Creating and building Dance during the pandemic proved to be a daunting task, yet at every closed door, a space opened to create, in the face of any obstacle, grace overcame it with abundant prosperity. We galvanized the the genius of Artistic Cultural Bearers to serve as our guides while kinship members now serving as Essential works stood as Wellness Warriors on the Front lines. This was HOW we Danced this Season, keeping our very bodies, minds and Spirit vital and invoking the same in the Communities we served. God Be Praised.
Dancestory 2020
“There are monumental historical narratives we celebrate today, a feat not ever to be taken for granted, yet there is the personal narrative, yOURstory — phenomenal testimonials right here from our own backyard.”
Advance your #Dancestory2020 partnered with our Communal kinship platform #nzoCALIFAncestry.
What fueled my next steps in #FamilyHistory research was the inspiration of #Dance catapulting into a vital role of mediumship from conception. My #Dancestory reflects a guided trek of dynamic training, Performance and Community building enstooled by my Great-Greats to Master Teaching Artists, Field Leaders, Cultural Architects and Spiritual Practitioners; I am furthered and blessed by the long living wisdom rites of both Grandmothers 106 and 94 respectively. And ‘hood tight, I’ve gained deepened Communal kinship and cultivate Society from Oakland across the American South and over the Southern border, touching the Gulf and Caribbean Coasts, on upward the Eastern seaboard.
Carrying in tow my quest to unearth Mama Africa’s vital presence, I skillfully intersect lines of symmetry and produce creative works that translate Ourstory. And never alone, upon every travel sojourn, cosmic cues continue to invoke discovery through my service as #nzoCALIFAncestry in Dance, utilizing Genealogy, with the favor of the Divine. And in the words of my Paternal Grandfather, I “take care of my own backyard” and continue,
working my lines
workingmylines.org
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Dancestory 2018
Wanna see why I’m so JAZZED UP?! Take a glimpse into #Rootstech2018 through the lens of #BlackProGen, tune in at @BlackProGen on youtube. *Ancestral applause*
Back in the early ’91, my Maternal grandfather Claude Waters, Jr [in loving memory] foresaw the impact of technology in the field of #Genealogical research and envisioned my role being pivotal in forwarding our Family History teaching it generations here and to come. Partnered with his wife, Mrs. Elsie (Culverson) Waters [living] has since blazed trails self-publishing 3 Family History books, hosting and attending Family Reunions and historically is our eldest Family member to have recently taken a DNA test at 93 years of life — HALLELUJAH with Ancestral applause; I now power forward on mission to the Genealogy Mega-Conference Roots Tech 2018, Salt Lake City, Utah.
I’m out of the blocks a lot earlier and calling in my Communal markers, as this is that GIVE, THANKS & GRATITUDE that will speak generations today and forward *smiling*
Bless you, all, for your praise, your inspiration and investment.
Egun Ire’o
Regina, Field Work Research
Genealogist / Ancestral kinship
workingmylines.com
#nzoCALIFAncestry
#Regina2RootsTech2018 [click link]
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ARCHIVE:
Dedicated to amplify “the story”, genealogy empowers my service works of Ancestral healing & Communal rites; Specializing in African Ancestored genealogy, I champion the field challenging diasporic historical perspectives – I step up my service to attend the largest Family History Conference in the world – ROOTStech – Salt Lake City, Utah.
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#Dancestory2016 – “Dance Your Destiny”
- Empowering intentional engagement in Cultural and Community circles to select social event encounters invoking the question of researching Family ties and kinship.
- Participating upon panels, platforms and conferences elevating the Genealogy component promoting Ancestral/Communal Healing initiatives.
- Bringing these experiences to Diaspora Dance workshops experiences utilizing historical cultural narratives gathered to inform the #Dance.
- @nzoCALIFA | Follow nzoCALIFA #Dancestory Project’s sojourn from its conception. Update at http://www.gofundme.com/Dancestory2013
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#Dancestory2015 – Whose Do You Belong To?!
#Dancestory2015, staying on the #Rite track, encouraging fellow sojourners of interest, as I’ve forged ahead braving new frontier genealogy geeked-out, destined to bring to light those Ancestors who’ve touched these shores first.
Most recently, I attended the phenomenal “Purchased Lives” Exhibit chronicling the New Orleans and the Domestic Slave Trade, 1808–1865, featuring actual accounts, artifacts, databases and countless documents detailing the industrious economic fare of the United States Domestic Slave Trade. It took me 2-3 visits to fathom the enormity of this information and I’m still transcribing notes. Suffice it to say, some New Orleanian Ancestral lines may have endured “forced migration” by direct exportation sold and shipped as “surplus labor” with origins from the “Upper South” like Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, Washington D.C. along with with destinations to Southern states alike, with New Orleans cited as “the largest slave market in antebellum America.”
