Body Movement - Heather Grant

I  FIRST danced with Heather at a New Years eve party. A group of musicians gathered, and where there are musicians, there is music and dance! Heather's passion for both was immediately apparent. I was in awe of the control she had over every muscle - and the number of instruments she plays.

A Body Movement Workshop at Salsa Tumbao 2024? 

Heather was an easy choice. Body movement does not come naturally to most Pakeha, like me. Heather has definitely found her groove and breaks the movement down into chunks that makes sense to our more rigid European sensibilities. 

I chatted to her about Sabor (flavour) and coffee.

First and foremost, how do you take your coffee?

"I like to start my day with a strong, black, percolated coffee."

Heather began experimenting with rhythm at an early age. As a child she learned to play a range of musical instruments. As a young adult she was exposed to Latin Dance and began to "feel" the music, which sowed the seeds for an understanding that her body is capable of incredible musicality and improvisation. 

Cubans speak of sabor (flavour) when they talk about dancing. When and how did you find your own personal style in dance?

"My sabor developed over many years and it’s hard to say exactly when I developed it, but I certainly would attribute its beginning to Salsa nights at the Mexican Café as a uni student in my early 20s. I loved the freestyle nature of the night and the strong presence of Latinos who led in a musically-intuitive way rather than in flashy, complicated turn patterns. 

Shortly after this, I spent 18 months travelling abroad, meeting Latinos in everywhere I travelled – India, France, Morocco. I later spent some time in the family home of a friend in Mexico. Friendships were formed, languages were learnt and culture was shared. This all contributes to how I interpret the lyrics, rhythm and express my unique sabor."

Heather became interested in African dance lineages in Latin America, in particular Afro-Cuban Dances including the Santeria spirituality, the dances of the Orisha, and the Rumba complex - the precursor to our much loved Salsa. 

In 2010 she began studying the Afro-Brazilian song/dance/game forms of Capoeira and Samba; and in 2012, West African Dance from Guinea and Senegal. These three spheres of music and dance now form the principal focus of her dance. 

Describe a move that you love / that is part of your typical style

"Despelote! I love to move my hips! I feel my sensuality activated and set free from the ‘corset’ of European body and movement standards when I dance. This has such a powerful impact on my whole wellbeing and confidence. 

That said, I remember standing in front of the mirror painstakingly forcing my hips into figure of 8 movements; but they became easier and more fluid over time. I applied the same diligence years later when I started learning Afro-Cuban - especially Yoruba dance patterns."

As well as engaging in a practice of dance and music, Heather also completed tertiary studies in Anthropology, Nutrition, Spanish and two postgraduate papers in Dance Education and World Dance Perspectives and Choreography. 

In the latter, Heather completed a literature review on the African aesthetic of play in Capoeira and developed and performed choreography based on this research. 

Ihuoma Dance (trans - good to the earth) is the practical application and continuation of this embodied research, along with developing her professional profile as a dancer, choreographer and performer of African and Afro-Latin Dance.

What tips do you have for students who are still trying to find their own sabor?

"Take the heels off! I know they look pretty and extend your line, etc. etc. but they also restrict your ability to use different parts of your foot to initiate movement; to comfortably bend your knees and allow the hips to move freely and sink into the beat."

In 2018 Heather completed a Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning (Primary) and she is now a registered teacher with the Education Council of NZ. She has completed ORFF Music, Movement and Play Level 1 and plans to complete her Masters of Dance Studies in 2024.