Limited Class
Donation – $7-25

A high-energy dance class with a cultural experience that blends Caribbean dancing with African dance technique. Soca dance draws from the Caribbean movements from the West Indies derived from Africa, isolating the body to compliment the rhythm and the bass of the music. This class starts with a stretching session to Calypso music then progresses into the explanation and practice of foundational Afro Caribbean dance steps and movement then followed with occasional choreography. This is an open-level class suitable for all age groups and learning abilities.

Persephone DaCosta is the founder, artistic director and choreographer for Batingua Arts. DaCosta’s family heritage comes from Trinidad. As dancing is in her blood, her training began at the early age of six. She attended the South East Queens House of music where she studied Ballet, Tap and Jazz. This small community arts school planted the seed and set the foundation of performing arts for DaCosta. 

In DaCosta's freshman year in college at Stony Brook University where  she was introduced to traditional African Dance. She began studying dance more seriously by performing in Stony Brook's Staller Center dance showcases. She completed her masters degree with a focus on "Community Development through the Arts." As DaCosta began to emerge in the arts, others began to notice her talents – her quick grasp of steps, rhythm and performance technique. 

DaCosta began training with renown Ivorian master dancer and drummer Vado Diamonde and danced for his company Kotchegna. Later she joined Bambara Dance and Drum Company and Mikerline’s Haitian Folklore Dance Company. DaCosta has traveled near and far with these companies and performed in many prestigious places. In 2007, DaCosta decided to take her passion for dance and love for youth and combine them by becoming a dance teacher for the Board of Education. She is a certified dance teacher and works at Metropolitan Corporate Academy in downtown Brooklyn, and is preserving, educating and celebrating Afro Caribbean culture through Batingua Arts.