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Portsha at Oakland Ansanm pou Ayiti
Haitian Folkloric | SUN 2PM at the Malonga Center, OAK
Oakland in SOLIDARITY with Haiti!
Our Beloved Dance Community!
Daniel Brevil in ACTION!
Daniel teaching students a Haitian rhythm
Who Are We?
Portsha Jefferson is the founder and artistic director of Rara Tou Limen, an arts organization that has been promoting Haitian culture for the past six years. RTL has continually offered participants the opportunity to experience Haitian music, dance and culture through classes, workshops, performances and educational events in both the United States and in Haiti. RTL is the 2010 recipient of the Zellerbach Family Foundation Grant & The Alliance for California's Living Cultures Grant Award.
Portsha has taught creative movement and Haitian Folkloric dance in schools, universities, community centers and dance studios for eleven years. A passionate believer in education and youth development, she has worked for several youth organizations including The Young Performers Theater, The San Francisco Arts Education Project, Westlake School of the Arts, Opera Picolla, DanceVersity and Swivel Arts.
Portsha's dedication and exploration of Haitian culture have brought her to Haiti, where she has traveled throughout the country to research regional dance, rhythms and musical traditions since 2003. Her teachers include: Lynn Coles, Blanche Brown, Peniel Guerrier, Cadet Jean Evens, Emmanuel Louis, Metayer Frantz and Ramses Philius, among others. Currently, Portsha is an artist in residence for Oakland, Berkeley and SF Unified School District. In addition, she is an instructor at East Bay Dance Center, Dance Mission Theater and at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts. She also serves as a Cultural Arts Specialist with Oakland Parks and Recreation.
Portsha has taught creative movement and Haitian Folkloric dance in schools, universities, community centers and dance studios for eleven years. A passionate believer in education and youth development, she has worked for several youth organizations including The Young Performers Theater, The San Francisco Arts Education Project, Westlake School of the Arts, Opera Picolla, DanceVersity and Swivel Arts.
Portsha's dedication and exploration of Haitian culture have brought her to Haiti, where she has traveled throughout the country to research regional dance, rhythms and musical traditions since 2003. Her teachers include: Lynn Coles, Blanche Brown, Peniel Guerrier, Cadet Jean Evens, Emmanuel Louis, Metayer Frantz and Ramses Philius, among others. Currently, Portsha is an artist in residence for Oakland, Berkeley and SF Unified School District. In addition, she is an instructor at East Bay Dance Center, Dance Mission Theater and at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts. She also serves as a Cultural Arts Specialist with Oakland Parks and Recreation.
"... an Inspiration for many, a culture bearer preserving musical traditions of Haiti, and a true ambassador of his country..."
Over the past eighteen years, Daniel "Brav" Brevil has solidly built a reputation as one of Haiti’s finest dance accompanists. As Musical Director for both Artcho/Ayikodans Company and Tamboula, two of Haiti’s premier folkloric dance troupes, Mr. Brevil has composed and arranged complex and original drum orchestrations which bring the ensembles’ choreography to life.
Mr. Brevil has recorded and performed with luminary figures of Haitian music, such as Azor, Emeline Michel, James Germaine and Daniel Beaubrun (Boukman Eksperyans), among others.
His performing career has brought Mr. Brevil to the world's stages including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guadalupe, Martinique, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Canada, Spain, France, Greece, Japan, and Puerto Rico. Theater credits include: "Haiti: The Rhythms, The Dances and The Gods," which starred Danny Glover. Mr. Brevil toured the United Kingdom with the production "Vodou Nation," to critical acclaim, and was a featured orchestra percussionist in the December 2004 Lincoln Center performance "How Papa Noel Forgot Haiti."
Mr. Brevil is an accomplished drum teacher, leading classes and workshops for youth and adults worldwide. He exemplifies a unique insight into the relationship between dance and drum, which informs his compositions, arrangements, performances, and teachings.
Most recently, Mr. Brevil relocated to the Bay Area and now serves as Musical Director for Rara Tou Limen.
Mr. Brevil has recorded and performed with luminary figures of Haitian music, such as Azor, Emeline Michel, James Germaine and Daniel Beaubrun (Boukman Eksperyans), among others.
His performing career has brought Mr. Brevil to the world's stages including Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guadalupe, Martinique, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Canada, Spain, France, Greece, Japan, and Puerto Rico. Theater credits include: "Haiti: The Rhythms, The Dances and The Gods," which starred Danny Glover. Mr. Brevil toured the United Kingdom with the production "Vodou Nation," to critical acclaim, and was a featured orchestra percussionist in the December 2004 Lincoln Center performance "How Papa Noel Forgot Haiti."
Mr. Brevil is an accomplished drum teacher, leading classes and workshops for youth and adults worldwide. He exemplifies a unique insight into the relationship between dance and drum, which informs his compositions, arrangements, performances, and teachings.
Most recently, Mr. Brevil relocated to the Bay Area and now serves as Musical Director for Rara Tou Limen.
Haitian Rhythms & Song with Daniel Brevil to resume FALL'10
The Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts
1428 Alice Street, OAK
SUNDAYS | 1-2pm
$15
Testimonials
"Between the two, Portsha the dance teacher and Daniel on the drums, it doesn't get any better than this... the best energy and synergy! Portsha is patient with those beneath her level and she maintains a high energy level. She is positive, enthusiastic, and most importantly she has a aspirational and leader quality beyond her youthful years..." - Jeana G.
"Portsha Jefferson and Rara Tou Limen is the best, combining high energy in her dance classes with attention to detail and folkloric technique. Portsha also takes the time to explain the cultural background of traditional Haitian dances and rhythms. With skilled drumming by recognized masters, classes are suitable for all - from beginners to advanced students. You'll come away from these classes truly inspired by the rhythms, and ready for more! It's addictive!" - Coco K
"Daniel is an excellent teacher! Clear, Knowledgeable and Concise..." - Matt R.
"This class is the highlight of my week. I leave class feeling emotionally refreshed, physically strengthened, and spiritually full" - Halima M.
"Portsha Jefferson and Rara Tou Limen is the best, combining high energy in her dance classes with attention to detail and folkloric technique. Portsha also takes the time to explain the cultural background of traditional Haitian dances and rhythms. With skilled drumming by recognized masters, classes are suitable for all - from beginners to advanced students. You'll come away from these classes truly inspired by the rhythms, and ready for more! It's addictive!" - Coco K
"Daniel is an excellent teacher! Clear, Knowledgeable and Concise..." - Matt R.
"This class is the highlight of my week. I leave class feeling emotionally refreshed, physically strengthened, and spiritually full" - Halima M.