Your favorite festival is approaching!
RASANBLE! Haitian Arts & Culture Festival is a four day community gathering that serves as an educational vehicle celebrating the vibrancy of Haitian arts and culture through dance workshops, music, folk medicine, academic presentations, a spiritual Vodou ceremony, delicious cuisine, and more!
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From the rhythmic beats of the Haitian drums to the graceful movements of the Folkloric Dance, every aspect is carefully curated to captivate your senses and nourish your soul.
This festival is a celebration of heritage, creativity, and community. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or new to Haitian arts and culture, RASANBLE! offers something for everyone. It's a space where academia meets creativity, and tradition embraces innovation. Mark your calendars and get ready for an experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Thursday, September 24
"Ritual of Gratitude"
Venue: TBA
FET KOUZEN
An opening ceremony celebrating Haitian Vodou as a living spiritual tradition through prayer, music, offerings, and gratitude for the blessings that sustain us.
Friday, September 25
"Cultivating Connection"
The Finnish Hall | Berkeley
A Night of Scholarship, Performance & Konpa
Inspired by the spirit of Kouzen, Friday evening invites us to cultivate meaningful relationships through learning, artistic expression, and joyful participation. Together we prepare the ground for a weekend of cultural celebration.
featuring:
FESTIVAL PRESENTERS
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KONPA DANCE CLASS
with Robenson Mathurin
Join Robenson at Rasanble for an engaging partner/social Konpa class where you’ll learn the fundamental steps,
partner connections and effortless flow of Haiti’s beloved social dance.
This is a rare opportunity, as Konpa classes are not regularly offered in the Bay Area. Don't miss this opportunity
to experience the energy of Konpa firsthand!
This class invites you to connect with others, celebrate Haitian culture, and enjoy an authentic social dance experience that is rarely accessible in our local community.
partner connections and effortless flow of Haiti’s beloved social dance.
This is a rare opportunity, as Konpa classes are not regularly offered in the Bay Area. Don't miss this opportunity
to experience the energy of Konpa firsthand!
This class invites you to connect with others, celebrate Haitian culture, and enjoy an authentic social dance experience that is rarely accessible in our local community.
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PERFORMANCE
Saturday, September 26
Sunday, September 27
"Cultivating Community, Celebrating Abundance"
The Finnish Hall | Berkeley
PRE-SALE TICKETS
RASANBLE! 2026
Guest Artists
Daniel Brav Brevil
RASANBLE! Lead Drummer + Haitian Drum Workshop
Daniel "Brav" Brevil was born into a drumming family. His father, Joseph Brevil, a respected community activist, houngan (Vodou priest), and accomplished drummer, was Daniel's first teacher and source of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration. As a young boy, Daniel would accompany his father to the all-night ceremonies in the Vodou temples of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where he was in much demand.
As a student, Daniel deepened his knowledge of Vodou, the religion of the Haitian people, and its drumming, dancing, and singing, as he attended Ecole Nationale des Arts, Haiti's premiere school of the arts. He is the former Musical Director of Artcho/Ayikodans Company and Tamboula, two of Haiti's premiere folkloric dance troupes, and Rara Tou Limen Haitian Dance Company, based in Oakland, Ca. Over the past 30 years, Daniel has worked to foster an understanding of Haiti, its traditions, and its distinct cultural expressions.
Daniel 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." Daniel was awarded a grant as master artist in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program, with apprentice Kendrick Freeman.
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.
As a student, Daniel deepened his knowledge of Vodou, the religion of the Haitian people, and its drumming, dancing, and singing, as he attended Ecole Nationale des Arts, Haiti's premiere school of the arts. He is the former Musical Director of Artcho/Ayikodans Company and Tamboula, two of Haiti's premiere folkloric dance troupes, and Rara Tou Limen Haitian Dance Company, based in Oakland, Ca. Over the past 30 years, Daniel has worked to foster an understanding of Haiti, its traditions, and its distinct cultural expressions.
Daniel 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." Daniel was awarded a grant as master artist in ACTA's Apprenticeship Program, with apprentice Kendrick Freeman.
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.
Regina "Califa" Calloway, MC
Founder, nzoCALIFAncestry™
"Steward Your History" is Regina "Califa" Calloway's motto and her mediumship — advanced through movement, mining the stories of our Ancestories. A Pro.Genealogist and Curatorial Director she has traced her lineages across West and Central Africa and the Caribbean since 1993, earning AfriGeneas scholarship as an inaugural member of the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute, in 2013.
Repertoire deep in African Dance Diaspora, she helmed the role of Executive Producer of 'Night of Tribute in Dance,' at the San Francisco International Arts Festival, pioneering 17 years as Associate Director for award-winning Grupo Carnavalesco, Fogo Na Roupa. Recognized as a sought-after keynote voice, she co-architected Sacramento's first Genealogy and Ancestral Healing retreat, presented twice for the African American Regional Educational Alliance, and co-hosted KOFY TV20's broadcast of the Carnaval San Francisco Grand Parade.
