More Than a Follower with Tania Mendonça (Angola): Charlotte NC Edition

We are excited to celebrate Kizomba Alegria Dance Company, Charlotte NC THIRD Anniversary with Tania Mendonça!

This 8-hour intensive is the brain child of Tania Mendonça from her years of teaching in dance festivals. The workshop aims to share her knowledge of PALOP cultures regarding Kizomba and Semba along with empowering the follower role and creating more empathy between partners in the dance.

This intensive is OPEN to BOTH LEADERS and FOLLOWERS. For you who are normally leaders when you dance, you just have to have the openness to learn how to follow. The goals for the workshops are key to all of us who dance Kizomba.

SCHEDULE:
---Saturday, July 10 (@Jazzercize)
4 hours of workshops:
1- The Awareness- Posture & Balance Walk -European vs African Body Isolations
2- The principle of The Follower- Timing & Response Presence and Attitude Beat keeping
3- Reverse Leading & Following Angolan Musicality vs Western
4 - Reverse Leading Part 2- masculine energy vs feminine energy
KIZOMBA Night Social with DJ Guelas (@Jazzercise)

--- Sunday, July 11 (@Jazzercise)
4 hours of workshops:
5- The delay- Angolan vs Western styles Syncopation, brakes, footwork
6- Kizomba vs Semba
7- Semba Solos
8- Semba Solos - End Routine video
Sunday afternoon/evening social (@Private Clubhouse 5 min from studio)

HOTEL INFO:
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Charlotte/Executive Park - 5840 Westpark Dr, Charlotte, NC 28217
- 5 min by car to/from Saturday party/Sunday day social
- 5 min by car to/from dance studio for workshops
- $71/night with kitchen (from hotels.com)
- FREE hot breakfast/parking/24-hour fitness center/wi-fi
Any other hotel in vicinity of Charlotte Douglas Airport is a good option.

Tania Mendonca Instructor bio:
As most Angolans,Tania has danced Kizomba with family and friends most of her life, but it was in 2010 now resident in UK, that she started to share her knowledge and teach Kizomba outside the community. As a Angolan, Kizomba is more than a dance, it is her culture. Founder of Kizomba Reading, co-founder of Kizomba4Life charity and HBT events, Tania always took on the responsibility of spreading her culture not only by teaching the dance but with the main focus on the music and its artists, as it is the music and its lyrics the most importante character of Kizomba movement.

On her most recent project "About Kizomba", Tania shares the “ins” and “outs” of the history and its importance through the struggles of the Angolan people during the civil war and masses of immigrations of the PALOP communities to Portugal.

Twice nominated for best Kizomba teacher by The UK Lucas Awards, Tania is an highly reputable Instructor in the UK, sought to teach Internationally at various Congresses and Festivals, focusing in sharing her knowledge of Kizomba on its most original form.