Carnival Spice Turns 10

Carnival Spice Turns 10

Event Recap of our Dine & Lime anniversary dinner

Y’all I have a 10 year old!!! Can you believe it? It’s still hard to wrap my head around the fact that a whole decade ago is when I stepped out on faith and began working towards bringing the ideas I had in my head to life. During that time I was determined to share my passion for dance, wellness and Caribbean carnival with the world.

Carnival Spice was launched in 2013 with an intention to bring movement to beautiful mas while also creating space for Black and Caribbean dance artists. The company has now become a global community that empowers artists of colour through training, mentorship and access to opportunities. Through our work, we are also able to educate the community at large about the history of the masquarade and the significance of Carnival in Caribbean culture. We have also unapologetically taken up space in front of a variety of different audiences; from the boardroom, to the classroom, from television to some of the biggest stages in Canada. Carnival Spice is known for it’s high level of energy, professionalism, and unique spin on presenting Caribbean Carnival arts.

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Dine and Lime

2023 will be a year filled with a series of events and activations in celebration of this wonderful milestone for Carnival Spice. We kicked things off on Sunday, June 11th with a Caribbean styled food inclusive event called DINE & LIME.

Dine and Lime was such a beautiful experience. There was so much love and support in the room with attendees being a mix of CS training and performance group members, friends, family and clients. It was so special meeting one our first wedding clients since the pandemic who shared the news with us that they are expecting their first child. Congrats to the Dhinganis!

The soca was pumping from the music styling of DJ Undacover and the food as expected was amazing. The Avenue is one of my favourite restaurants in the city so it meant a lot hosting the event there. We also debuted our BTS Documentary from our performance at the 2022 Blue Jays Caribbean Carnival.

Sokah On Di Road

In honour of our 10 year celebration, we will also be on the road as section leaders for Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Look for us decked out in orange, blue and pink in the section SOKAH with Suga Cayne mas. Any remaining costumes can be found here; but be sure to use code: “spicefam10” at checkout to receive a goodie bag from our team.  It was wonderful having dancers Kayla and Natalie showcase the costumes through a Carnival Spice dance routine.

Dine and Lime was quite special. Everyone in attendance really brought the spice. Thank you to Anthony Berot for capturing these beautiful photos and Malynne Allya Artistry for the make up work on the dancers and myself.

And a HUGE thank you to Siobhan, Kafi, and Jena for all your help with event logistics.

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The celebrations shall continue - so make sure you always have your dancing shoes ready. We still have so more in store!

Testimonial:

So I Modeled For Knix at the Confidence Tour

So I Modeled For Knix

Event Recap of The Knix Confidence Tour (Toronto)

November 3rd, 2022 will be a night I will never forget!

As an ambassador for Knix, I was invited to apply for their model casting. All I knew about the casting was the following: “We're choosing 80 people (and their BFFs, of course!) to join us IRL in Toronto and LA for a once-in-a-lifetime event that involves hitting the catwalk for a celebration of self-acceptance, love, and empowerment.”

The night that unfolded was magical. The room was filled with beautiful women of all shapes, sizes, and colours! Plus we all were decked out in lingerie. The Knix team took such good care of us with a hair and make up station, food and live dj! Shout out to: @djmetime! Glad I finally met my birthday twin. @thebirdspapaya - such a full circle moment because her content introduced me to Knix years ago! Within the event we experienced a 360 Photo Booth, had our portrait captured by @briony and were challenged to walk the runway in front of everyone. I am proud to have taken up space with my melanated curves and curls while the sounds of soca filled up the room as I hit the catwalk. See Video Here*

Photos By: Briony Douglas

Vulnerability

We had the time of our lives at the Knix Confidence Tour - but I must admit, a huge part of me was terrified. People assume that because I’m from the Caribbean Carnival scene, it must’ve been easy to strut around in my underwear. The environment was different - for some reason wearing lingerie added another layer of vulnerability that I needed to move through. But nonetheless, I did it! Grateful to have had the opportunity to celebrate my body in such a way… the body that has kept me alive and resilient through so much adversity. I hope me sharing this experience encourages someone else to love on their body just a little bit more - and I mean all of it. Every scar, jiggle, dimple and stretch mark!

