Kwanza celebration focuses on roots, urges everyone to have "imani"
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers - Hudson, NY. December 2006. By John Mason
Carlos Osorio & PJ Lawrence perfom "Rain Falls in May" a Colombian dance,
at the Kwanzaa Umoja Celebration Saturday.

Hudson's annual Kwanzaa celebration took place Saturday in the cafeteria of John L. Edwards Elementary School, under the sponsorship of Operation Unite and the Hudson Opera House.

Elena Mosley, moderating the ceremony, said Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday - many faith were represented in the room - but a chance for people to celebrate their African or African-American roots. The holiday, celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 by millions of African-Americans, was started in 1966 by Maulana Karenga. Sharing and preserving history are the most important elements, although gifts may also be exchanged. The word "kwanzaa" comes from Swahili word meaning "first roots."

Those in attendance became familiar with several more Swahili words through the afternoon. The centerpiece of the celebration was a candle lighting ceremony, in which the seven candles of the kinara, a candleholder that resembles a menorah, were lit, one by one...

Learn Latin dances at workshops.
Register Star - Hudson-Catskill Newspapers - Hudson, NY. November, 2005

In collaboration with Cumbia Spirit, the Hudson Opera House is offering latin Dance Workshops with Carlos Osorio from Cumbia Spirit weekly in the Opera House starting today and ending Dec. 7. The workshops take palce in the Workshop Room on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 pm.

Participants will enjoy popular social Latin dances. Workshops will explore Cumbias from Colombia, Salsas form Cuba and Puerto Rico, and Merengues with more Caribbean rhythms. For the veteran or beginner, all are welcome.
Cumbia, the national dance of Colombia, is one of the great rhythms and the most populare dance in Latin America and Europe. Africa, Spain and Colombia's natives fused their love of nature, spirit, their roots and freedom to create this form of graceful, gentle and proud dance that grounds the spirit and lifts the heart. For several centuries Cumbia has been used all over the country for celebrations, communions, ceremonies and festivals.

Instructor Osorio has studied with Dorian Uribe, and Afro-Colombian choreograppher and director of the folkloric group Estampas Latinoamericanas in Colombia, where he learned Cumbia, mapale, pasillo and other folkloric dances.
Since 1999, he has been teaching Latin dance throughtout the Hudson Valley including Siena College and Skidmore College, Omega Institute, National Museum of Dance, Lorraine-Michaels Dance Centre and locally at the Hawthorne Valley School and Columbia-Greene Community College. Osorio has also conducted numerous workshops in elementary schools across the Capital Region area.

Osorio focuses his classes on the basics of Latin dances (folkloric and modern Cumbia, merengue, salsa, mambo, samba and other lesser-known dances), encouraging each individual to enjoy the movement and have fun. For more information, call Osorio at 845-679-2704 or visit www.CumbiaSpirit.com.

For further information about this program, or the Opera House, call 518-822-1438 or visit the Web site at www.hudsonoperahouse.org. The Hudson Opera House is located at 327 Warren St.

Cumbia! Cumbia!
by Jean Rose, Editor
Foot notes. July/August Vol. 7, Issue 8

In the legal vernacular, "Res Ipsa Loquitur" means, "The thing speaks for itself", and the photograhs say it all! Was it amazing? Yes. Was it fun? Yes. Was it educational? Yes. Was it sesual? Yes. It was Carlos Osorio teaching an unforgettable dance lesson in Cumbia, the traditional folk dance of his native country, Colombia.

USABDA was throughly excited when invited to drop in on the dance lesson on May 27 at the Swire Theater, which is part of the National Dance Museum in Saratoga. The program is called "Dancing Through Time" and features a lesson each week from September to Thanksfiving and again from April thrrough June (10 weeks - $110 each session and includes a ticcket to the Alvin Ailey Dance performance). This educational and instructional program, sponsored by the Dance Alliance, is now in its 7th year. The program explores the many forms of dance from Ann Miller to creative dance, Native American to dances from the Balkan region, with a different noted instructor each week. Imagine our delight the day we attended (and I do meand day - lessons are from 1 to 3 in the afternoon) featured Carlos Osorio instruction in Cumbia. He, of course, was yound, dashing and totally captivating, and then there was the dancing, too.

Marilyn Rothstein, the program director (www.dancealliance.org), had located Carlos about a year ago through the Columbia-Greene Community College newsletter and invited him to participate in last year's program. Carlos offers a 4 week evening adult dance class at the College and was involved, both as a dancer and choreographer, this past March at the Skidmore College Dance Festival. He is also an instructor with the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck and will offer a 3-day workshop from October 1 to 3 in Cumbias as an expresssive and healing art.

Carlos began his program explaining the roots of Cumbia music with its African, Spanish and indigenous blend of cultures and styles. He used a video to illustrate the types of customes worn in the different regions of Colombia, and explained the subtle meaning of the basic steps, hip movement, playful skirts, hatas and choreography.

Excerpted from his poem, CUMBIA, Carlos writes, "Con tus tambores tocas el alma, y llevas al extasis los cuerpos que saben entregarse a tus ritmos". ("With your drums you touch the soul, and take toe cstasis the bodies of those who know how to follow your rhythms.") We hope to see Carlos often in the Capital District in the future and have invited him to participate in upcoming USABDA dance events.

Many thnaks to Marilyn and the Dance Alliance for giving USABDA the privilege of participating and reporting on this wonderful group of dance "aficionados". Anyone can join the group if you're 55 and ready to have fun!

FootNotes - US Amateur Ballroom Dance Association Newsletter
NY Capital Distric Chapter.