The ultimate post of this week is dedicated to a group of Black dancers who have a mission. They take photos or have their photos taken by various photographers either as candid shots or doing dance performances. Every time I see a new image I am bowled over by what people can do with their bodies.

As described in the attached article their political goals will resonate – they want to combat stereotypes that lead to being targets for violence at all levels of society. But independent of showing off the skills and raw talent, there is such joy attached to their movements that it makes me forget, for some minutes, the ugliness that permeates our political and social world. (Photos are from their FB site or the article below.)

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-boys-dance-too_us_5ad6337ae4b077c89ced4c19

My dance photographs are from a workshop that the Dutch group arch8 offered last month here in PDX, in connection with a performance of their piece Tetris.

http://www.arch8.nl/en/

The workshop invited children and their parents to explore different forms of movement. I captured in today’s images some of the tender demonstrations of the Dutch performers so at ease with each other.

Below is choreographer Erik Kaiel, a Portland native, explaining how his ballets draw children in and spark their imagination.

Makes me want to dance, too!