The photo below is right up the street from The Historic New Orleans Collection housing these holdings. Erected in 1788 as one of the French Quarter’s oldest building and renown dining experience, Pierre Maspero’s. Today, known for their hearty sandwiches was once a popular slave-auction-exchange house while serving café au lait. According to sites identified by the exhibit, there’d be many celebrated tourist haunts in the Quarter laced with antebellumisms of the slave economy, and the prime commodity of the day- African Ancestored people. I haven’t even scratched the surface as you can imagine – bit-by-bit folks…
Yet, what I’ve found I LOVE most about New Orleans as well as the culture, is the Spirit of the People and their resilient, brilliant quality to thrive; It brings to light the fact that it’s an integral Ancestral portal in the United States tied to the world; right across its Mississippi is the historic Algiers Point aka Kings Landing – there exists a commemorative installation wall, a vibrantly painted fence, bearing the names of African nations who set foot upon the land before their fate of being sold across the river — Bambara, Mande, Ibo, Fulbe, Yoruba, Wangara, Tchamba, Congo, to name a few. On this trek, I’ve enjoyed the conversations amongst you that are Soul deep, becoming invocations to heal and an invitation to unearth another Family name – an Ancestor. I thank you for the exchange and enlightenment.
Keep meeting in kinship, organizing Reunions, milk the holidays or make it an occasion to come together as Family, Commune-Unity, as Society and lift the names of those before us, bearing the sacred wisdom that shall lead us to better lives. S/O to my kin #Walston, #VanHook, #Livingston, #Waters at this year’s Family Reunion 2015 SACTO. Next up those #Colemans & #Culversons. I’ll share more about my experience of the exhibit and if you have a genealogy Sojourn, I’d love to hear it.
Thank you ALL ahead for your continued support to #Dancestory2015 campaign.
red beans and ricely yours,
R. Waters Calloway #Dancestory2015
info: http://gofundme.com/Dancestory2013
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#Dancestory2014: In the Lab, now OPEN FOR OFFICE! [this Fall] Ongoing works of a Professional Teaching-Artist/Genealogist that skillfully weaves and de-mystify historical vestiges of truth unearthing Family histories. My works foster deeper study through genealogical techniques, exercising fundamental methods and strategies to conduct sound research.
Information gathered serves to facilitate a transcendental “binding” of its Commune+Unity constituents, engaging participants in healthy discourse, by taking inventory of our community Cultural Arts-building, wellness, and how we are preserving ourselves. We begin with one’s own story, including those WE belong to known and those yet to be discovered.
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CAMPAIGN UPDATES:
OCT. 2014 – #Dancestory2014: Kinship travel across the waters to Ayiti!
Bonjour Good folks;
You can best believe this October usher swift works of atonement while celebrating our fruits this Ancestral Harvest Season. What a tenacious Summer I worked through to be blessed by a beautiful finale as my #Dancestory2014 Sojourn catapulted me into an adjoined kinship with Rara Tou Limen upon their 10th Anniversary Celebration Cultural Tour and historic performance concert — in Ayiti! Good works forward assuredly bring great rewards. In Haiti, I gained a lifetime of monumental wisdom, ritual lessons, and unforgettable moments imbuing all of my senses and recommitment to these works… Learn more: http://bit.ly/10RmEzn
Airport “Welcome Wall” upon our arrival to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti 2014
Regina “Califa” Calloway
Artistic Curator / Teaching-Artist
email: nzocalifa@yahoo.com
twitter: @nzoCALIFA
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DANCESTORY 2013 – The beginning
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Part of Field Workshop series: “Working da lines”
[June 16th – November 2013]
Through self-inquiry of unfolding “the Dance”, Dancestory further examines:
WHAT of any of our Dance experience do we feel is inherited, learned and or embodied
and HOW can one’s role as a Dance “Medium”, serve as a social change agent of empowerment.
Artistic Curator / Teaching-Artist
email: nzocalifa@yahoo.com
twitter: @nzoCALIFA
_______________________________
Campaign Updates [ OCT. 21st, 2013 ]
AGO Ire’ o Monday, Ago lona!