As Founder of nzoCALIFAncestry™, Ms. Calloway returns in tribute as Master of Ceremonies for Rasanble Haitian Arts and Cultural Festival, honoring its role as a vital portal and trailblazing legacy. ~Ayibobo
Ducarmel Sekou Desormeau
Traditional Haitian Folk Medicine, Lemba Healing Arts
Ducarmel Sekou Desormeau, LMT is a National Board Certified Licensed Massage Therapist with over ten years experience as a full time therapist. Ducarmel was inspired by his grandmother, Christianne Jean, who came from a long line of healers from Jacmel in the South of Haiti. He’s certified in Vedic Thai Bodywork, Medical Qigong, Neuromuscular Therapy, Cupping and Acupressure.
In 2000, Ducarmel began to practice the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira Angola. His love for movement and healing arts, led him to the study of Qigong and the development of the Lemba Movement healing system. It combines Qigong and Capoeira and his signature Lemba massage. He currently runs his own practice and travels the world sharing his talents.
Ducarmel will bring Traditional Haitian Folk Medicine to RASANBLE! Join his workshop, "Traditional Haitian Ritual of Relief: Lwil Maskreti & Sour Orange Therapy."
In 2000, Ducarmel began to practice the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira Angola. His love for movement and healing arts, led him to the study of Qigong and the development of the Lemba Movement healing system. It combines Qigong and Capoeira and his signature Lemba massage. He currently runs his own practice and travels the world sharing his talents.
Ducarmel will bring Traditional Haitian Folk Medicine to RASANBLE! Join his workshop, "Traditional Haitian Ritual of Relief: Lwil Maskreti & Sour Orange Therapy."
Nadia Dieudonné
Haitian Dance, Feet of Rhythm Haitian Dance Company
Nadia Dieudonné is a veteran traditional Haitian dancer, choreographer and a certified teacher for the New York City Department of Education. She received her MA in Dance Education from New York University and MA in TESOL from Grand Canon University.
Nadia is the founder of Feet of Rhythm Haitian Dance Company, which specializes, in Haitian folkloric dances. Mentored by Jean León Destiné, Haitian dance icon Nadia has worked along side him as a performer and assistant teacher. At the age of twelve she was performing with the well-known Haitian folk singer and activist Myriam Dorismé. Nadia is regarded as one of the best Banda dancers outside of Haiti. Her expertise comes out of her diligent study of the folkloric heritage of Haitian dance. She honed her skills by attending several Lakous (communities that preserve and practice specific Vodou ceremonies) in the countryside and in reputable dance schools with esteemed dancers/teachers in Port-au-Prince and New York.
Nadia has conducted adult master classes at many prestigious institutions such as New York University-NYC, City College-San Francisco, State University-San Francisco, Lincoln Center-NYC, Jacobs Pillow-MA (assistant to Jean-León Destiné), Lincoln Center Mid Summer Night Swing- NYC, The Katherine Dunham Dance Institute-NYC and Alvin Ailey NYC(as a substitute instructor).
As a performing artist Nadia has also danced with many acclaimed dance companies and musical bands that preserve various cultures from the African Diaspora such as Dinizulu African dancers, drummers and singers La Troupe Makandal, Charles Moore Dance Theater; Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Dance Ensemble, Forces of Nature, Tabou Combo; Rara Machine, Bolou Valcourt & Azor to name a few. In 1994, she was one of the principal dancers in the Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge Tour. Nadia’s vocation has allowed her to be commissioned to perform throughout the US and abroad: Canada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Holland, Japan and Trinidad.
Nadia is the founder of Feet of Rhythm Haitian Dance Company, which specializes, in Haitian folkloric dances. Mentored by Jean León Destiné, Haitian dance icon Nadia has worked along side him as a performer and assistant teacher. At the age of twelve she was performing with the well-known Haitian folk singer and activist Myriam Dorismé. Nadia is regarded as one of the best Banda dancers outside of Haiti. Her expertise comes out of her diligent study of the folkloric heritage of Haitian dance. She honed her skills by attending several Lakous (communities that preserve and practice specific Vodou ceremonies) in the countryside and in reputable dance schools with esteemed dancers/teachers in Port-au-Prince and New York.
Nadia has conducted adult master classes at many prestigious institutions such as New York University-NYC, City College-San Francisco, State University-San Francisco, Lincoln Center-NYC, Jacobs Pillow-MA (assistant to Jean-León Destiné), Lincoln Center Mid Summer Night Swing- NYC, The Katherine Dunham Dance Institute-NYC and Alvin Ailey NYC(as a substitute instructor).
