The San Pedro Black and White Garifuna Charikanari Dance Group held a fundraiser at the San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC) on Friday, May 27th. Barbeque, cheese dip, pastries, and soft drinks were sold to raise funds to assist the group to host more tours, travel to other countries, and perform their cultural dances.
The highlight of the event was the “May Pole” dance, a dance in which the group called on the general public to participate, for a price of $2. Two long poles were decorated with colorful flower arrangements at the top, and vibrant ribbons adorned around the pole. The concept of the dance was to have several persons holding the ribbon, and walking forward in a circular motion. By the end of the walk, the pole will be wrapped with ribbon until the bottom is covered, and then the walk is reversed to loosen the ribbon.
Julia Martinez, head of the dance group, decided to gear the event towards school children.
“Most of the time we have activities for older people, but tonight we decided to focus on the children and bring the tradition to them. This helps them to become aware of different cultures and appreciate the Garifuna,” said Martinez.
After the May Pole dance, drummers from the group produced native music and the women took turns to perform ritual dances. The night concluded with dancing to Punta music, and much laughter. Overall, the group raised $400 from food/dance sales. The group would like to acknowledge Mito Paz for providing the venue, and the San Pedro Town Council for providing tables and chairs. The Charikanari Dance Group always looks forward to exposing the Garifuna culture, and their next project will be to perform for “El Dia de San Pedro”.
