Saturday 9 September
All roads in Ottawa appeared to lead to lead to 40 Colonnade Road last Saturday as just about everybody who was anybody headed for the grand opening of The Cultural Arts Studio of Afro-Caribbean Dance. Community leader Sarah Onyango, summed up the event in her unique style on Facebook:
I will need another 48 hours to really digest and distill all the emotions I felt witnessing the grand opening of The Cultural Arts Studio of Afro-Caribbean Dance this morning & afternoon! The joy, the pride, the colours (yes, everyone wore their country/island colours and some came with flags and other patriotic accessories!), the vibes (big up Black on Black crew for keeping the vibes sweet as can be from start to finish for CHUO 89.1FM)….and most of all, the huge outpouring of community support! The Lavertu family and their fearless leader “Teacher” Suzan Richards Lavertu have created this community gem for us all, and so it behooves us all (Ottawa community) to do whatever we can to help build this precious legacy. Please patronize this space, take classes there, shop at the Cocoa Tea Boutique (lawd, how to resist all the beautiful products??!!), and contribute to the fundraising effort to purchase the building. Special shoutouts to all the vendors, dignitaries (Mayor Watson, MP Greg Fergus, Councillor Egli, Rev. Bailey) as well as the fabulous elders who attended the day’s festivities, especially my favourite “Birds of Paradise” class for young-at-heart seniors! Well done #TeamLavertu! Well done indeed!
Photo credit: Debbie Miller
Hi “Teacher” Suzan Richards Lavertu:
With great enthusiasm and excitement, Christine Johnson suggested I contact you.
Matt Page and I are restarting our Fall Festival that was cancelled for 2 years.
You are very important as a teacher, who inspires others with Afro-Caribbean Dance as a Cultural Art and we want you to be a part of the Hunt Club Community Association Fall Festival.
Date: Saturday, September 17, 2022 from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Hunt Club-Riverside Community Centre.
Our focus is on promoting artists, singers, musicians, dancers … in this mixed cultural event in our community.
Are you or any of your dancers available? It would bring awareness of your cultural contributions, stir hearts with joy and most significantly to learn more.
Lynette
Co-coordinator of the festival