As a performing artist Nadia has also danced with many acclaimed dance companies and musical bands that preserve various cultures from the African Diaspora such as Dinizulu African dancers, drummers and singers La Troupe Makandal, Charles Moore Dance Theater; Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Dance Ensemble, Forces of Nature, Tabou Combo; Rara Machine, Bolou Valcourt & Azor to name a few. In 1994, she was one of the principal dancers in the Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge Tour. Nadia’s vocation has allowed her to be commissioned to perform throughout the US and abroad: Canada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Holland, Japan and Trinidad.
Dr. Yanique Hume
Festival Presenter: "Dancing Many Spirit Nations: Konesans and the Work of Embodied Knowing in Haitian Vodou"
Dr. Yanique Hume is a choreographer, performer, priestess, and Associate Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. A former principal dancer with the Jamaican contemporary dance company L'ACADCO, she has created, performed, and taught across the Caribbean, the Americas, West Africa, and Europe, including presenting a commissioned choreography at the 15th Edition of the Dakar Biennale (2024). She is also a member of the Afro-Feminist Performance Routes Artist-Scholar Collective.
Her creative and scholarly practice is grounded in an understanding of the Caribbean as an integrated cultural and spiritual formation whose expressive and sacred life exceeds the colonial and linguistic boundaries imposed upon it. From within this perspective, she approaches Haitian dance and Vodou not as a detached observer but as a practitioner whose artistic, ritual, and analytical capacities have been cultivated through sustained participation in the traditions she studies, performs, and lives.
Dr. Hume is President of KOSANBA, the Scholarly Association for the Study of Haitian Vodou and African Diaspora Religions, and an initiated priestess across multiple Afro-Atlantic sacred traditions. At Rasanble, she invites audiences into a conversation about Haitian dance, konesans, and embodied knowledge, exploring what the dancing, sensing, ritually trained body knows—and why that knowledge cannot be fully accessed from outside the traditions that cultivate it. Her work positions performance as a living site through which Caribbean histories, spiritual knowledge, and cultural memory are embodied, transmitted, and continually remade.
Her creative and scholarly practice is grounded in an understanding of the Caribbean as an integrated cultural and spiritual formation whose expressive and sacred life exceeds the colonial and linguistic boundaries imposed upon it. From within this perspective, she approaches Haitian dance and Vodou not as a detached observer but as a practitioner whose artistic, ritual, and analytical capacities have been cultivated through sustained participation in the traditions she studies, performs, and lives.
Dr. Hume is President of KOSANBA, the Scholarly Association for the Study of Haitian Vodou and African Diaspora Religions, and an initiated priestess across multiple Afro-Atlantic sacred traditions. At Rasanble, she invites audiences into a conversation about Haitian dance, konesans, and embodied knowledge, exploring what the dancing, sensing, ritually trained body knows—and why that knowledge cannot be fully accessed from outside the traditions that cultivate it. Her work positions performance as a living site through which Caribbean histories, spiritual knowledge, and cultural memory are embodied, transmitted, and continually remade.
Pierre-Richard Leurbourg
Haitian Dance + Haitian Cuisine
Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Pierre-Richard Leurbourg began his dance career at the age of 10, under Haitian Folklore teacher, Peniel Guerrier. Pierre-Richard developed his talent and skills as a young dancer and studied many dance styles such as Jazz, Ballet, Modern, and Salsa.
At the age of 15, Pierre became a member of the Ballet Baccoulou Dance Company, Centre de Danse, and Tamboula Dance Company. In the 20 years with both Baccoulou Dance Company and Tamboula, Pierre-Richard traveled and performed in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan, Hungary, Miami, Canada, and New York. In Haiti, Pierre taught dance classes in Enarts and the Centre de Danse.
Since moving to New York in 2006, Pierre-Richard has performed in Kriye Bode and taught dance class at the Djoniba Dance and Drum Centre, Ailvin Ailey Extension, PMT Dance Studio, and the Ripley Grier Dance Studio. Dance is a major part of Pierre-Richards life and he continues to serve as an ambassador of Haitian Folklore dance.
At the age of 15, Pierre became a member of the Ballet Baccoulou Dance Company, Centre de Danse, and Tamboula Dance Company. In the 20 years with both Baccoulou Dance Company and Tamboula, Pierre-Richard traveled and performed in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan, Hungary, Miami, Canada, and New York. In Haiti, Pierre taught dance classes in Enarts and the Centre de Danse.
Since moving to New York in 2006, Pierre-Richard has performed in Kriye Bode and taught dance class at the Djoniba Dance and Drum Centre, Ailvin Ailey Extension, PMT Dance Studio, and the Ripley Grier Dance Studio. Dance is a major part of Pierre-Richards life and he continues to serve as an ambassador of Haitian Folklore dance.
