Afro Latin Dance Party

Door at 8:00PM All Levels Afro Latin Dance Class with Karma Smart at 8:30PM Show at 9:30PM Celebrate Women's Month with Razteria and Karma Smart! Join us for this Afro-Latin Dance Party starting off with a dance lesson with Karma Smart, followed by a live band performance by Razteria. And a special performance by Bolivia Corazon de America! A dance group that focuses on Bolivia’s rich culture through dance to showcase its wide variety of styles and customs! Edu Bega - latin pop artist from the DR will be joining on vocals! And January the Artist will be doing a surprise choreography to close out the evening! Razteria creates eclectic multilingual pop music with vocals reminiscent of Sade and a latin vibe of Shakira. She collaborates with artists and musicians from the SF Bay Area and around the world. Razteria’s musical evolution can be appreciated through her catalog of independent music dating back to 2005. Razteria is releasing a single per month in 2024 leading up to a full album release in the fall of 2024. Razteria’s 2023 latin alternative album Tocar las Estrellas was co-written and produced by SF Bay area musician-producer Dave Shul. It is her first full length album in Spanish as she delves closer to her Bolivian roots, where her father is from. Razteria’s band includes Dave Shul (guitar), Waddell Bell (bass), Raleigh Neal (keys), Ronnie Smith (drums), and Roberto Quintana (percussion). Razteria’s band includes Dave Shul (guitar), Waddell Bell (bass), Raleigh Neal (keys), Ronnie Smith (drums), and Roberto Quintana (percussion). Noteworthy past live performances include Golden Gate Bandshell, OaktoberFest, MusikFest, Reggae on the River, Montreal Jazz Festival, World One Festival, WorldFest Los Angeles, Northwest World Reggae Festival. Razteria has released 8 albums from 2005 through 2023. Notable songwriting awards include “Once Again” (Grand Prize, JLSC 2016), “Baila” (ISC semi-finalist 2019) and “Inspire me” (ISC finalist 2020). For more information visit: https://razteria.com KARMA SMART Karma Smart’s passion for dance began in 1996, particularly, dances of the African Diaspora. Soon after beginning the study of West African dance in Hawai’i she began to perform at public events. While living in Hawai’i she studied and performed West African, Afro-Brazilian, Congolese, jazz, Haitian and hip-hop dance styles. In Hawai’I she helped form the dance company of Sankofa based on the Big Island with whom she performed at schools, museums, and events on Maui and Oahu and the Big Island while completing a degree in Cultural Anthropology in 2000. In 2002, in order to expand her learning opportunities as a dancer and to attend graduate school, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. A few months after arriving she was invited to join the long standing Congolese dance company, Fua Dia Congo of which she was a member for three years. After graduating from the California Institute of Integral Studies she was presented with the opportunity to teach West African and Congolese dance while in an internship in Brazil. Currently, and for the last fourteen years she has consistently focused on studying Afro-Brazilian dance. In addition, in April of 2013 she was asked to collaborate in forming a new Congolese dance company by the young visionary choreographer, Vivien Bassoumina. It is Karma’s life passion to share her experience of personal healing and liberation through music and dance. Karma currently teaches adults, teens and children of all ages dance at various community organizations, dance studios, wellness centers, fitness centers and schools. She has recently performed as a company member with Omi Tutu Dance Collective. In addition to dancing for Damasceno Dance Collective for the 15th Anniversary and Yemanja Festival. As well as dancing as a guest artist with Maracatu Pacifico for the annual Cuba Caribe Festival in March of 2017. Karma also enjoys performing in the SF Carnaval Parade and other local celebrations annually. In Dec of 2019 she acted, danced and choreographed for Kola: An Afro-Diasporic Remix of the Nutcracker, a production of The People’s Conservatory. Most recently, she performed in the Yemanja Festival with the Damasceno Dance Collective at BrasArte in February 2022. Currently, Karma teaches dance classes for adults called World Dance Workout at Cedar Rose Park, where she incorporates the dance styles of the African diaspora from West African, Congolese, to Afro-Beats and samba to name a few. In addition, for the last ten years she has taught as a guest dance teacher at St. Mary’s College High School as well as taught a variety of movement arts from gymnastics, circus arts, yoga and kung fu and more for Fitness In Transit, at various schools and camps. Teaching children movement arts is her passion and inspires her daily. And a special performance by Bolivia Corazon de America! A dance group that focuses on Bolivia’s rich culture through dance to showcase its wide variety of styles and customs!