Spurlock Museum is hosting a dance workout event with Arnol Guity-Martinez, a Garifuna-American dancer and founder of GarifunaRobics. On Thursday, October 28th at 6 p.m., you can learn a little about Garifuna culture, then learn some basic steps of Punta, the most popular style of Garifuna music and dance. A little background on the Garifuna:
The Garifuna are descendants of the African and Indigenous people who lived in the island nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In 1797, after over a century of resisting British colonizing efforts, the Garifuna were exiled to the island of Roatan, directly north of mainland Honduras. Today, most Garifuna live along the coasts of Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize with several smaller communities found across the U.S.
The Garifuna have maintained some of their ancestral food and language and more notably, the exceptional storytelling found in their music and dance traditions. The Garifuna use music and dance to celebrate and explain their daily lives and struggles. They also honor their culture and ancestors through music and dance.
Top photo from Spurlock Museum of World Cultures Facebook page.