Oakland, CA –> If I had to speak upon the challenges of being in the field “unearthing” upon this #Dancestory2013 Sojourn season, I’d say it’d be about the insurmountable repercussions — YET, it does not outweigh the phenomenal outcomes, especially with proficient guardianship. Truth be told these lines are “ working ” me; To date, I’ve “ worked ” 2 out of my 4 Family lines to the “last Ancestor” obtaining the names of the slave master(s). *next episode* In following the commandment of my maternal Grandfather, “ take care of your own backyard ”, some of you have honored these works with your exchange of inspirational testimonies or taken on the task to further your Family lines privy discussion. Others have taken first steps of introduction, honoring the service. In the field of African Ancestored Genealogy, amongst my mentors and colleagues, we affirm that there are no “Brick Walls”. I certainly have witnessed countless truths to be shown and proven alive and evolving in the Bay Area, California.
Amidst this Harvest Ancestral Season, the sharing of abundant fruits of prosperity is vital to the sustenance of Family and Community, through your stewardship. As a trained runner for at least one-third of my life, I value the workings of a relay team – each leg critical to the race from the beginning to the end; I have experienced so much more about being a winner, placing value upon training expertise and the quality of support. It becomes fundamentally critical that one demonstrates mutual respect for one another to ensure a successful pass. In this October blog post of “ Working da lines ”, I acknowledge my team members online and “ onda ground ” and for those who shall remain anonymous, I am equally grateful.
Also, delighted to have new leg members as recent donors: Tonya Hennessey, Luanda Wesley and Jean Goans. Thank you for new breath necessary to anchor my next feat, as the Sojourn nears its phase of this campaign, November 30th. All are invited to peruse the working pages of this blog. Discover “the Calling”, see the Surnames collected, and learn about this Dancestory Sojourn. Be inspired to “rite” your own. No need to try out for this team, there are so many ways guide “The Give” guided. I welcome your uplift and inquiry.
“Blessed that be the ties the bind.”
~Regina Califa Calloway
nzo.califa Dance Works
“Working Da Lines: #Dancestory2013”
Campaign Updates [ SEPT. 6th, 2013 ]
REEEEE-MIIIIX – DANCESTORY2013 “ondaground”
“Working Da Lines” through 4 Family Reunions this Summer onsite and remote…even met some kin on Facebook! The “ondaground” campaign added fuel matching the online donations to date Aug. 2013 almost dollar4dollar. Both of these campaigns serve in beneficent qualities, from experiencing the elation of a discovery, listening to your testimonies to speaking with an Elder after the Reunion at 12-midnight sharing stories and more names…
Genealogists serve in a multitude of professional arenas. Most recently, beginning as Curatorial Director, I was privy to participate in the stellar session works and creation of Counter Pulse’s Performing Artist Diaspora Festival Artist, Muisi-Kongo Malonga and her phenomenal debut as a solo Artist birthed through “Kimpa Vita” – dauntingly yet always guided we prayed, researched and gathered oral narratives, combed scholarly works and built compelling stories focused upon 3 iconic travesties of justice involving African American Women resonating with the movement and demise of this Kongolese Matriarch and Warrioress of Old Kongo Kingdom – Mama #KimpaVita . The solo choreopera first debuted in San Francisco as an excerpt, witnessed by 3 sold-out audiences. Wearing the “Directorial” hat was like balancing a 50lb laundry basket upon my head. Yet through training and mentorship, I focused on balance, determine to obtain the evidence, unearth associated documents and to my surprise discovered rare graphic depictions concerning these African American Women, dating back to as early as 1865.
Colleagues, Family and Mama Kimpa kept ushering the birth. YES, as veneration did speak, we sensed that there was more than the elevation of these Spirits. There was a remarked impression concerning the African American Women; it revealed an inherent ignorance about such an abominable era of American History, at the same time de-mystified who Mama Kimpa Vita was, invoking more interest to know her story deserving to be told in her own rites -WAH!
#DANCESTORY2013 – Have added #AK to the #MSY leg!
I invite you to join the sojourn and support OUR stories that deserve to be preserved.
See prior campaign updates, for edification with no obligation ; ) http:// bit.ly/1bYiAR0
~Regina Califa Calloway
nzo.califa Dance Works
“Working Da Lines: #Dancestory2013”
Through self-inquiry of unfolding “the Dance”, Dancestory further examines:
WHAT of any of our Dance experience do we feel is inherited, learned and or embodied
and HOW can one’s role as a Dance “Medium”, serve as a social change agent of empowerment.