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Let’s talk outfit:

I wore the oh so soft “Revolution Bra”, “Leakproof High Waisted panty” and the “Waffle Robe”. Use my new code: SIMPLYSHAKERA_KNIXLOVE when shopping for a percentage off.

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HUGE THANK YOU TO KNIX TEAM FOR TAKING SUCH GOOD CARE OF US!

Can’t wait to see where the Confidence Tour heads next!

Carnival In New Brunswick?

Carnival In New Brunswick?

Event Recap of Carnival Spice at Summer Soulsa 2022

This Labour Day I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Fredericton, New Brunswick for Summer Soulsa 2022.

Summer Soulsa can be described as “a vibrant and dynamic music festival that celebrates the diversity and beauty of Caribbean, Latin, and African cultures through art, music, dance and cuisine.”

Carnival Spice was invited as performers to bring our Caribbean Carnival flair to a series of events throughout the weekend.

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Although the weekend had a heavy workload for the team and I, we managed to find many bright moments throughout our time in Atlantic Canada.

The People

It was quite lovely to see Black and Brown culture and artistry on full display at the festival. It allowed for many to learn and many to feel connected to parts of themselves that they haven’t tapped into for a while. The most common statements I heard was: “we’ve never had anything like this before in our city” or “we are so happy you are here”.  You can tell Summer Soulsa was the first event of its kind and executed in such a way simply by looking in the eyes of the attendees. There was such a sense of joy and inspiration that flickered when they heard the music or saw their favourite acts come on.

I have hosted hundreds of classes in my career and have performed on countless stages, yet it NEVER gets old seeing someone hear soca or dancehall for the first time and watching how their bodies naturally respond to it. It’s quite beautiful actually.

I also met a young girl who reminded me so much of myself when I was her age - she was about 10. She was so curious; I’ll never forget the smile she made when one of the dancers let her wear their costume feathers.

The Music Circle

The Music Circle is a dance workshop concept where instructors from across Canada joined together to lead Frederiction through a day full of dance. The room was filled this day with folks of all ages and ethnicities. I vividly remember the first person to arrive - a gentleman who came alone and mentioned it was his first dance class. I loved this for him and appreciated his courage to try something new. I had a great time hosting the event and leading a Carnival Spice dancehall workshop to the excited audience. My fellow instructors were Cherelle from Soca Fit (Edmonton) who taught a soca dance workshop and Zumba with Corey (Fredericton) who taught us a bachata workshop.

Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiDp2hBJVc7/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

The Food

Atlantic Canada never disappoints when it comes to seafood. My diet for the weekend was made up of haddock and chips. As a seafood lover, I was in my glory. Everything was so fresh and flavourful. If only I could bring some of those fresh oysters back in my suitcase.

Di Road

Carnival Spice were one of the groups of masqueraders that lead the Fredericton community down di road for the first carnival parade since the pandemic. The weather was perfect, the tunes were running by Dj CJ, and yours truly was on the mic keeping the vibes going. I had the perfect view of hundreds of smiling faces. The children were my favourite - they were so enthusiastic and kept up with us the entire parade.

Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjOvV9_q-Ny/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

The Comradery

There were a wide variety of performers from all across Canada present at Summer Soulsa 2022. From latin dancers, to reggae bands, to hip hop artists. I appreciated how everyone supported each other and/or worked together.

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Kudos to everyone who was apart of the festival - it truly made a positive impact on the community and I look forward to seeing how it grows.

AND HUGE THANK YOU TO CHEICK FOR CAPTURING THESE PHOTOS!

New Year Reflections

New Year Reflections

What lessons from 2021 am I carrying with me.

Hello? Is this thing on?!

