Shamell Bell Activist Dance Class

Shamell Bell Activist Dance Class:

The activist dance class was very interesting. Shamell Bell’s class was amazing and very formative. It was it’s own art form for dancing and protest. She’s a community organizer, choreographer, and PhD student at UCLA’s World Arts and Cultures/Dance. Her “street dance activism” took us on a journey of grassroots political action from her perspective as a mom, dancer, and choreographer for the Black Lives Matter movement.

She taught us dance moves used to protest. She put us in groups and we performed for one another. She explained she takes what is labeled strange and uncomfortable dance moves currently from the black communities nation wide, and in corporate them in her activism of dance.


She spoke about the movement and gave a brief history about it. We wrote affirmations about our own lives. Everyone in the class was invested the entire time, which was great. We spoke about how we felt coming into the class, and ended with how we we’re feeling after taking the class. Most of us said, energized, thankful, and most of all grateful! It was a really awesome event.

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