean. Yeah, And I 407 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: feel like, UM, through that, I'm also just coming to 408 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 1: these really amazing UM just teachings and learning and UM 409 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 1: just learning that so much of that trauma lives in 410 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: your body and lives in your habits and realizing that 411 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 1: you know, as I move and as I dance, and 412 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: as I share the knowledge UM and as I share 413 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:29,639 Speaker 1: the technique or the stories through these dances now that 414 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: I'm doing right through the dances of gumbia or that 415 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: I've been learning um learning the rhythms, and I'm still 416 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:38,200 Speaker 1: on that journey, and I'm still learning about the actual 417 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 1: um dances and histories because there's so many different dances 418 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: and so many different histories and traditions. And I feel 419 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: like as I'm sharing that and learning that I'm hoping 420 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 1: and and sending all my love and every time I do, 421 00:25:55,359 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 1: because I understand now more than ever that that trauma 422 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 1: that lives in your body it can be worked through 423 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:07,960 Speaker 1: with movement, and that is that could be a very 424 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,359 Speaker 1: meditative and healing art form. And the reason that I 425 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:14,479 Speaker 1: believe in it so much is because of that history 426 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 1: where I think, Wow, these people were getting beaten down 427 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: and worked to death and they lit a candle and 428 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 1: they danced, and that was their therapy, you know, that 429 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: was what they had. They used what they had, And 430 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,880 Speaker 1: I think that I'm trying to return to that in 431 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,479 Speaker 1: that sense of I want to light that candle at 432 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 1: the end of the difficult time and dance and remember 433 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 1: that just being alone is a resilient act of resistance. 434 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: And I feel that in the world of activism, I 435 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 1: had opportunities where I was organizing the protests, leading the protests, 436 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,439 Speaker 1: you know, organizing mutual aid and all those things are 437 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,679 Speaker 1: so important to me, and I want to encourage all 438 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 1: of us to engage in them whenever we can. Um. 439 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:08,719 Speaker 1: But in the same vein understanding it as an artist, 440 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: I also remind people, especially people who have these kinds 441 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: of histories where we've struggled so much, and I just 442 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:19,440 Speaker 1: want to remind everyone, you know, just being and just 443 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,880 Speaker 1: celebrating and just enjoying yourself is an act of resistance. 444 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: And I'm not saying that in the sense of, you know, 445 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: forget about everybody else and only enjoy yourself, But I'm 446 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: saying that in the sense of make sure that you're 447 00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 1: healing and making your healing a priority, because if you 448 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: don't take care of yourself, you cannot possibly enact change, 449 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: and you cannot possibly help others heal or help others 450 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,120 Speaker 1: be safe. Put on your oxygen masks before you put 451 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: one on somebody else, right, And I think that, um, 452 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: that is something that wasn't modeled for me. And that's 453 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:59,560 Speaker 1: where I'm struggling as a human right now. Because my mom, 454 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: as you heard, did everything for me, for my brother, 455 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: for my family, and she continues to over extend herself 456 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: in this beautiful and selfless way, but she just has 457 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: only very recently been learning how to really self care, 458 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: really truly take care of herself, and she's working on that, 459 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,399 Speaker 1: and it makes me so sad. And I think that 460 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: that pain of seeing her struggle and not seeing her 461 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: prioritize her pleasure or her safety or her joy, that's 462 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 1: broken my heart so much, and it's reminded me that 463 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: