Students Rediscover Roots Through African Dance, Expression

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- It was all about music, rhythm and expression. A group of students from The Young Women's Preparatory Academy in Miami were treated to a master class of dance, music and its roots.

Beatrice Capote, a dancer with Camille A. Brown and Dancers and who is in town for a special performance of Black Girl: Linguistic Play, stopped by the school to teach the young African-American women about the freedom of expression through dance.

"You don't have to have a degree in dance it's how you feel," said Tyesha Thomas, a senior at the school.

For one hour, Capote danced with the girls and showed them different moves. Her goal at the end of the class was to leave them with a sense of empowerment.

"To have a voice and continue to have a voice. We talked about dancing with a purpose and even if they never dance again, I hope they understand where all the dancing came from. It's part of their culture and part of their roots," said Capote.

Beatrice Capote will be performing with Camille A. Brown and Dancers on Saturday February 20th at the Miami Dade County Auditorium, presented by MDC Live Arts and the Miami Dade County Auditorium.

The provocative and poignant piece represents a nuanced spectrum of black girlhood in a world where black women are often portrayed in terms of their strengths, resiliency or trauma.