The blog got abandoned ya’ll! OMG - I apologize! All I remember is starting a plant based meal plan back in June and the world became foggy! lol. (ref: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CPZuIL8FQNQ) Like seriously. I was so locked in to the world around me. Although I enjoyed creating monthly recap videos on my instagram, I really did miss how therapeutic writing was. Happy to be back and happy to start sharing here again. Consider this a reflectionary, welcome back post.

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2021 ended so long ago but it left us with so many lessons. There were downs, loss and much grief but there was also much to be proud of. 2021 taught me to be present in each moment and celebrate my wins. 

Here are a few highlights I would like to share with you from this past year:

• Named one of the top 100 health leaders in Canada: https://www.optimyz.com/optimyz-top-100-health-leaders-2021
  This was such a nice surprise and felt even better seeing my melanin skin take up space in a wellness magazine.

• Partnered with Lululemon on a community wellness event: https://www.instagram.com/p/CSkYXbYlhWy

• Selected as a keynote speaker for the CanFit pro fitness conference: https://www.instagram.com/p/CSdEGVfHP-i
  Had such an incredible time delivering the opening keynote speech to the beautiful souls at the 7th annual “Women Who Influence” event during the conference.

• I went 60 straight days on a plant based meal plan. Thank you to the Alldunamis Wellness Center for supporting me through this experience. It was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences ever. I developed such a strong understanding of my overall health and how to manage it through lifestyle practices for my specific needs.

False Evidence Appearing Real.

“The fears we don’t face become our limits”

— Robin Sharma


2021 reminded me that some decisions may be scary but it is important to push past your fear and bet on yourself. Release limiting beliefs about your capabilities.

Fear is a normal human response.

When we imagine things outside of ourselves that we have little or no control over, we tend to panic.

The thing is, fear can be a great motivator if we redirect the energy in a positive way. Harness that energy to motivate yourself into action.

Cultivate Joy.

“On the healing journey, feeling worthy of joy and rest is a massive step. It requires a consistent practice to be able to surrender into it. Embodying authentic joy can be the greatest challenge faced because of the immense amount of vulnerability required to feel at ease.”

— Devi Brown

2021 reminded me to prioritize joy and do more of what lights me up. Joy raises your frequency causing you to attract similar energy into your life. Joy is a source of light within you.

When you’re not operating in your purpose, you are always going to feel like you are dim… like you’re made to do more. Cultivating joy keeps you plugged into your light so make your best efforts to stay connected.

You can also help keep that light shining by eating bright and nutritious foods, participating in activities that fuel you, and being mindful of your choices for the future. This isn’t always easy to do - but daily consistent practice and intention will help. Stay committed - your future self depends on it.

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There is so much to navigate and the world seems to shift day by day… but none of that can stop your greatness. A lot of good can happen in a year so continue to do your best. Sending love and encouragement to you all… plus a friendly reminder that you got this. WE GOT THIS!

Photos By: Anthony Berot

International Dance Day

International Dance Day

Highlighting Black / Caribbean Owned Dance Studios in the GTA

Wishing everyone a happy international dance day!

Dance is and will always be something in my life that I cherish. It has given me discipline, a way to share my culture, and provided an outlet for me to express myself. So blessed to have transformed my passion for dance into a business, a lifestyle, and a source of inspiration for others. With dance as a foundation of Simply Shakera, I have been able to grace many stages and be featured by: CP24, The Canadian Olympic Committee, The Marilyn Denis Show, Breakfast Television, etc. while simultaneously teaching 100s of women and children dance over the years. 

Similar to me, there are other artists in the General Toronto Area who are passionate about dance so much so that they founded companies to share their passions with the world. I have compiled a list of local Black / Caribbean Owned Dance Studios.

Over the past few months I have seen many lists of small businesses and/or Black owned business to support and often I see this group left out. These companies need support just as much as retail stores and restaurants. They provide training, variety and most offer styles rooted in culture.

Support local. Support the arts.