I don't want to continue that cycle, and I want 464 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: to encourage her to heal herself, and I want to 465 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 1: heal myself in this process and make sure that as 466 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 1: I'm processing this for myself, I'm reminding people that it's 467 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: so important for them to take care of themselves. Because 468 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: in seeing all that I shared with you know, our journey, 469 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: and through all of it, my mom was present for 470 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: me and in the most you know, prioritizing me in 471 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 1: selfless ways. And that's the way of a mother, and 472 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: it's the way of immigrant moms. And I just think 473 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: it's such a beautiful thing to see the sacrifices when 474 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: you've been displaced, and even if you like moved by choice, 475 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: it's like you're still far from everything that you know, 476 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: and you're learning the language, you're learning everything, and it's 477 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: I just can't imagine the level of of trauma that 478 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: she has still and the fact that it's unaddressed is 479 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: it is mind blowing. Right. I think that that brings 480 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: me specifically to the work that I'm making now, which 481 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:49,200 Speaker 1: is about highlighting the stories of the ancestral women in 482 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 1: my lineage, because in seeing my mom struggle, I went 483 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,640 Speaker 1: to my grandma and interviewed her and saw that she 484 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:58,200 Speaker 1: did the same thing. And then I talked to her 485 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: about her grandmother who raised her, who did the same thing, 486 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: who just put everybody's needs beyond her needs, you know, 487 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: putting every everything in the family before yourself. Um. And 488 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,240 Speaker 1: I think that that is what a lot of women 489 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: of color do. And I wanted to make work that reimagined, um, 490 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: what that could look like where we take care of ourselves, 491 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: and where I can think of a reimagined history where 492 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 1: my great great grandmother wasn't just you know, working herself 493 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: to death to take care of all her grandchildren who 494 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: she was forced to raise. UM. I wish that I 495 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: could reimagine a world where she did take care of 496 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 1: herself and where did where she did prioritize her peace 497 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: and her pleasure and her joy, and you know, and 498 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:49,720 Speaker 1: maybe that could have changed the trajectory of our line 499 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: of women. And I think of how that trauma, that 500 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: physical pain lives in my grandmother and my mom, and 501 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 1: it lives in me, and how I to transform that 502 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 1: And all of the work that I did in the 503 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: film that I mean and in the production that I 504 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: put on, it was all about, you know, how can 505 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: I encourage these women who always put themselves last two 506 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 1: nurture themselves if they're often nurturing everybody else. You know 507 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 1: who nurtures the nurturer, right right? You know who heals 508 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:27,160 Speaker 1: the healer? And I wanted so badly to just highlight 509 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: that joy in these women in my lineage and and 510 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 1: of course like bring that topic cross culturally and encourage 511 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,120 Speaker 1: all women to feel that way. But for sure, um 512 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,640 Speaker 1: within these aesthetics and these dances, and that's you know, 513 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: that's where I am now, because it's been a process 514 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 1: of just really wow, like how do I take care 515 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: of myself and then make sure I'm sharing that and 516 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: passing it on so that we can all enjoy that. 517 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: It's evident in your work. It's evident in the work 518 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: that you're doing, and it's evident that the work that 519 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 1: you're doing is not for the likes. It's not for 520 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,560 Speaker 1: the Instagram, it's not for the Twitter, even though you're 521 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 1: getting all of that, which is incredible, but it's also 522 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:10,479 Speaker 1: for you. It's like a healing process for you that 523 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: like we get to witness if we're lucky enough to 524 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: know you, we get to witness and to process and 525 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: to see that. And this is why I said you're 526 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: a freaking dance superhero. Um. I've known you since college, 527 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 1: so i've seen you from young woman grasshop. But so 528 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: you're coming into yourself and it's such a beautiful journey. 