Little Takeaways: 2024 Spring Youth Dance & Safety Series

By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri

This year, we were LUCKY to bring back our Free Youth Dance and Safety event series in the Spring and Fall through the support of the Toronto Arts Council and PartciPACTION Community Challenge. Through their generosity, we partnered with 6 organizations operating in 5 unique communities to get over 100 youth moving in June.

The goal of our series has always been to get more youth who live in under-resourced areas with high gun violence rates to move more and feel safe as they walk around their neighborhoods and take the transit.

Here are a few takeaways from our Spring series

A new kid's club joined our event series
We got over 100 youth ages 6 to 18 years old moving within 30 days
Participants were taught beginner self-defense techniques such as how to defend themselves from bodily harm (such as strikes and kicks) and escape common attacks (such as wrist grabs, back grabs, and choke holds).
Most of the sessions had at least 18 youth in attendance, surpassing the average number of youth we had per session in past years (this year, the smallest number of participants was 12, and 45 was the largest)
All host organizations were consulted in advance (via email & phone calls) on how we could deliver a well-run session for their age group/demographic
All workshops ran according to plan and instructors adapted on the spot to ensure a fun and safe class
All host organizations have shown an interest in bringing us back!

I would like to thank our host organizations for collaborating with me once more

Scarborough Central – Kabibi and Tanya at Kick Start Club, TNG Services
Black Creek – Shanaz and Pique at Success Beyond limits-JaneFinch
York – Latisha, DeQuon, and Alex at Weston Frontlines
North Etobicoke – Jessica at AlbionBGC and Stephanie at RCHC
Scarborough North – Eileen at L’Amoreaux Community Center

I thank our newest facilitators, Kris and Dee, for sharing their positive energy and skills with the next generation.

Keep an eye out for our 1st Halloween Dance & Safety series coming in October,

Sumera

Are you an organization interested in bringing our series to you?

Don't hesitate to get in touch with me (here) and mention your location and dates, age group /demographic, and budget.

WE'RE BACK & READY TO DO OUR PART IN FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION

By: Sumera Garcia-Quadri

Along with protesters calling for justice for George Floyd's murder and for the just treatment of black and indigenous lives in Canada and America, it is important for me to take a step forward and address the issue of discrimination on the basis of skin colour in the Bollywood industry and how I've been trying to change it within my own company.

After all, our Women's Bollywood Dance and Fitness Programs were the fastest-growing programs we've ever had, with over 150 women registered across 4 centers back in March

In the midst of the vibrant colours and intoxicating dances and beautiful songs that Bollywood is loved for worldwide, lies the toxic realities of the Bollywood industry. Directors and producers place a priority on recruiting actors that are fair-skinned for leading roles. Having a fair complexion is a requirement in some roles and has pushed aspiring actresses to seek skin-altering creams or surgeries in order to be considered. It is no wonder why the word Gori (fair-skinned girl/woman) is commonly heard in songs. There's then the factor of physical features (size and facial and body features) and age. Unfortunately, Bollywood like many entertainment industries reflects the local cultural and social norms of what is considered ideal and will only start to shift into a more equitable industry if challenged at a micro-level, such as by small businesses like mine and well, dare I say it, within in our own families.

Bearing this in mind, I still adore Bollywood dance and songs. As a girl trained in Hiphop and Afro-Latin dance (both a part of the black dance culture), I am happy to see Bollywood regularly incorporating black dance culture. I think we can have a positive impact on changing the face of Bollywood by how we deliver our programs in Toronto.

In the past few years, I have made it a priority to recruit a passionate, caring, and qualified team of instructors to support our community programs. A team that understood the importance in delivering Bollywood programs that were inclusive to women and girls from all back rounds.

The colour of an instructor’s skin and/or where they were from was not a factor in deciding whether they were recruited or not.

If you have taken programs with us before or are thinking too, our team consists of instructors of all sizes, ages, shades of WHITE, BROWN, and BLACK, and educational back rounds from engineers to doctors – we're a team just as diverse as our members.

If you're looking for instructors that look like the actors you see in Bollywood movies, you probably won't find that here as that isn't our focus!

If you're looking, however, for a place where you can have fun, burn a sweat, and meet awesome people in a community setting, you'll find that here.