Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month

Dear Friends:

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed during May to recognize the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans on the history, culture and life of the United States. AAPI folks are highly diverse, having their origins from many different countries, each with their own cultures, languages and traditions.

Take time during May to learn about these bountiful cultures and also to act in solidarity with communities which have been targets of violence and marginalization over many years.

In Solidarity,

Andy Mager
SCW Coordinator

My favorite SCW poster hangs on my living room wall a woman dancing in a red dress, it reads And she is going to dance, dance hungry, dance full, dance each cold astonishing moment, now when she is young and again when she is old.

I came to dance later in my life, and never thought that I was a dancer or that dance was for me. I believed so many limiting messages from my early life only some people could dance people with certain kinds of bodies or a lot of agility. I believed that dancing had to look a certain way, and that dancing without extensive training would lead to being mocked or criticized.

But my work as a social justice activist brought me to dance, particularly to Let Your Yoga Dance (LYYD) ; I experienced amazing freedom and great joy dancing in a setting that was accepting and inclusive. I realized I was a dancer and that everyone could participate in dance in some way. I took LYYD teacher training and began leading dance and movement classes for all kinds of people: young, aging, disabled, folks who were told they were dangerous or embarrassing on the dance floor. And it became clear to me that dancing is our birthright. I realized that to deny anyone the joys and liberation of moving to music was a form of exclusion, of marginalization.

People dance in millions of ways there seem to be no limit to the ways our bodies can move, even if those are done from a chair or without having full mobility. And every culture has their own dances, their own music. To dance with others even if we dont speak to them directly enriches our lives and our knowledge of the world.

So, celebrate International Dance Day by turning on some music and moving. If you are shy, dance by yourself. Dance with your puppy. As you become bolder, dance with others. It will keep you happy and healthy. Dance away!

Mara Sapon-Shevin
Professor of Education, Syracuse University, and activist