529 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: And I'm grateful that you've been a part of some 530 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 1: of my projects and you've brought that energy and that realization. 531 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: But I want to also thank you for sharing your vulnerability. 532 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: I mean, there's so much that we can go into. 533 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 1: I don't think this is the last time you'll be 534 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 1: on here, um, but I want to thank you for 535 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:53,880 Speaker 1: sharing your vulnerable story of your family and something that 536 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 1: I think many of our listeners will um understand and 537 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: the inspired or bye, and we need to continue telling 538 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 1: our stories. So I thank you for telling your story 539 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: and for inspiring us all. This is the moment Manuela 540 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 1: that We've all been waiting for quick round questions. You ready, Okay, 541 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,959 Speaker 1: I'm ready. If you could have dinner or coffee with 542 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 1: anyone alive or dead, who would it be? Oh my gosh, 543 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 1: what are you gonna do this to me? Oh my goodness, 544 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: I didn't even think about this. Um okay, no, honestly, 545 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:45,440 Speaker 1: like no, this is yeah, this is unquestionably the answer. 546 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: I would like be so happy, so happy to sit 547 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 1: with my great great grandmother because she was seeing her 548 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 1: picture and seeing her you know, deep rich, dark chocolate skin. 549 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:08,439 Speaker 1: It really it really grounded me and everything that I'm doing, 550 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:10,359 Speaker 1: Like I wish she were alive to see how much 551 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:13,320 Speaker 1: I literally worship her. I think she's just such a badass, 552 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 1: and you know, from the stories of my grandmother who 553 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: was raised by her, I'm just like wow, like she's 554 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: like she's a badass. Like I want to talk to her. 555 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: I want to know who her parents were. Nobody knows 556 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:29,360 Speaker 1: who her parents are, and that's what kills me. I 557 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,439 Speaker 1: don't know who her parents are, um, but I know 558 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 1: that either her parents or maybe her in her very 559 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: young years. Like when I look at the time that 560 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:43,880 Speaker 1: slavery was abolished in Colombia, like there's a strong connection 561 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: with my great great grandmother, and I want to make 562 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 1: sure that I talked to her and get to know 563 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: her and remind her of how much I appreciate everything 564 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 1: she did um because I feel like she's just kind 565 00:34:55,640 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: of like floating in she definitely, Oh yeah, she right there, 566 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 1: She's right there next to you right now. Every time 567 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 1: I perform, I that was actually something I learned with 568 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: l A like before we perform, we like asked her 569 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 1: permission for the ancestors. And I feel like whenever I've 570 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 1: had performances, I'm always like, thank you for you know, 571 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 1: for for your labor. And I know that as a 572 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 1: as an old lady, she had a very difficult um 573 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:24,960 Speaker 1: like her body was just really broken down from all 574 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 1: the labor, and I just, you know, I wish her 575 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,760 Speaker 1: like a lot of like physical peace and healing and 576 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: um and seeing that, you know, I want I want 577 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,120 Speaker 1: that healing to to continue, you know, I want that 578 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:40,239 Speaker 1: to start with