Seyla Rodriguez hated me and I was determined to make her love me. It was 1989 and I had brought back from El Norte (the USA) Barbie Dolls for Marina Lorenzo and Yeni Chavarìn, but not one for Seyla. She hated me for that.

And in my 5th grade class, Seyla had power: If anyone made even a peep or looked out the window for a second too long, Seyla would write your name on a list. If you did a combination of these acts throughout the day, Seyla would put a tab next to your name. At the end of the day, Maestra Esmeralda would call those on the dreaded list to the front of the classroom and beat us as many times as our account tab indicated. My tab became enormous after that fated Christmas when I didn’t bring Seyla a Barbie doll. It got so bad that I began to stuff my chones or undies with neatly folded t-shirts! My marine-blue uniform skirts became longer to protect the tender place behind my bare knees.

Seyla started to love me when I choreographed my first dance performance later that year in the 5th grade. I had convinced Maestra Esmeralda by giving her a pre-view of the dance routine that I had been working on to let me perform at the Mother’s Day Fiesta (a BIG deal where the entire pueblo of Yelapa would come and watch floclorico dances and plays that the school kids put on). My routine included me lip-sinking to a really popular blond-Mexican pop star from the 80′s named simply, “Yuri”. I explained to Maestra Esmeralda that I would need exactly 2 back-up dancers for my choreography and that I for sure wanted Seyla Rodriguez to be one of my dancers!

Our performance was such a hit that people in Yelapa STILL talk about it today, some 20 years later. I gave Seyla and the other dancer, Jenny, really awesome moves. But I made sure to highlight Seyla for a few solo dance spots. Needless to say, I no longer had to fold t-shirts in my chones and I switched back to the cuter short uniform skirts that displayed my legs the very best. (cont. below…)

Here is Seyla, on the left of me, and Jenny on my right. We rocked Yelapa in 1989 for real.

I have choreographed countless dances since that Peace-Making performance in the 5th grade. I learned early on that if I honor my enemies, perhaps they will love me at the end of the day.

I dance for medicine. I dance for peace. I dance to pray. I dance for Seyla, I dance for the Migrants crossing the border tonight, I dance for my people in Conakry, West Africa. I dance for my old dog Guapo and I dance for the River in El Tuito. I dance for the man who shares home with me. I dance authentically for me, sometimes by the sea, sometimes wearing blue. I most certainly always dance for you.

This last weekend I had the deep honor of photographing my Walking-Artist-Dancer-Brother named Nature. I love his Authentic message so deeply. He lives his waking dream and he is Divinely walking the path of Love and Light and Beauty.