Rivka Louissaint
Mixed Media + Art Installation
Rivka Valérie Louissaint is an Haitian cultural worker currently based in Oakland CA. Their practice includes mixed media visual work, writing, performance arts, as well as being an educator and a community organizer.
Louissaint is an MFA graduate of the UC Berkeley Art Practice Department, class of 202, was a 2022-24 Gerardo Marín Postdoctoral Fellow, and a 2025-2026 Artist in Residence at the University of San Francisco, CA where they currently teaches in the Art and Architecture Department .
Louissaint’s work has been exhibited at the Thacher Gallery, San Francisco; BAMPFA, Berkeley; SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco; the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; the Ortega y Gasset Projects, Brooklyn;the New York Academy of Art, New York; the Oliver Art Center, Oakland; and the Rosemary Duffy Larson Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They were a recipient of the Murphy Cadogan Award in 2021, one of the 2022 AXA Art Prize finalists, 2024 Visual Artist of the Year Honoree for the 6th Annual Haitian Creative Digital Awards, and a Fleishhacker Foundation 2026-20228 Eureka Fellowship nominee.
Louissaint is an MFA graduate of the UC Berkeley Art Practice Department, class of 202, was a 2022-24 Gerardo Marín Postdoctoral Fellow, and a 2025-2026 Artist in Residence at the University of San Francisco, CA where they currently teaches in the Art and Architecture Department .
Louissaint’s work has been exhibited at the Thacher Gallery, San Francisco; BAMPFA, Berkeley; SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco; the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; the Ortega y Gasset Projects, Brooklyn;the New York Academy of Art, New York; the Oliver Art Center, Oakland; and the Rosemary Duffy Larson Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They were a recipient of the Murphy Cadogan Award in 2021, one of the 2022 AXA Art Prize finalists, 2024 Visual Artist of the Year Honoree for the 6th Annual Haitian Creative Digital Awards, and a Fleishhacker Foundation 2026-20228 Eureka Fellowship nominee.
Manbo Maude + Sosyete Nago
Vodou Priestess, Mental Health Practitioner
Manbo Marie Maude Evans was born in Jacmel, Haiti, and moved to the United States in the early 1900s. She currently resides in Mattapan, Massachusetts, and makes the effort to return to Jacmel to continue her work during her vacations. She graduated from Lesley University with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling, and also obtained degrees in Economics and Fashion Design as well. She currently works as a health supervisor for CAAS Head Start in Somerville, a mental health clinician in the Greater Boston area.
A mother of three, she is a practicing Vodou Priestess who is a staple in her community, and a representative of Haitian Vodou across the United States. She has given presentations and conducted ceremonies at numerous colleges, including Harvard University, Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Vermont, Boston University, Duke University, and University of California Los Angeles. Alongside her presentations, she also performs rituals year-round in Boston and in Haiti, which include ceremonies, healing rituals, divinations, initiations, spiritual weddings, and spiritual healings. Manbo Maude is truly an iconic figure in Haitian Vodou, being able to overcome adversity and become an influential figure to uplift the name of Vodou not only in her direct community, but globally as well.
Sosyete Nago is an authentic house of Haitian Vodou, headquartered in Boston and Jacmel, Haiti. A diverse Vodou house, Sosyete Nago is dedicated to sharing the strength and beauty of our tradition with those who will reciprocate the respect and honesty that our elders and teachers have always insisted upon. We come together to honor the lwa and we welcome all who would join us, believing it is important not to discriminate. We come together and welcome others in Honor and in Respect!
A mother of three, she is a practicing Vodou Priestess who is a staple in her community, and a representative of Haitian Vodou across the United States. She has given presentations and conducted ceremonies at numerous colleges, including Harvard University, Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Vermont, Boston University, Duke University, and University of California Los Angeles. Alongside her presentations, she also performs rituals year-round in Boston and in Haiti, which include ceremonies, healing rituals, divinations, initiations, spiritual weddings, and spiritual healings. Manbo Maude is truly an iconic figure in Haitian Vodou, being able to overcome adversity and become an influential figure to uplift the name of Vodou not only in her direct community, but globally as well.
Sosyete Nago is an authentic house of Haitian Vodou, headquartered in Boston and Jacmel, Haiti. A diverse Vodou house, Sosyete Nago is dedicated to sharing the strength and beauty of our tradition with those who will reciprocate the respect and honesty that our elders and teachers have always insisted upon. We come together to honor the lwa and we welcome all who would join us, believing it is important not to discriminate. We come together and welcome others in Honor and in Respect!