me. And I'm grateful because because of her, 579 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 1: I'm the one who was like, you know, I'm remembering 580 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:45,839 Speaker 1: her and mentioning her and everything that I do. So 581 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,920 Speaker 1: her name is Agit Pina. She has a crazy name, 582 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: but I love it like Mammy. I would love to 583 00:35:56,280 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: have dinner with your baby girl. Okay, that's beautiful. Okay. 584 00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 1: Second question, favorite song right now to dance too? Oh 585 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:12,680 Speaker 1: my gosh, um, I can't stop listening to the Bad 586 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 1: Bunny album. I had a feeling you're gonna say that Bunny, 587 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:21,120 Speaker 1: you know I it's it's the truth. Um. I think 588 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 1: that roller skating to everyone is also a professional roller skating. 589 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, roller skating. So he lean those because 590 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:34,759 Speaker 1: um Bomba studios on it, and she's from the coast 591 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 1: of Colombia. She's amazing. So um Bomba studio with Bad 592 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 1: Bunny hips lean those. That's okay. Someone gives you an 593 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 1: unlimited budget for a dream project, what would it be? 594 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: What's something you have tucked in your heart you'd love 595 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:58,239 Speaker 1: to share with the world. Okay. So if I had 596 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:05,520 Speaker 1: unlimited funds, I would set off on an exploratory journey 597 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:10,800 Speaker 1: through Columbia to train with different masters of this craft, 598 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:16,520 Speaker 1: and I would um sponsor a certain amount of artists 599 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 1: to bring back here to New York. And then I 600 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 1: would restage Legado Lodado, which was the first production that 601 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,319 Speaker 1: I directed and for Due and I would restage it 602 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:31,759 Speaker 1: with um this new found knowledge and these new dancers 603 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:35,560 Speaker 1: and cantellodas and movers and and all these amazing artists 604 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: who I have here in New York and who I 605 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 1: would bring to also just extend the opportunity. I think 606 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:43,600 Speaker 1: it's really big for me to extend the opportunity to 607 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 1: people who, um don't have the privilege of living in 608 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: New York. So I would love to do that. And 609 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:51,759 Speaker 1: I would love to restage it here, do it in 610 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: like a huge venue, because I've done it in a 611 00:37:54,719 --> 00:38:01,200 Speaker 1: black box. Let's production all you that's what we need. 612 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:05,400 Speaker 1: I would love for the cast to be all women 613 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:10,920 Speaker 1: and non binary people, and I actually, UM, you know, 614 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:13,279 Speaker 1: i'd love like a whole group of female percussionists like 615 00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 1: that would be just like the dream UM and to 616 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,480 Speaker 1: you know, put on together something that's very interdisciplinary and 617 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 1: have poetry definitely, have you know, monologues in there, like music, 618 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:27,920 Speaker 1: a lot of live music. We want the whole production, 619 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: we want we want production value, yes, and then at 620 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:36,520 Speaker 1: the performance, I would love to UM share whatever I 621 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:40,920 Speaker 1: document through the journey of learning and being educated and 622 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,960 Speaker 1: learning more and growing more through Columbia and kind of 623 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,920 Speaker 1: show that as like the process, because I think it's 624 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,680 Speaker 1: very important to share process um and to share you know, 625 00:38:49,719 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: the challenges of that process, so that I can encourage 626 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,879 Speaker 1: other Battianas to come in here and do their things. 