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The King and Queen of Carnaval contest was held Sunday, April 22, and it filled Roccapulco nightclub with exuberant Carnaval people.The contestants danced to Samba and Soca music, and our new Queen Elizabeth was chosen amidst stiff competition. |
written & photos by Jan McDermott | ||
She presented an
electrifying performance, throwing her black feather boa around the
shoulders of one of the judges. She
intentionally entered the contest without choreography, in order to share
the joy of dancing in the moment. She avoided a skimpy costume, believing
that it was not a beauty contest, but rather an opportunity to showcase
the spirit of joy and connection with the audience.
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"The
mostly Loco Bloco drummers, organized by Jose Rivera, were crucial in creating an
environment of spontaneous abandon that |
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energized and moved me.
I am so grateful for their participation." 
"Carnaval,"
she says, " is a rare opportunity to let loose, dance without inhibitions,
and share energy with masses of people, of all ages and backgrounds."
Performing solo is
a personal challenge for Elizabeth. In her development as a person and as
a dancer, it was a hurdle to overcome. "After I finished
my piece in the competition, I was so excited I got through
it, I realized it was not about winning. Of course, once they
announced the winners I was ecstatic. I was screaming so much I almost
lost my voice!" The
fact that almost all the contestants knew each other, and
gave sincere support to one another, added to the camaraderie
of the event. “It was like
one big reunion, both backstage and in the audience – and everyone was
so supportive, it was so amazing!” |
“I’ve
been fortunate to be able to study with so many wonderful teachers
including Christiane Crawford, Shawn Peltier, Valerie Watson, Blanche
Brown, Djola Branner, Michele Martin, Alicia Pierce, Dr. Albirda Rose,
Josephine Morada, Carlos Aceituno, Betho Filho, Conceicao Damasceno, Edson
Escovao, Rosangela Sylvestre, and most recently |
| “Going to Brazil last year and participating in Carnaval in Bahia really brought it all home for me. I realized that there comes a point when you have to let go, stop trying to control things and just let things happen on their own. This is so true when you participate in a parade of such claustrophobic proportions. You literally have to allow the crowds to move you along. It is so overwhelming when you’re in it that you just have to laugh at your helplessness and ride it out." |
"Suddenly, your problems seem so insignificant – that’s the
power of this supernatural energy that happens when masses of people unite
with a purpose. I would love
to see this kind of energy here in San Francisco.” |
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Ms. Soberanes came to San Francisco in 1973 with her family from Mexico. Her family settled in the Mission District and has lived here ever since.
In 1989 after taking hip hop dance classes at Rhythm and Motion and then Brazilian dance classes with Escola Nova de Samba, she decided to become a dancer. She quit her insurance job and went to London for three months to jump-start her college career. “I didn’t know where I was going to fit in as a dancer but I enrolled in dance classes anyways. One day, my Haitian Dance teacher, Valerie Watson, told the students that we had to always question why we were dancing, that we had to find out why the dances and the movements were significant to the people. It was then that I decided to pursue a degree in Dance Ethnology.”
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“I received my BA in Dance Ethnology from SFSU and I also went through a year-long internship program with Performing Arts Workshop to teach creative movement and ethnic dance to children. I wanted to teach children about dance and encourage them to be creative and uninhibited because I didn’t have that opportunity as a child.” “People
do not believe me when I say that I don’t like to be the center of
attention. But that’s
because dance has allowed me to express myself in ways that have made me
more self-confident. And
I see this same effect in young children when they are encouraged to move
creatively. Dance and art teach creativity and problem solving skills in
a structured way – something that conventional teaching methods do not.
I taught dance for three years in the public school system and I
have to commend anyone who teaches the arts to youth – it is hard but
rewarding work.
Artists do
such important work and yet they are |
