An enthusiastic group of women celebrated Black Montreal and Haitian culture with a Haitian dance class Tuesday evening in Côte-des-Neiges.
Organized by Femmes du Monde and the Côte-des-Neiges Black Community Association, participants explored various Haitian dance styles and learned about their historical significance through a short film titled “Kase Chenn” by Haitian Montrealer Nitsé Mathelier.
Leading the workshop was dance instructor Anica (Tika) Félicin from BooGKow (‘bouge ton corps), who led the group through a Kongo routine – one of Haiti’s many dance styles. These dances double as a medium of resistance, reflecting the resilience and joy of the Haitian community during colonial slavery.
“It does exactly what Haitian dance tends to do,” Félicin said. “It brings people together, a lot of joy – like from the beginning to the end, everybody was laughing …working together,” she added.
“The dance is really close to nature,” one participant remarked.
You can find out more about Haitian dance and upcoming events on Tika’s Instagram @boogkow