627 00:38:55,000 --> 00:39:00,360 Speaker 1: Not dead, but yeah, you know people that I'm I 628 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 1: love that like you can you can do it too. 629 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:06,280 Speaker 1: I will ask you, how would you like your legacy 630 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 1: to be defined? What is that legacy for you? So 631 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:17,960 Speaker 1: that is literally the premise of the show like Um, 632 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: because I wanted so badly for people to understand that 633 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:31,000 Speaker 1: what I want to leave behind for sure is I 634 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 1: want people to heal the trauma that they have and 635 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 1: to address the trauma that they have, and to prioritize 636 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:46,239 Speaker 1: pleasure and joy and peace and know that by doing that, 637 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:51,319 Speaker 1: you model the behavior that you want your kids to have, 638 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:53,399 Speaker 1: that you want your friends to have, and you want 639 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:59,800 Speaker 1: your parents to have. And in nurturing yourself and caring 640 00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:04,480 Speaker 1: for yourself, there is just it's so radical, how radical 641 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:07,319 Speaker 1: it is to love yourself in a world that constantly 642 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 1: is beating you down, in a country whose history literally 643 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: thrives off of you hating yourself. I think it's so beautiful. 644 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,759 Speaker 1: Like the many lessons that I've learned from so many 645 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,920 Speaker 1: incredible black women from here and from you know, afrodise 646 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:25,319 Speaker 1: sport women from our Latin A community. Just I've learned 647 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:27,160 Speaker 1: so much from them in the sense of it's so 648 00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:31,400 Speaker 1: resilient to take care of yourself, and I think that 649 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:33,239 Speaker 1: that is the legacy I want to leave. I want 650 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:38,240 Speaker 1: people to to dance, to enjoy, and I just want 651 00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:41,360 Speaker 1: people to remember that you don't have to dance to 652 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: be the best dancer. You can dance for peace, for love, 653 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:46,399 Speaker 1: for joy, for your liberation. You don't have to sing 654 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:48,840 Speaker 1: to be the best singer. You can sing with your family, 655 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:53,080 Speaker 1: you can sing by yourself, you can sing to you know, stimulate, 656 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:56,440 Speaker 1: simulate that vegas nerve, like release, release all of this 657 00:40:56,719 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 1: pain that's literally in our DNA from all of these struggles. 658 00:41:01,239 --> 00:41:05,640 Speaker 1: And I think that we are so focused on how 659 00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:08,080 Speaker 1: hard we have to work, and I think that how 660 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 1: hard we have to work isn't just this thing about 661 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:12,920 Speaker 1: how hard capitalism tells us to work, but it's also 662 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 1: something that I feel within our activism communities were always like, 663 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:19,000 Speaker 1: we gotta work hard and work, work, work to free everybody. 664 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:22,839 Speaker 1: And I'm like, absolutely, But if something I learned from 665 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:25,919 Speaker 1: organizing countless protests and being involved in this community. It's 666 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:28,680 Speaker 1: that you burn out so fast that it's a marathon 667 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:32,520 Speaker 1: not a race. Um. And in the long run, I 668 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: want to be healthy for the community that I want 669 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:38,520 Speaker 1: to take care of. And I think that I'm struggling 670 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 1: dead ass full out. I am struggling with that. I 671 00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:45,120 Speaker 1: am not completely there, but I know that it's the 672 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,239 Speaker 1: goal that I have and I want and I want 673 00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,040 Speaker 1: to encourage people so much, you know, to heal through 674 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:53,040 Speaker 1: their arts and to indulge in the things that you 675 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:56,680 Speaker 1: know bring you peace, because you know, life is short 676 00:41:56,960 --> 00:42:00,920 Speaker 1: and the lives of our ancestors mad are so much 677 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:03,920 Speaker 1: that we should take care of the vessel that they made, 678 00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:07,560 Speaker 1: you know, they made us. And I think that, um, 679 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:10,200 Speaker 1: you know, I keep thinking back on like wow, Like 680 00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:12,960 Speaker 1: when I'm so hard on myself, I'm really just beating 681 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:16,080 Speaker 1: down that little girl who immigrated and didn't know how 682 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: to speak English, and that breaks my heart. I'm like, 683 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 1: I can't be mean to her, what, you know, after 684 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 1: everything she went through, you know, let me be kinder 685 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:27,160 Speaker 1: to myself. And even this week was so rough and 686 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:29,120 Speaker 1: so hard, and then when I get the chance to 687 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:32,720 Speaker 1: talk about it, like this, I'm like, wow, I should 688 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:36,960 Speaker 1: really slow down and take a minute and acknowledge what 689 00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:41,799 Speaker 1: I've done and remember that existing and just being, not 690 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:45,720 Speaker 1: even doing anything, just being and like taking care of yourself. 