FAB Workshops range from theater and performing arts to visual arts and movement. Make art, learn something new, and connect with others at our home on East 4th Street — we’re excited to begin this journey in Downtown Art’s now fully renovated building!
Workshops we are currently offering are listed below. More to be announced! Stay tuned…
Questions? Reach out to dakota@fabnyc.org
Bomba!
explore the ancestral Afro Boricua tradition of dance and drums
Teaching Artist: Clara Díaz
Wednesday, November 20th, 6:30pm-9:30pm
$30| Registration Link
In this Bomba Workshop, we will learn about the history of Bomba, as well as some movement vocabulary and explorations, such as Paseo, Coro y Piquetes. We will engage with the drums and explore different rhythms in Bomba and explore the ancestral Afro Boricua tradition of dance and drums. Bring a scarf or a long skirt!
En este Taller de Bomba, aprenderemos sobre la historia de la Bomba, así como algunos vocabularios y exploraciones de movimiento, como Paseo, Coro y Piquetes. Nos involucraremos con los tambores y exploraremos diferentes ritmos en Bomba y exploraremos la tradición ancestral afro boricua de la danza y tambor. ¡Trae una bufanda o una falda larga!
About Clara Díaz: Clara Isabel Díaz Maldonado is an Utuado raised Afro Boricua Dancer and Cultural Administrator. She began her journey in Utuado, a crucial place for her due to the importance in Taino Culture as well as the Nationalist Movement, where she was raised and lived in until 2012. She received her Bachelor’s Degree at Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, where she explored Caribbean Art History and Legacies. Her Undergraduate Thesis, “The representation of Bomba Dance in Puerto Rico’s Visual Arts” gives her a chance to dive deeper into her passion for Bomba, as well as the historical background in Puerto Rico’s Art History.
After living through the devastation of Hurricane Maria in her hometown Utuado, she was accepted into Baruch College to pursue a Masters Degree in Arts Administration, graduating in 2021. Since then, she has been living between both worlds: East Coast and Puerto Rico. She has developed programs at El Museo del Barrio, The Public Theater, and worked with organizations like New York Latino Film Fest and Studio Museum in Harlem. Currently, she performs Bomba with groups like Segunda Quimbamba, Bomba Yo, Bombrxs de NYC, Pa Afincar and Taller Tambuyé. She continues her bomba journey with Segunda Quimbamba as a Dance Teaching Artist since 2020 and develops programs and workshops focused on Bomba Dance and Tradition.
Visualizing Family History: Beginner Block Printing
5 sessions, start date to be announced; email dakota@fabnyc.org to be notified or check back here
Teaching Artist: Lena Feliciano Hansen
In this workshop, we will delve into the visuals that hold special significance when reflecting on our family and heritage. Like, Great Grandma’s rocking chair where she’d sit to tell stories carried for generations, or Tio scaling a coconut tree in the mountains of Puerto Rico, or 1st 2nd and 3rd cousins expertly knitting socks together in preparation for the winter… After sketching our scenes, we’ll explore fundamental printmaking techniques and preserve our family vignette into block prints.
About Lena Feliciano Hansen: Lena, born and raised in the Lower East Side, is a versatile multimedia artist with an education in art and design. Passionate about continuous learning, she dedicates her spare time to exploring new crafts and techniques. With a hands-on approach, Lena finds immense joy in learning by doing, thriving on the tactile experience of working with her hands. Each project she undertakes broadens her diverse skill set, which she is always eager to share with others.