Belly Dancin’ with Asali

Name: Asali Naima Locke Ellison

Nationality: African American

GYV Staff/ Participant during: Staff in 1999 and 2003

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Sociology – Hampton University

Occupation: Professional Dancer & Instructor as well as Graphic Designer

Most Interesting Country Visited: Egypt and Turkey

Favorite GYV Memory: Dancing and creating with the “Crazy Sisters of Siochain!” For some reason both years I worked at GYV I was assigned Cabin Siochain and each time the ladies I got to live and work with were always Phenomenal! Oxanna and Ebru were the perfect co-counselor cabin mates I could have ever asked for. The camp experience truly changed and inspired my life!

Volunteer/Civic Engagement since Global Youth Village: Member of S.G.I-USA Buddhist organization that promotes world peace and culture. Board secretary and volunteer for Camp Butterfly, programming volunteer for Teens on the Move and A.M.E.N. (African Male Empowerment Network) in Pittsburgh, resident artist at Johnson Elementary School in Chicago, workshop presenter at Bellevue Hospital day school in New York.

Biography: Asali Locke-Ellison has a knack for motivating others. Although a Pittsburgh, PA native she’s lived in New York, Atlanta, Virginia and Chicago where she’s worked, volunteered and delivered workshops in the corporate, non-profit, education and performing arts sectors. With an analytical brain and creative drive her diverse background has allowed her to present her thesis research topic “How to Overcome Conflict in Black Male and Female Relationships” at the Eastern Sociological Meetings in Baltimore, MD; create and facilitate an after school arts program “The C.A.F.É Club” (Creating Art For Expression) to students at Johnson Elementary school in Chicago; conduct workshops for “Teens on the Move” (a local youth program in Pittsburgh) and work with ARCH Productions (Artists Raising the Consciousness of Humanity) in Atlanta as director to a cast of teens in a touring theatre production to promote awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving. Asali currently serves on the Board of Directors of Camp Butterfly, a Chicago-based organization that promotes advocacy for girls of African descent.

A recent newlywed, in July 2010 Asali got married to her husband Brian whom she met in 2008. Today she is self-employed as a graphic designer, professional dancer and instructor of North African and Middle Eastern dance (aka “Belly dance”) where she performs American Cabaret, Egyptian, Turkish and Whirling (Sufi) dance styles. Not just a soloist, she performs as a duet with her husband a skilled fire/poi dancer and designer. Her goal is to help women and young girls “rediscover how cool it is to be a woman” and to employ the power of dance in a manner that evokes respect and admiration from themselves and others in a healthy and positive way. To learn more about Asali visit www.shimmysoul.com.

Voices from the Village

Youth at our international summer camp reflect on their  experience at the Global Youth Village. Arielle Korman, 16,  from New York City took the Crossing Cultures Through the Arts workshop this summer.  Jacob Trump, 16, from Northern Virginia took  the Green Your World workshop.  They both participated in the Dialogue and Peace Building workshop.  In this video, they reflect on what they learned and what they took away from their time at GYV.

Discussion Night

Tonight is Discussion Night at GYV.  Youth are split into 7 groups of 7; they are given an opportunity to use the ground rules they learned in their Dialogue Workshops. Here are the 7 discussion topicss:  Food and Diet, Dating and Marriage, Recreation, Politics, Environment, Religion & Spirituality, and Gender. More details on the new perspectives that are gained during Discussion Night to be shared later.

Folktale Night

We have many traditions at Global Youth Village international summer camp. Folktale Night is a long-time tradition and a popular part of our evening programs. Villagers are divided into small groups and are handed costumes and a written folktale. After just an hour, they are asked to act out the folktale for the rest of the Village. There usually a lot of laughter and everyone gets a chance to act a little silly and express their creativity. Folktale night emphasizes cooperation and everyone learns something. Check out this short video of The Story of Colors, a Mexican folktale.

What I have learned so far…

Left to Right, Hassanah,Mustafa and Israel

Israel Ortiz, Hassanah Abdul-Haqq, and Mustafa Kadhim blog on what what they have learned so far at the Global Youth Village.

Hassanah Abdul-haqq, 15, Florida, USA

I wake up to a muggy atmosphere. Day three at the Global Youth Village and already I have learned  to say “Hello” in about 7 different languages. This morning, two men from a performing arts center taught a group of us a short dance and song. It was creative, interesting, and unique, unlike anything that I have ever experienced.

Israel Ortiz, 16, Chicago, USA

I have learned a lot so far during my time at the Global Youth Village. I have learned that even though I have a different culture then others, I have many similarities with them. I also learned that it is fun to get to learn about other cultures by getting to know people that speak another language than you. Also, that you don’t have to be afraid to put your dreams into action. It’s fun to talk to new people because it’s something that I have never done before. Everyone who goes to this program is inspired and grateful to be here and to be able to experience something that they have never done before. I look forward to learning a lot more and interacting with others that I haven’t be able to talk to yet.

Mustafa Ahmed Kadhim, 17, Iraq

My name is Mustafa Ahmed Kadhim and I’m from Baghdad.  At GYV, I have met  people from other country and I like them all because they are so nice. I’ve learned that  not everything in the world will be like you want it to be, so you must be ready for everything. This is what GYV is all about…meeting new friends and trying a new lifestyle so you will be ready for everything in the future.

New Friends from Around the World

Fifty more youth are now at Global Youth Village international summer camp for Session B! After a 48 hour break, the campus is buzzing again. So, what is it like to have new friends from around the world? Five participants take a shot at answering that question in this video:

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