Coco Villa

DIDIDADA AT A GLANCE

DIDIDADA is a movement workshop created by Coco Villa. Conducted in follow-along style and guided improvisation, it is a celebration of nonsensical play. DIDIDADA prioritizes accessibility and silliness to give your mind, body, and spirit a sparkly mega boost through a variety of multidisciplinary exercises. It is about catharsis, getting back into our bodies, and simply dancing for the joy of moving through hyper warm ups, routines, and prompts. Instruction is inspired by Caribbean dance styles, dance fitness, somatic movement practices, and self proclaimed rituals. Some call it a brain break. Some call it a waking up game. Some call it a dance class.

This workshop is open to all movement levels and styles. There is no choreography. There is no right way, just the fun way.

DIDIDADA is an ever evolving practice heavily influenced by participants and environment.

ORGIN STORY

DIDIDADA started as an unnamed daily movement ritual and was simultaneously created as a response to grief. It was a private process in practicing release and surrender in the form of a physical confession, a cleansing rooted in repetition.  I wanted to bring more lightness into my day to day. The concept was further refined when my mother and grandmother developed serious health concerns. I created this out of wanting to aid their recovery process with movement and tend to my own practice in growth and healing.  

Established in 2016, DIDIDADA evolved into workshops I facilitate by presenting my research in movement for wellness as a physical language for healing, connection, and expression inspired by familial practices, somatic movement, traditional dance forms, contemporary dance, and elementary PE activities. DIDIDADA has been offered as a workshop intensive and a drop-in class at Pocoapoco || NECIA (Oaxaca City, Mexico), Lower Manhattan Cultural Center (New York, NY), Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (Valencia, Spain), Black Mountain College Museum (Asheville, NC), Wave Hill (Bronx, NY) KinoSaito (Verplank, NY), Tanzfabrik (Berlin, Germany), Performance Space New York (New York, NY), Marigny Opera House (New Orleans, LA), Basilica Husdon (Hudson, NY), Casa Museo Arte y Cultural (Cartagena, Colombia) and many more.

PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIALS

“a workshop with coco villa is truly an immersive experience that makes space for possibilities and wonders galore. to journey throughout the shared time together - exploring different textures and feels of movement speaks to not only the power of dance but also the power of connectedness. as I continue to find ways to be with and in my body, navigating all the anti-body ways of being around us, it is an answered prayer anytime I get to attend one of coco's workshops.”

“DIDIDADA was my first experience in group movement, it was vulnerable, rejuvenating, and beautiful. Coco made me feel welcome within minutes of entering the building and I soon came to feel at home with the other bodies around me as we began to shake. DIDIDADA, to me, encompasses the most powerful parts of movement within community. There wasn’t an instance where I didn’t catch a smile on someone’s face.”

“I walked into DIDIDADA feeling tired, still, and anxious. After an hour of silly shaking, spiraling, and sashaying, I left feeling joyous, limber, and filled with a lightness of spirit.”

“The idea of a dance workshop feels intimidating to me personally, but my fears were quickly dispelled through DIDIDADA. Coco holds space for people of all dance levels to feel comfortable and capable exploring embodied movement. Someone said this class is like therapy, and I agree! There’s a feeling of lightness afterwards as if you’ve let go of something and replaced it with joy.”

If you are interested in dance and movement workshops or private sessions, please fill out the form below.