691 00:42:45,800 --> 00:42:50,719 Speaker 1: It It is such an act of resilient, powerful, you know, 692 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:56,200 Speaker 1: groundbreaking revolutionary change. And and I think especially all of 693 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:58,600 Speaker 1: these women of color and all these envy baddies of color, 694 00:42:58,719 --> 00:43:05,359 Speaker 1: like all the Badiana's out there's these babies out there. 695 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:07,839 Speaker 1: I am you know, I'm so proud of all of you. 696 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,279 Speaker 1: I'm so proud of everything that you're doing and just 697 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:14,440 Speaker 1: stepping out in the world where we're constantly getting you know, 698 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:19,560 Speaker 1: disappeared and harassed, and our rights are being attacked everywhere. 699 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,040 Speaker 1: You know, just the fact that we can take a 700 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:26,400 Speaker 1: bubble bath and take ten deep breath, that in itself 701 00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:29,359 Speaker 1: is beautiful because there's a little girl or a little 702 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:33,880 Speaker 1: person out there who is looking to you and seeing 703 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:37,640 Speaker 1: like you are peaceful and joyful and happy. And in 704 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:39,719 Speaker 1: addition to that, you're being a batty and going out 705 00:43:39,719 --> 00:43:44,040 Speaker 1: there and get your dreams. But let's model self care. 706 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:46,600 Speaker 1: Let's not just talk about it, you know, let's be 707 00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 1: about it. And I think that that's a major thing 708 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:52,040 Speaker 1: that I want to leave behind more joy, more peace, 709 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:56,000 Speaker 1: and you know, and you're doing that. I'm out here 710 00:43:56,040 --> 00:43:58,080 Speaker 1: doing the best I can. I'm still struggling. I'm not 711 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:02,040 Speaker 1: gonna allow to any of you, I'm sure dot com, 712 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:05,319 Speaker 1: but I am blessed a f and I am you know, 713 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 1: I'm doing all I can to to share it because 714 00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:12,759 Speaker 1: if I don't share it, I am doing myself a disservice. 715 00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:15,040 Speaker 1: And I'm doing the batty honors of the world a 716 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 1: disservice because all of you need to remember how brilliant 717 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:21,920 Speaker 1: you are and how much you deserve to be peaceful 718 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:29,520 Speaker 1: and RESTful. And you know, take a napp you have 719 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:33,200 Speaker 1: no idea. You have no idea, Manuela, Like how badly 720 00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:37,239 Speaker 1: I needed this conversation today. I know that are listening. 721 00:44:37,560 --> 00:44:42,560 Speaker 1: You need to hear myself, like we are so tired, 722 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,719 Speaker 1: and I am like putting myself in I'm like, who 723 00:44:45,760 --> 00:44:47,080 Speaker 1: did this to me? I did this to me? I 724 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:49,839 Speaker 1: signed up for this. I'm such a go getter, right 725 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:52,040 Speaker 1: like you know, like this this is a message for 726 00:44:52,080 --> 00:44:54,239 Speaker 1: the go getters, Like I'm always doing everything because I'm 727 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:57,560 Speaker 1: so scared of like missing out on an opportunity. You know, 728 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,160 Speaker 1: and like I have that immigrant mentality still sometime times 729 00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:04,400 Speaker 1: of like the scarcity exactly, and it's deep because I'm like, 730 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:06,000 Speaker 1: oh my god, if I don't do this, I'm gonna 731 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:09,200 Speaker 1: miss out on like a huge opportunity. And the truth 732 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:14,400 Speaker 1: is that you know your body needs you so badly, 733 00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:19,600 Speaker 1: and also it's gonna be okay. Thank you so much, 734 00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:22,080 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for spending the time with us. 735 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:25,239 Speaker 1: Thank you for sharing your nuggets of wisdom. You are 736 00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:28,560 Speaker 1: so wise beyond your years. And I am so so 737 00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:31,320 Speaker 1: so lucky to have to have you as a friend 738 00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:34,279 Speaker 1: but also have you here as a guest. I love 739 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 1: you and share you, and I'm so excited about um 740 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:41,640 Speaker 1: sharing what's coming up next for me. I am currently 741 00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:44,720 Speaker 1: performing in the Queensboro Dance Festival, so you can catch 742 00:45:45,320 --> 00:45:49,360 Speaker 1: one of the pieces about women self caring. We dance 743 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:53,160 Speaker 1: with water, and we transform the domestic act of cleaning 744 00:45:53,239 --> 00:45:56,200 Speaker 1: into you know, cleansing the soul. We dance with water. 