Robenson Mathurin
Haitian Dance + Konpa, NANM Dance Company
Robenson is a New York-based dance artist performing, choreographing, and teaching Haitian Folklore, Konpa, Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, and Afro-based dance styles. His professional dance career began in 2012 as a principal dancer in the international Compagnie de Danse Jean Rene Delsoin, based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, through which he has toured in the USA, Trinidad, and Taiwan. In 2017, he created the platform "Robenson Dance & Fitness" to support better health and dance training in Haiti and abroad. he created the course “Rabòday Fit” taught regularly at Fit4Dance studios in Brooklyn. Mathurin has worked with US-based companies including but not limited to Jean Appolon Expressions and Alison Cook Beaty Dance Company. He is also worked with Sidrabelldance and Derek Fordjour. He continues to expand his choreographic portfolio and training through local and international teaching opportunities and residencies including the Mark Morris Teaching Artist Training Program and dance studies at The Taylor School. Robenson is the Founding Artistic Director of NANM, A Robenson Mathurin Dance Company.
Houngan Alain Pierre-Louis
Vodou Song Workshop
Pa Pou Suiv Bon Hougan (Alain Pierre-Louis) is a Haitian American marine biologist and initiated Vodou priest (Hougan) whose work bridges spirituality, ecology, and cultural preservation. Initiated through Sosyete Nap Rive in Haiti, he emphasizes Vodou as an embodied, community-based praxis rooted in Afro-diasporic resilience. He holds a master’s degree in marine biology and is based in Los Angeles, California, where he also engages in environmental education and aquarium science.
As co-founder of Lakou Ti Ayiti in Miami, he facilitates public discourse and pedagogy on Vodou philosophy and ritual. Through his work and lived experience, he helps people see Vodou as a tradition of healing, strength, and cultural preservation. Hougan Alain owns Osiris Crystals, a boutique specializing in the beauty and symbolism of crystals, as well as ritual tools and thoughtfully curated resources for personal growth and connection.
As co-founder of Lakou Ti Ayiti in Miami, he facilitates public discourse and pedagogy on Vodou philosophy and ritual. Through his work and lived experience, he helps people see Vodou as a tradition of healing, strength, and cultural preservation. Hougan Alain owns Osiris Crystals, a boutique specializing in the beauty and symbolism of crystals, as well as ritual tools and thoughtfully curated resources for personal growth and connection.
Rose-Stella Pierre-Louis
Festival Presenter: "Vodou & The Vagus Nerve: The Neurobiology of Ancestral Healing & Liberation"
Rose-Stella Pierre-Louis is a multi-lingual Haitian-American occupational therapist, author, transformation speaker, and founder of Stellar Transformation®, LLC. Her exclusive signature program, the Stellar Transformation® Experience, offers a unique and proven approach that supports first generation women in overcoming burnout, so they can shift into a lifestyle that is balanced, joyful, and aligned with their purpose.
Rose-Stella has helped hundreds of women around the world transform their lives, by accessing, integrating, and embodying their worth and wisdom. Her first-hand experience of the weight of cultural and societal expectations on first-generation women, including being a high-achieving professional, burnout, motherhood, marriage, divorce, and end-of-life planning for parents, enables her to provide authentic compassion and care.
Rose-Stella is a keynote speaker at the Redwood Empire Chapter of the California Association for the Education of Young Children, speaker at the United Nations Summit for the Future Haitian Summit, California Forum for Professional Development conferences, Beyond Healthy Living to Wellness summit, and has guest-lectured at Sacramento State University, Los Rios Community College, and the Episcopal University of Sciences de Réhabilitation de Léogâne in Haiti. She has been a panelist for a variety of events including the World Occupational Therapy Day summit.
Rose-Stella lives in California where she enjoys making memorable moments with her children and being the resident DJ in her living room.
Rose-Stella has helped hundreds of women around the world transform their lives, by accessing, integrating, and embodying their worth and wisdom. Her first-hand experience of the weight of cultural and societal expectations on first-generation women, including being a high-achieving professional, burnout, motherhood, marriage, divorce, and end-of-life planning for parents, enables her to provide authentic compassion and care.
Rose-Stella is a keynote speaker at the Redwood Empire Chapter of the California Association for the Education of Young Children, speaker at the United Nations Summit for the Future Haitian Summit, California Forum for Professional Development conferences, Beyond Healthy Living to Wellness summit, and has guest-lectured at Sacramento State University, Los Rios Community College, and the Episcopal University of Sciences de Réhabilitation de Léogâne in Haiti. She has been a panelist for a variety of events including the World Occupational Therapy Day summit.
Rose-Stella lives in California where she enjoys making memorable moments with her children and being the resident DJ in her living room.
Rara Tou Limen Haitian Dance Company
Performance: Zanset Ibo/Nago
Accompanied by dancers, vocalists and celebrated musicians, the company brings to the stage a wide spectrum of diverse Haitian dance forms, from vibrant rituals of Vodou, the turbulent legacy of political struggle, to the celebratory and festive dances of Carnival, Rara Tou Limen is at the cutting edge of the evolution of Haitian dance and music in the Bay Area. The use of traditional rhythms, chants and movement integrates the grace, strength, fluidity and precision of Haitian folkloric dance.
