Ongoing
Omulu Capoeira Guanabara
Our student organization is a collection of students from diverse backgrounds that learn and practice the Afro-Brazilian art of Capoeira. Capoeira is an art that combines martial arts, dance, and culture, and provides an environment for people to develop themselves physically as well as mentally and emotionally.
Omulu Capoeira Guanabara is an international partnership that has two headquarters. One is based in the United States, in directed by world-renowned Mestre Preguiça, a student of the famed Mestre Bimba. The other headquarters is based in Sweden, led by Mestre Di Mola. The two function as one, and provide one of the world's largest networks of affiliated capoeira academies, with branches in Brazil, the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Venezuela, Mexico, and Japan.
Many new students often want to know what to expect during their first class. Our classes our geared towards students of all training and fitness levels, as well as to individuals of all different body types, age, and sex. We strive to create an all-inclusive atmosphere where each student can both contribute to the group and benefit from it. Many capoeira alumni describe how their experience in class betters them physically, emotionally, and mentally.
A typical class will begin with a warm-up, a series of stretches that include important postures in capoeira, practice with capoeira movements, and finally class will generally end with a roda (pronounced ho-da). In the roda, students will use to movements practiced early in class to play the game of capoeira with a partner. We also play instruments and sing songs traditional to capoeira during this part of the class. For capoeira class, it is best to wear loose-fitting clothing such as a t-shirt and sweatpants or yoga pants. Students will go barefoot in class. Uniforms are available for purchase, but new students are encouraged to come in their own work-out clothes during their first few classes.
Writing Our Lives In Society
Writing Our Lives in Society: You don't have to think of yourself as 'a writer' for this class... but you DO have to write - in the ways you want to - to tell your stories and find your truths about what you've lived and seen. That might mean true stories, fiction, poetry, essays, opinions... pretty much anything you feel compelled to write. And you have to read other people's writing, and come ready to talk about it when we meet every other week. We'll talk about how each piece of writing affects us personally, what we think about the ideas, why we write what we write, and how our writing makes up pieces of this huge collective reality we call 'our society.' This isn't your usual 'creative writing' class - we aren't going to criticize each other's writing artistically, suggesting that this word is 'too cliche' or that sentence should be moved. We aren't going to correct grammar or spelling, either. What we're doing is writing through our experiences - past and present - using writing to discover, to grow, to connect to other people, and to critique our society through this writing.
The main thing here is the desire and willingness to write, to have others read what you have to say in written form, and to talk about each other's writing.
Location
Mahadrin Klezmer Music Ensemble
NOTE: This class will resume in the FALL (2011)
This band offers a creative outlet for the study, performance, and ultimately, preservation, of klezmer music in a relaxed and non-judgmental, but serious, environment. While some degree of basic musicianship is requested (ability to play by ear and/or sight-read, basic competence on at least one instrument), the group is open to musicians with different levels of musicianship and backgrounds.
Don't know what klezmer is? Come find out firsthand and learn to play one of the world's greatest and most quickly evolving musical folk genres. This is an ongoing course and all of the information provided before is still applicable.
We are in transition right now: the time/location listed is tentative. If you are interested in participating, just sign up via this site, and we'll keep you posted with info.
Location
Spanish/English Conversation Circle and Language Learning
We meet from 6:30 to 9 pm once a week, with the first hour for large circle conversation (translated into both English and Spanish), and the remaining time spent in smaller group or pair language learning. This may be about 45 minutes of English learning and 45 minutes of Spanish learning, but we will work out these specifics together when we see what the needs and wants of most people in the class are. Another option will be setting aside some time for class members to take turns teaching other skills, cultural information, etc. We will meet in the large kitchen area of a home, with room for about 20 people in a circle. When we split up for smaller group work, there are two other rooms we can use as well. Children are welcome. We ask that each person come with at least one question to contribute to the discussion in our large conversation circle. We try to apply Paulo Freire's premise that everyone is a co-teacher and a co-learner.
Location
Polymathic Aesthetism (A forum and exhibition)
This class is both a forum and exhibition (everyone welcome!)
In this class we will be exploring:
A. Polymathic Aesthetisicm, a functional system for implenting ideas on a larger scale. The aesthetic supposes that through the use of certain recontextualized metaphors such as Adam Smith's Invisible Hand and the Human web when paired with a little footwoork seemingly improbable ideas become probable, palitable, and overall doable.
B. The curation/installation of an exhibition. We will create and hold an exhibition from conceptualizion all the way to installation.
You do not need any sort of "artistic" background or knowledge of the art to world to attend. Polymathic Aesthetism caters to all talents and is not specific to so called "artistic talents."
(All minor art supplies are provided.)
Thanks a bunch!
Mahadrin Klezmer Ensemble
This band offers a creative outlet for the study, performance, and ultimately, preservation, of klezmer music in a relaxed and non-judgmental, but serious, environment. While some degree of basic musicianship is requested (ability to play by ear and/or sight-read, basic competence on at least one instrument), the group is open to musicians with different levels of musicianship and backgrounds.
Don’t know what klezmer is? Come find out firsthand and learn to play one of the world’s greatest and most quickly evolving musical folk genres.
This is an ongoing course and all of the information provided before is still applicable. The only change for this semester is rehearsal start time. Our rehearsal location may also change. We are hoping to switch to a room in Ferguson Hall at the UofM
Location
Knit & Such
Come and knit with us! We can teach you the basics (we have some supplies to get you started), help you through a rough spot in your pattern, or just keep you company while you work on your own fantastic creation. Crochet, cross-stitch, embroidery, latch hook, origami, bookbinding, friendship bracelet making, macrame, calligraphy, collage, and anything mostly portable and not too messy or noisy are also very welcome.
This is a friendly knitting group. We sometimes meet at folks' houses, we potluck, we celebrate silly birthdays. We would love to see some new faces, whether you can only make it once in a while or every week. There's a facebook group, Knitting and Such, if you'd like to check us out before you join us for an afternoon.
Locations
Example Workshop
Describe your workshop here.