Artistic Curator / Teaching-Artist
email: nzocalifa@yahoo.com
twitter: @nzoCALIFA
_______________________________
Campaign Updates [ OCT. 21st, 2013 ]
AGO Ire’ o Monday, Ago lona!
Oakland, CA –> If I had to speak upon the challenges of being in the field “unearthing” upon this #Dancestory2013 Sojourn season, I’d say it’d be about the insurmountable repercussions — YET, it does not outweigh the phenomenal outcomes, especially with proficient guardianship. Truth be told these lines are “ working ” me; To date, I’ve “ worked ” 2 out of my 4 Family lines to the “last Ancestor” obtaining the names of the slave master(s). *next episode* In following the commandment of my maternal Grandfather, “ take care of your own backyard ”, some of you have honored these works with your exchange of inspirational testimonies or taken on the task to further your Family lines privy discussion. Others have taken first steps of introduction, honoring the service. In the field of African Ancestored Genealogy, amongst my mentors and colleagues, we affirm that there are no “Brick Walls”. I certainly have witnessed countless truths to be shown and proven alive and evolving in the Bay Area, California.
Amidst this Harvest Ancestral Season, the sharing of abundant fruits of prosperity is vital to the sustenance of Family and Community, through your stewardship. As a trained runner for at least one-third of my life, I value the workings of a relay team – each leg critical to the race from the beginning to the end; I have experienced so much more about being a winner, placing value upon training expertise and the quality of support. It becomes fundamentally critical that one demonstrates mutual respect for one another to ensure a successful pass. In this October blog post of “ Working da lines ”, I acknowledge my team members online and “ onda ground ” and for those who shall remain anonymous, I am equally grateful.
Also, delighted to have new leg members as recent donors: Tonya Hennessey, Luanda Wesley and Jean Goans. Thank you for new breath necessary to anchor my next feat, as the Sojourn nears its phase of this campaign, November 30th. All are invited to peruse the working pages of this blog. Discover “the Calling”, see the Surnames collected, and learn about this Dancestory Sojourn. Be inspired to “rite” your own. No need to try out for this team, there are so many ways guide “The Give” guided. I welcome your uplift and inquiry.
“Blessed that be the ties the bind.”
~Regina Califa Calloway
nzo.califa Dance Works
“Working Da Lines: #Dancestory2013”
Campaign Updates [ SEPT. 6th, 2013 ]
REEEEE-MIIIIX – DANCESTORY2013 “ondaground”
“Working Da Lines” through 4 Family Reunions this Summer onsite and remote…even met some kin on Facebook! The “ondaground” campaign added fuel matching the online donations to date Aug. 2013 almost dollar4dollar. Both of these campaigns serve in beneficent qualities, from experiencing the elation of a discovery, listening to your testimonies to speaking with an Elder after the Reunion at 12-midnight sharing stories and more names…
Genealogists serve in a multitude of professional arenas. Most recently, beginning as Curatorial Director, I was privy to participate in the stellar session works and creation of Counter Pulse’s Performing Artist Diaspora Festival Artist, Muisi-Kongo Malonga and her phenomenal debut as a solo Artist birthed through “Kimpa Vita” – dauntingly yet always guided we prayed, researched and gathered oral narratives, combed scholarly works and built compelling stories focused upon 3 iconic travesties of justice involving African American Women resonating with the movement and demise of this Kongolese Matriarch and Warrioress of Old Kongo Kingdom – Mama #KimpaVita . The solo choreopera first debuted in San Francisco as an excerpt, witnessed by 3 sold-out audiences. Wearing the “Directorial” hat was like balancing a 50lb laundry basket upon my head. Yet through training and mentorship, I focused on balance, determine to obtain the evidence, unearth associated documents and to my surprise discovered rare graphic depictions concerning these African American Women, dating back to as early as 1865.
Colleagues, Family and Mama Kimpa kept ushering the birth. YES, as veneration did speak, we sensed that there was more than the elevation of these Spirits. There was a remarked impression concerning the African American Women; it revealed an inherent ignorance about such an abominable era of American History, at the same time de-mystified who Mama Kimpa Vita was, invoking more interest to know her story deserving to be told in her own rites -WAH!
#DANCESTORY2013 – Have added #AK to the #MSY leg!
I invite you to join the sojourn and support OUR stories that deserve to be preserved.
See prior campaign updates, for edification with no obligation ; ) http:// bit.ly/1bYiAR0
~Regina Califa Calloway
nzo.califa Dance Works
“Working Da Lines: #Dancestory2013”
Working My Lines 