Established in 2004 by Artistic Director Portsha Terae Jefferson, Rara Tou Limen has continually offered Bay Area residents, as well as people from all over the United States, the opportunity to experience Haitian music, dance and culture through classes, workshops, performances and educational events in both the United States and in Haiti. Our mission is to educate audiences about the richness of Haitian culture through artistic expression, while building and enhancing working relationships with other Haitian cultural groups in the U.S. and Haiti. The company is carrying on the long legacy of creating strength and solidarity within the Haitian community, while actively raising awareness (and funds) for Haitian organizations.
Our objective is to help nurture and grow Haitian dance and musical traditions in the Bay Area. The company is committed to showcasing the best of folkloric dance and music, which carries in it the stories, struggles, and spirit of the first free Black Republic in the world. Rara Tou Limen continues to uplift a country whose culture has increasingly sustained the Bay Area's artistic community and beyond.
In celebration of Rara Tou Limen’s 10th Anniversary, the dance & music ensemble traveled to Haiti (August 2014) for a two week adventure! Company members participated in folkloric dance workshops at Ecole Nationale des Arts (ENARTS) with celebrated instructors, and visited natural and historical landmarks to investigate and research Haitian cultural traditions. In addition, RTL presented their full-length artistic offering, Limyè pou Ayiti... Lavi Kontinyè! In 2016, the company traveled to Montreal, Canada to perform in TWA, an artistic collaboration with celebrated Haitian dance companies, Mapou Ginen and Sole Danse Traditionnelle Moderne, celebrating the 225th anniversary of Bwa Kayiman. in 2017, Rara Tou Limen embarked on a cultural exchange to Havana, Cuba to participate in a dance intensive program that focused on technical training in Afro Cuban dance styles, Yoruba/Lucumí traditions and Cuban-Haitian traditions. In 2018, company participants traveled to New Orleans to research Street Festivals and Performance, and the cross-cultural influences of Second Lines in NOLA and Rara Bands in Haiti. Vodou Voyages to Benin West Africa (2019, 2023) provided the company access to train, research, and study Beninese sacred dances & musical traditions to deepen knowledge and understanding of Vodoun traditions, as they relate to Haitian Vodou.
Established in 2004 by Artistic Director Portsha Terae Jefferson, Rara Tou Limen has continually offered Bay Area residents, as well as people from all over the United States, the opportunity to experience Haitian music, dance and culture through classes, workshops, performances and educational events in both the United States and in Haiti. Our mission is to educate audiences about the richness of Haitian culture through artistic expression, while building and enhancing working relationships with other Haitian cultural groups in the U.S. and Haiti. The company is carrying on the long legacy of creating strength and solidarity within the Haitian community, while actively raising awareness (and funds) for Haitian organizations.
Our objective is to help nurture and grow Haitian dance and musical traditions in the Bay Area. The company is committed to showcasing the best of folkloric dance and music, which carries in it the stories, struggles, and spirit of the first free Black Republic in the world. Rara Tou Limen continues to uplift a country whose culture has increasingly sustained the Bay Area's artistic community and beyond.
In celebration of Rara Tou Limen’s 10th Anniversary, the dance & music ensemble traveled to Haiti (August 2014) for a two week adventure! Company members participated in folkloric dance workshops at Ecole Nationale des Arts (ENARTS) with celebrated instructors, and visited natural and historical landmarks to investigate and research Haitian cultural traditions. In addition, RTL presented their full-length artistic offering, Limyè pou Ayiti... Lavi Kontinyè! In 2016, the company traveled to Montreal, Canada to perform in TWA, an artistic collaboration with celebrated Haitian dance companies, Mapou Ginen and Sole Danse Traditionnelle Moderne, celebrating the 225th anniversary of Bwa Kayiman. in 2017, Rara Tou Limen embarked on a cultural exchange to Havana, Cuba to participate in a dance intensive program that focused on technical training in Afro Cuban dance styles, Yoruba/Lucumí traditions and Cuban-Haitian traditions. In 2018, company participants traveled to New Orleans to research Street Festivals and Performance, and the cross-cultural influences of Second Lines in NOLA and Rara Bands in Haiti. Vodou Voyages to Benin West Africa (2019, 2023) provided the company access to train, research, and study Beninese sacred dances & musical traditions to deepen knowledge and understanding of Vodoun traditions, as they relate to Haitian Vodou.