745 00:45:56,239 --> 00:45:59,640 Speaker 1: It's very beautiful. So we're gonna be touring that, um 746 00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:03,640 Speaker 1: and and I am going to be planning another screening 747 00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:07,040 Speaker 1: of my film Mari Theorra, which is all about the 748 00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:10,160 Speaker 1: ancestral lineage of these women in my life and that 749 00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:14,440 Speaker 1: is going to be happening soon. And um, I am 750 00:46:14,520 --> 00:46:18,280 Speaker 1: just like really excited to continue sharing the dance films 751 00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:21,160 Speaker 1: that I made and the work that I've made and 752 00:46:21,840 --> 00:46:26,120 Speaker 1: restaging like Leado at some point. I'm still working on 753 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:28,680 Speaker 1: putting that together because it was brilliant and you can 754 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 1: you can find it online to like the there is 755 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:35,759 Speaker 1: an article about it by The Queen's Courier to some 756 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:38,960 Speaker 1: photos in there, there's some information about what it's about, 757 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:41,840 Speaker 1: and you know, I just really want to find the 758 00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 1: community that wants to help me make that happen again. 759 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:48,000 Speaker 1: I did get some grants last year, but I definitely 760 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:50,560 Speaker 1: want to make it happen again with you know, with 761 00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:55,839 Speaker 1: more Gusto and more more rest um. But yeah, that's 762 00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:58,200 Speaker 1: kind of what's happening and I'm hoping I can. We're 763 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:00,200 Speaker 1: working on booking a theater here in the city in 764 00:47:00,239 --> 00:47:04,359 Speaker 1: Manhattan and just showing the film again. Um also did 765 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:07,279 Speaker 1: a film about hair for women of color and just 766 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:09,920 Speaker 1: different things I've made that I haven't put on the 767 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:12,160 Speaker 1: GRAM because I wanted to be exclusive to the people 768 00:47:12,200 --> 00:47:14,440 Speaker 1: who want to show up in person. And that's it's 769 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:16,920 Speaker 1: it's also important to protect your material because anything you 770 00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:19,439 Speaker 1: put online isn't always just your property, so I wanted 771 00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:22,560 Speaker 1: to make sure. So yeah, so that's what's happening. And 772 00:47:22,920 --> 00:47:26,960 Speaker 1: I'm excited too, just like continue sharing with you, Darylyn, 773 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 1: because this is a beautiful podcast and I've listened to 774 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:31,680 Speaker 1: it and I'm so inspired by you and grateful for 775 00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:33,840 Speaker 1: everybody on the team. Thank you guys so much. And 776 00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:36,080 Speaker 1: you know you have a home here and you know 777 00:47:36,200 --> 00:47:42,680 Speaker 1: with me, girl, we batty. If people want to follow 778 00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:44,560 Speaker 1: your journey, Um, where do we follow you? How do 779 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:47,000 Speaker 1: we find you? What do we do? Amazing? So you 780 00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:51,560 Speaker 1: can go on Manuela Guelo dot com for me and 781 00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:55,800 Speaker 1: my page. I'm very active on Instagram. So my Instagram 782 00:47:55,880 --> 00:48:01,160 Speaker 1: is underscore mango vich like sevich so v I c 783 00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:04,680 Speaker 1: h e UM and mango vich if you didn't know, 784 00:48:04,840 --> 00:48:07,080 Speaker 1: is a Columbian snack. We like to eat mangoes when 785 00:48:07,080 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 1: they're ring and we put lime and salt on it. 786 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:14,439 Speaker 1: So yeah, mango each with a V I c h e. 787 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:16,960 Speaker 1: And it's you know, I share everything there. I think 788 00:48:16,960 --> 00:48:19,440 Speaker 1: I'm most active there, so I'd love to follow you 789 00:48:19,480 --> 00:48:22,520 Speaker 1: guys and hear about what's going on and connect and 790 00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:26,440 Speaker 1: keep talking about all these important things. Lenola, thank you, 791 00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:28,520 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. From the bottom of my heart. 792 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:35,960 Speaker 1: I love you, Sis, love you so much. Monnita is 793 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:39,040 Speaker 1: a production of Sonato in partnership with I Heart Radios 794 00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:42,960 Speaker 1: Miluda podcast Network. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, 795 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:46,520 Speaker 1: visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever 796 00:48:46,600 --> 00:48:48,040 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.