Without continued participation in virtual classes, competitions and conventions etc. these companies will be negatively impacted. Check out the list below and if I missing any, please add in the comments! Support can be in the form of participation or amplification.

Afiwi Groove School

Aifwi Groove aim to empower, educate, and inspire all ages through African and arts and culture. Their programs promote positive self-esteem, confidence and an active lifestyle while educating and connecting participants to arts and culture of the African Diaspora.

400 Monarch Avenue. Unit 11. Ajax, ON. L1S 2G6

https://afiwigroove.com

https://www.instagram.com/afiwigroove

A New DAEI Dance School

A New DAEI Dance School is an award-winning family-friendly community space for toddlers, children, tweens, teens and adults. 

1 Nelson St W (Inside the Art of Dance Centre). Brampton, Ontario, L6X 1B6

https://anewdaei.com

https://www.instagram.com/anewdaei

City Centre Dance 

City Centre Dance is the hottest drop-in dance studio located in Downtown Mississauga, offering a wide-selection of classes in various styles and levels for people of all ages and abilities.

68-5359 Timberlea Blvd Mississauga, ON L4W 4N5

https://www.citycentredance.com

https://www.instagram.com/citycentre_dance

DOAHL Dance Academy

DOAHL provides a full dance curriculum for dancers age 3 and up looking to make dance as a career, and for those who simply want to enjoy the art of dance, learn new skills, and make life-long friendships.

50 Anderson Ave,Markham, ON,Canada L6E 1A5

https://www.doahl.com

https://www.instagram.com/doahlacademy

Industry House Studios

Industry House Studios an elite dance training facility located in the Stockyards District.

100 Symes Rd Unit 202 & 203

https://www.industryhousestudios.com

https://www.instagram.com/industryhousestudios

Jade's Hip Hop Academy (JHHA)

JHHA is the only all Hip Hop and street dance studio in Toronto, the GTA and one of the few of its kind in Canada.

1310 Steeles Ave E Unit 6, Brampton, ON L6T 1A2

https://jadeshiphopacademy.com

https://www.instagram.com/jadeshiphopacad

Riddim Fitness Wellness Centre

The Riddim Fitness Wellness Centre serves the community by offering fitness programs, personal training and dance classes for children, youth and adults that also want to live their best lives and take the journey to wellness in a fun, welcoming and supportive environment. 

845 WESTNEY ROAD SOUTH, UNIT#7. AJAX, ONTARIO 

https://riddimfit.com

https://www.instagram.com/riddimfit

Socacize

Socacize Fitness is a creative blend of authentic Caribbean and African dance techniques, in harmony with effective fitness moves, resulting in a unique, non-judgmental and exhilarating dance fitness program.

2811 Weston Road. North York, ON M9M 2R8

https://socacize.com

https://www.instagram.com/socacize

The Space

The S.P.A.C.E. is a full performing arts centre focused on building self-esteem. They encourage students to dream, challenge them to develop determination and perseverance along with technique and give them the confidence both to get up on stage and perform and to believe in themselves.

1324 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON M5J 1M9

https://the-space.ca

https://www.instagram.com/thespacetoronto

Lastly, although we do not have a physical studio, I would be remiss not to shoutout my company Carnival Spice!

Carnival Spice is an award winning dance and fitness company that showcases Caribbean carnival arts. We are currently offering a variety of virtual programming HERE . You can also connect on instagram via https://www.instagram.com/carnivalspice

Get Into The Groove

Get Into The Groove

A Discussion On Dance Fitness

"Get into the groove" is more than just a phrase, it is a an action that everyone should be practicing.

I encourage you all to embrace the power of movement and if you have not tried a dance fitness workshop or class, then you are definitely missing out! I do understand however if you are unable to participate because of physical injury or other health reasons but any other concerns shouldn't stop you -  instead they should motivate you!

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of leading a dance fitness workout on an episode of the Social. To increase the difficulty of the workout I added the use of a household item that is accessible around the house. This was a perfect opportunity to incorporate my Caribbean flair; the item I chose was a flag!