Idrissa Simmonds-Nastili
Novelist, Essayist, Poet
Festival Presenter: "Living Lineage: Unlocking Ancestral Power In Your Creative Process"
Idrissa Simmonds-Nastili is a Haitian-American, Jamaican-Canadian poet, novelist, and essayist. Recipient of the Crab Creek Review Poetry Prize, she has been a finalist for the Commonwealth Short Story Award and a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant in poetry. Her work has most recently appeared in Vogue.com, Literary Hub, WIRED Magazine, Black Renaissance Noire, Fourteen Hills Press, Room Magazine, Adirondack Review, Oprah Magazine, Adi Magazine, and elsewhere. She has been the recipient of fellowships and residencies from Hedgebrook, Bread Loaf Writers Conference, Poets House, and VONA/Voices. She is co-editor of BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic (Haymarket Books). She curates Brunch & Word, a bi-coastal literary salon. She holds an MFA in fiction from Warren Wilson College’s Program for Writers. Her debut novel, Backstitch, has been described as a novel of “extraordinary tenderness” and a “tremendous feat” that intertwines history and memory, revolution and pride, hauntings and haints. Backstitch will be published by Flatiron Books in the US and Pan Macmillian in the UK in early 2027.
Book Title: Backstitch https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250422729/backstitch/
Book description:
From a powerful new voice in fiction comes a stunning multigenerational epic, spanning from 1920s Haiti to 1990s New York, centered on the disappearance of a little girl from Brooklyn's J'ouvert celebrations
Brooklyn, 1998. Serenity Marcelin and her six-year-old daughter, Jouvay, have spent the summer reeling from an unexpected, devastating loss. Just when the two of them are beginning to find solace within their new family dynamic, Jouvay disappears into a crowd over Labor Day weekend and Serenity’s entire world changes in an instant.
In order to understand the events leading to Jouvay’s sudden disappearance, Serenity must unearth the long-buried secrets—and ghosts—of her family’s shocking past.
Told through the eyes of the unforgettable Marcelin women and the people closest to them, Idrissa Simmonds-Nastili's Backstitch embroiders a profound tale of hope and resistance, maneuvering readers from the city of Jérémie during the years of the US occupation of Haiti to the vibrant streets of New York. A sweeping story of motherhood, sisterhood, resistance, generational trauma, and liberation, this novel charts the lives of the ghosts, secrets, and languages we can’t escape from—even when we try to bury them.
Book Title: Backstitch https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250422729/backstitch/
Book description:
From a powerful new voice in fiction comes a stunning multigenerational epic, spanning from 1920s Haiti to 1990s New York, centered on the disappearance of a little girl from Brooklyn's J'ouvert celebrations
Brooklyn, 1998. Serenity Marcelin and her six-year-old daughter, Jouvay, have spent the summer reeling from an unexpected, devastating loss. Just when the two of them are beginning to find solace within their new family dynamic, Jouvay disappears into a crowd over Labor Day weekend and Serenity’s entire world changes in an instant.
In order to understand the events leading to Jouvay’s sudden disappearance, Serenity must unearth the long-buried secrets—and ghosts—of her family’s shocking past.
Told through the eyes of the unforgettable Marcelin women and the people closest to them, Idrissa Simmonds-Nastili's Backstitch embroiders a profound tale of hope and resistance, maneuvering readers from the city of Jérémie during the years of the US occupation of Haiti to the vibrant streets of New York. A sweeping story of motherhood, sisterhood, resistance, generational trauma, and liberation, this novel charts the lives of the ghosts, secrets, and languages we can’t escape from—even when we try to bury them.
Portsha T. Jefferson
(Zetwal Ashade Bon Manbo)
Founder & Producer, RASANBLE! Haitian Arts & Culture Festival
Portsha Terae Jefferson has a 25 year history of performance, choreography, research & travel passionately rooted in African/Caribbean dance, drumming and spiritual traditions. Hailing from a blazed Dance trek, her Dancestory is truly emblazoned by that of Ancestral commission. She began her formal training at the age of six at the Marsha Woody Dance Academy in Beaumont, Texas. Often nurtured by Bay Area Dance luminaries Lynn Coles and Blanche Brown to name a few, to Haitian Dance Masters such as Pioneer Vivianne Gauthier, Cadet Jean Evens, Metayer Frantz, Ramses Pierre, and Emmanuel Louis, with consistent training at Ecole Nationale de Artes [ENARTS], transcended through the establishment of Rara Tou Limen Haitian Performing Company in 2004, Oakland, California.
Ms. Jefferson was a principal dancer and vocalist with Group Petit La Croix (1996–2003) under the direction of veteran dancer and educator Blanche Brown. Throughout her career, she has had the honor of performing with acclaimed companies and collectives including Reconnect, Ase Dance Theater Collective, Feet of Rhythm, El Wah Movement, and
The Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble.
Her international performance experience includes appearances in Haiti with Compagnie Culturelle Des Arts and Ayiti Dans Ansanm (ADA). She has also been featured as a guest artist with Afro-Cuban ensembles, including EMESE: Messengers of the African Diaspora, and has performed alongside master artist Jose Francisco Barroso and Obakoso, further reflecting her commitment to honoring and preserving African Diasporic dance traditions.
