It all began with a Vision Board. One that I had created with friends while sitting by a fire, eating black eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day 2011. We cut up images, letters, words, and feelings; pasting these visual cultivations onto a piece of cardboard each theme balancing another one out. I looked at it every day for an entire year and I dare say 90% of my collage visions have come to light.  This year we’ll be bringing in clarity and cultivating our intentions at the Psychic Happy Hour and Vision Board Making Potluck on New Year’s Day 2012.

Honestly, I had no idea where 2011 would truly take me and Sol Vida, but boy did we get on the train and go, go, go! Our new home at 4926 E. Colfax was acquired on March 17, 2011 and from there on, so many wonderful things that were even better than my own possibility unfolded. I would love to list the top 100 great things that happened over here this year, but instead I’ll be semi- clever and spare you with my

TOP 11 FOR 2-K-11 in chronological order:

1. SOL VIDA MAKING ITS OWN HOME! And…creating the  Vida Vlogumentary while doing it!
   
2. Festival de Vida II came into fruition with the wonderful backdrop of the green screen studios at Manmade Media.
3. Camp Dulce Vida was born thanks to an amazing collaboration with one-of-the-best-yoginis-I-know,  Ms. Allyson Levine of Yoga Dulce.
4. Tribal Tots Hip Hop Camp! Word.
5. Ohhh, the Youth Tribe Intensive was so amazing. We had the most beautiful and lovely young ladies who got to study five different styles of movement for five days that concluded with an informance. Most memorable was our re-adaptation of Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Que Magnifique!
6. WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! HIP HOP! was off the hook and the “WOW!” (Weekend of Workshops) series was born! We had the best guest artists a new studio owner could ever, ever ask for: DeAndre’ Carroll, Charles White, Jared Peters, Daymeon Rembert  and yours truly. We are doing this one again 2K12 BABY! BABY!
7. THE OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING/BLESSING OF SOL VIDA THE SPACE ON AUGUST 13, 2011.
8. Sol Vida Youth Dance Program launches off in September with the introduction of our first ever, strictly Hip Hop class, which attracted the most ‘boys’ we’ve ever had in the studio! We also welcomed new members into the YTC, and added a 3-4 year old Tribal Tots class. We had so much fun dancing to all kinds of music!
9. WINTER WOW! was a blessed day with the teachings of Sameh Spano doing Bharata natayam, Tobya Negash with her spiraling, healing meditation, Pallavi Salvi had us all dancing together to “Jai Ho,” and Ms. “Gab Rock” Rojas gave us an attunement through the body of Afro-Fusion.
10. Our Annual Give-Back-to-the-Community Performance at Oleta Crain Enrichment Academy (OCEA), where we got to show off dances like Time After Time, Put the Body in Motion, and Ochosi all while supporting  The Center’s Rainbow Alley Program and Greenpeace.
11. And if it wasn’t for Unwind + Grind with a wine-luck on a Friday night, some of us may not be sane. Thank you U+G’ers you make it happen and you make it real. Serious Sisterhood Thanks.

Positive Thought + Action = An Amazing Vida!

I do believe I will always look back at 2K11 fondly for it has marked the beginning of my eternity–really, of my lifetime’s work. This is only the Beginning. May 2012 amaze us with greatness beyond belief.

One love everyone. Dance, okay? Dance!

Axé

P.S. The super plus, was that my neighborhood newspaper did a feature article on me and just about a week ago, I was notified that I will be given the Metropolitan State College of Denver’s StateMent Maker Award! Woah! A big, great year indeed! Thank you everything and everybody!