A series of Bamboula classes will be offered on St. John and St. Thomas this spring, led by Majestik Freedom with guest teacher Raven Phillips. The classes are open to all ages and skill levels.
The St. John classes are scheduled for Saturday, March 7, and Saturday, April 4, from 11 a.m. to noon at the St. John School of the Arts. The St. Thomas classes will be offered on Saturday, March 14, from noon to 1 p.m. and Sunday, March 15, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum.
The project is funded by a grant from UVI’s Virgin Islands Academic and Cultural Awards Endowment. Classes will be hosted at the St. John School of the Arts and the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum. Drummers for the sessions include Ital on St. John, and the Asafo drummers, Jabu and Keibo on St. Thomas.
Freedom, who has danced Bamboula for over a decade, said she was able to learn the dance for free from her teachers, including Marie Paul, Chenzira Davis Kahina, and Allegra Christopher, and wanted to provide the same opportunity to others. “It’s an important part of our culture, and if we, the young people, don’t carry it on, it won’t exist anymore,” said Freedom.
Bamboula is the ancestral dance of the Virgin Islands, comprising three main elements: the dance, the songs, and the drums. The songs are a mixture of Cariso and Casio, with examples including “Show Me Your Petticoat,” “Queen Mary,” “Clear de Road,” and “LaBega Carousel.”
The rhythm of the drums depends on the group dancing. The dance itself features intricate footwork, spins, skirt waving, and hip movements that demonstrate strength, stamina, and fluidity. The traditional attire includes a white head wrap, a white ruffled top, and a white full-circle skirt with a lace petticoat underneath, often worn with white, black, or gray pants.
Raven Phillips, a St. John resident, has extensive experience in preserving V.I. culture. She is a former leader of the UVI Bamboula Ensemble under Allegra Christopher. Together, Freedom and Phillips now lead their own group, the Coziah Dancers, named after Queen Coziah. They have previously taught children’s classes together.
Freedom noted the importance of collaboration. “Teaching such an important aspect of VI culture is fun, but it is a weight that is heavy to carry. We uplift and motivate each other and share this weight.” Freedom hopes the classes will encourage broader participation in cultural preservation. “I hope people can take away the fact that we all have a part to play in preserving cultural traditions. We are all culture bearers or else we risk losing something irreplaceable. Our sense of self and community.”
Jaylen Benjamin of Jaylen’s Captures is assisting by recording classes to help reach more people. Freedom expressed gratitude to the many individuals and organizations who made the classes possible, including the venues, the drummers, and the schools where she has been able to teach this craft. She also thanks her mother, DaraMonifah Cooper, and her partner, Teh’Rhon Rabsatt, for their help with the grant paperwork. “I have to thank all involved because without them, I’d be doing this for free and asking the drummers and dance instructors to do it for free. Culture bearers deserve to be paid for their services,” said Freedom.