As a cultural practitioner and visionary, Ms. Jefferson'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. Specific interest and concentration of study took place in Gonaives at Lakou Badjo, where Nago (Yoruba) traditions are preserved, and at Tanp Souvenance Mistik, a Vodou community that celebrates it's Rada (ancient kingdom of Dahomey) heritage. Ms.Jefferson's visionary Artistic leadership and RTL Company's unforgettable presentations, classes, workshops, festivals and retreats, have garnered her the attention as respected colleague and established cultural gatekeeper, forging new trailways through ancient traditions -- staying true to the sojourn carving pathways for many to flourish crossing boundaries and dimensions in the Dance.
Ms. Jefferson has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of California, Berkeley and with the Conservatory for Contemporary Dance Arts, and as an artist-in-residence across Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, and San Francisco Unified School Districts. A passionate advocate for education and youth development, she has contributed to numerous arts education initiatives including The Young Performers Theater, The San Francisco Arts Education Project, Westlake School of the Arts, Opera
Picolla, DanceVersity, Swivel Arts, and Music In Schools Today (MUST), and has shared her work at colleges, universities, and studios including Stanford, Miami Dade College - Kendall, UC Santa Cruz, Sacramento State, Dance Mission Theater and the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts. She also serves as a Cultural Arts Specialist with Oakland Parks and Recreation.
She has presented at the Black Sacred Arts Conference at Yale University, KOSANBA Conference in Miami, and the Rex Nettleford Conference in Kingston, Jamaica. Her teaching spans internationally, including the University of Panama, while her embodied practice has led her to Cuba, and Jamaica, where she has shared Haitian dance within community and cultural spaces. Her work is further enriched by ongoing cultural exchange and research in Haiti, Cuba, and most recently, Benin and Togo.
Ms. Jefferson’s artistic and educational work has been supported by grants and awards including: Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), AKONADI Foundation, American Folklore Society, FOKAL - Fondasyon Konesans Ak Libète, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Theatre Bay Area - CA$H Grant, and The Eastbay Community Foundation.
Ms. Jefferson was a principal dancer and vocalist with Group Petit La Croix (1996–2003) under the direction of veteran dancer and educator Blanche Brown. Throughout her career, she has had the honor of performing with acclaimed companies and collectives including Reconnect, Ase Dance Theater Collective, Feet of Rhythm, El Wah Movement, and
The Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble.
Her international performance experience includes appearances in Haiti with Compagnie Culturelle Des Arts and Ayiti Dans Ansanm (ADA). She has also been featured as a guest artist with Afro-Cuban ensembles, including EMESE: Messengers of the African Diaspora, and has performed alongside master artist Jose Francisco Barroso and Obakoso, further reflecting her commitment to honoring and preserving African Diasporic dance traditions.
As a cultural practitioner and visionary, Ms. Jefferson'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. Specific interest and concentration of study took place in Gonaives at Lakou Badjo, where Nago (Yoruba) traditions are preserved, and at Tanp Souvenance Mistik, a Vodou community that celebrates it's Rada (ancient kingdom of Dahomey) heritage. Ms.Jefferson's visionary Artistic leadership and RTL Company's unforgettable presentations, classes, workshops, festivals and retreats, have garnered her the attention as respected colleague and established cultural gatekeeper, forging new trailways through ancient traditions -- staying true to the sojourn carving pathways for many to flourish crossing boundaries and dimensions in the Dance.
Ms. Jefferson has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of California, Berkeley and with the Conservatory for Contemporary Dance Arts, and as an artist-in-residence across Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, and San Francisco Unified School Districts. A passionate advocate for education and youth development, she has contributed to numerous arts education initiatives including The Young Performers Theater, The San Francisco Arts Education Project, Westlake School of the Arts, Opera
Picolla, DanceVersity, Swivel Arts, and Music In Schools Today (MUST), and has shared her work at colleges, universities, and studios including Stanford, Miami Dade College - Kendall, UC Santa Cruz, Sacramento State, Dance Mission Theater and the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts. She also serves as a Cultural Arts Specialist with Oakland Parks and Recreation.
She has presented at the Black Sacred Arts Conference at Yale University, KOSANBA Conference in Miami, and the Rex Nettleford Conference in Kingston, Jamaica. Her teaching spans internationally, including the University of Panama, while her embodied practice has led her to Cuba, and Jamaica, where she has shared Haitian dance within community and cultural spaces. Her work is further enriched by ongoing cultural exchange and research in Haiti, Cuba, and most recently, Benin and Togo.
Ms. Jefferson’s artistic and educational work has been supported by grants and awards including: Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), AKONADI Foundation, American Folklore Society, FOKAL - Fondasyon Konesans Ak Libète, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Theatre Bay Area - CA$H Grant, and The Eastbay Community Foundation.
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