Check out the full segment here:

My outfit in the segment is by Tendu Active. Their clothing is super cute and comfy plus the company is female run and Caribbean fuelled!

Dance fitness is a type of group exercise that incorporates dance moves/technique. This full body workout is tons of fun and the overall intensity of a class varies depending on the style of dance you are doing.  I often hear folks call dance fitness “ Zumba". To clarify, "Zumba" is a TYPE of dance fitness workout and one of the more popular dance fitness brands. Their instructors go through a training process based on the Zumba style, class format, and program principles. So for example, if you were to call a class I teach "Zumba", you would be incorrect for a variety of different reasons.

One of the main differences between dance fitness classes is style. There can be fifty different hip hop classes out there but I promise you they are not the same. I challenge you to try them all so you can experience the difference for yourself and feel which one you enjoy the most. 

For most of us, the way we workout has changed significantly since the start of the pandemic. Instead of hitting the gym/studio, we have been required to workout in our homes or outside. Whether in class or online there are so many great dance fitness classes out there that provide amazing results. Benefits include building your stamina and energy levels, strengthening and toning your muscles, burning tons of calories etc. Dance fitness workouts can also help you avoid or overcome plateaus because they will challenge the body in a different way. Plus most classes are super fun so you do not realize how much work you are putting in. 

Listed were only a few benefits that affect your physical state but there are amazing social benefits as well such as boosting your confidence, building your performance ability, releasing stress and meeting amazing people who are active and may also be looking for support for their workout too.  Not everyone in the class will be at the same fitness or dance level, but that is the beauty of it, you have to start somewhere in order to grow or see results. As as I would say, you have to "pace", listen to the music, listen to your body and take everything in stride. 

What you need for a dance fitness class:

• a water bottle

• comfortable fitness attire and shoes

• a yoga mat (if you have & incase there is floor work)

• and a change of clothes because you will get sweaty!

There are so many different classes to choose from out there.  Do some research and ask yourself:  What music do you like? How long is the class? Check out different videos and see how you feel while watching. 

To experience more Caribbean Dance Fitness classes, try Carnival Spice’s new Spice On Demand programming - now available online here.

Caribana Recap 2019

Caribana Recap

2019

Toronto Carnival Season 2019 was one to remember.

The #SpiceFam was alllllll ova! We hosted a few pop up dance workshops, performed at a few private events, and had tv spots on

both Breakfast Television (view here) and CP24 (view here).

Met Preedy, Kerwin Dubois, and Jillionaire, saw Blaxx, Tallpree and Shal Marshal perform live, won section of the year at Friday Night Mas, and hit the carnival road with the Carnival Spice ladies. Twas a time!

What I loved most:

• THE STAGE!!! For the first time ever, Toronto Carnival featured an elevated stage. If you followed my blog over the years, you’ll know that I’ve BEEN suggesting this! I didn’t get to see the stage in person, but based on photos and video floating around the net it looked awesome!

• Meeting the Real Housewives of Atlanta was pretty cool too. In addition to being a huge fan of the show, I’m so happy I could share my culture with them! ...Gahhh! That’s all I can say for now.

• The King and Queen competition had a great vibe this year. Speeches were LONG, but kudos to MC SKF for keeping the crowd’s energy up. I personally enjoyed the performance by Lil Natty & Thunda but the audience was tough. Lol. Twas clearly a trini crowd. Congratulations to all the winners. My favourite was this year’s queen from Toronto Revellers! Her costumed radiated the moment the lights hit it on the stage.

• Big up Cantu Beauty for giving away full sized products from their hair care line on the road!!! They had a tent set up and offered hair tips, products, and more.

Least favourite moments:

• The same day I was on Breakfast Television dozens of people forwarded me a CBC article where my photo was used to promote a campaign that I had no affiliation with. I suspect a band who I modelled previously for submitted the photo without my knowledge. This is SUPER frustrating considering they could and SHOULD have used photos from their 2019 season! Plus I personally don’t support the campaign in relation to carnival. Apparently topless masqueraders were to appear at the parade this year - cool, do your thing but leave me out of it. I advocate for cultural arts and the history of mas… which in my opinion doesn’t correlate with being nude.

• Although I commend Shea Moisture Canada for hosting a fun filled & educational event surrounding black women and black hair, I’m quite disappointed that the featured Caribbean Carnival models/dancers they used didn’t reflect their audience! In my opinion, if you are hosting a Caribbean Carnival event hiring samba performers as the entertainment is a miss. An even bigger bonus would have been if they used black models. They had photo booth activations at some of the costume launches earlier in the year - why not hire one of the models from the show??? There were so many models/dancers to choose from… And nooo, I’m not salty that Carnival Spice wasn’t called - lololol. I’m simply mentioning this so they can do better next time around.

• Lack of attractions along the parade route was a big miss by the festival organizers. I understand that the Grand Parade is suppose to have masqueraders and spectators - HOWEVER, sadly the mentality in Toronto is that Caribana is a street party and the issue of “storming” exists year after year. I feel like if their were more attractions along the route it would redirect people out of the parade. I commend initiatives like the Winedown Festival and Island Mix for hosting limes along the sidelines; those events visibly made an impact on the amount of congestion on the route.

Now that we finally have a stage I may consider playing mas again in Toronto… I would only be open to partnering with a section leader or band who is trying to push the culture forward and respects their masqueraders. When I play, I roll DEEP; so I’m especially mindful that everyone who plays with me has a great time.

It has been heartbreaking seeing all the recent press regarding poor masquerader experiences! Negative media attention doesn’t just affect the band in fire it effects the entire festival and carnival community.

Let’s all vow to do better.

SO HOW ABOUT YOU - HOW WAS YOUR TORONTO CARNIVAL 2019 EXPERIENCE?

Did you play mas? How’d you like your costume? The band? The new route?

Did you just fete? What was your fave party?

Did you escape and go to the cottage?

Let me know in the comments?

Identifying Your Passion Pillars

Identifying

your passion pillars

Identifying your passion pillars allows you to live life a more intentional life. They can include your gifts (things your born to do, given by God, what’s naturally to you), talents (things you chose to do, areas you’re trained or educated in), Values (areas you hold at high regard), and/or interests (things that bring you joy).

I am grateful to have transformed my passion pillars into a business, a lifestyle, and a source of inspiration for others. Whether it’s your first time visiting my page or you have known me for years, you may have guessed that my passion pillars are Dance, Fitness, and Culture. Learn more in MY STORY about why these areas are so important to me.

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

— Oprah Winfrey

Passion is a powerful feeling that translates into intense enthusiasm or excitement towards something. That something can include love for a particular activity, great emotion for another individual, or an interest in an idea or cause.

Passion unlocks action.

It enables us to have self-confidence, trust ourselves and to take the risks!

Others can feel passion in you - that’s how strong it is!

Passion empowers us to overcome challenges and obstacles. Whether real or imagined, with passion you will overcome these challenges and obstacles and see the world as a place of infinite potential.

Pillars in this context are things rooted in the core of who you are and provides support for other areas.

Through my Passion Pillars, my goal is to bring joy to the lives of others. I would also love for you to establish your own passion pillars too!

Start by considering areas you’re strong in:

Are you always sketching designs, graphics, comics etc. on napkins?

Are you the friend everyone goes to for Life advice? Tech advice? Health Tips? Relationship help?

Perhaps you were like me and could dance before you could walk? What activity have you loved to do since you were a child? Or rather what activity have you had a growing love or appreciation for?

Does the work you do prompt results for others?

Now, use the statements below to help discover your passion pillars by filling in the (x) with the areas that immediately come to your heart or mind for each statement. Is there an area or thing that shows up more than once? Add it to your list. When making your final list of passion pillars I recommend selecting ONE, THREE, or a maximum of FIVE!

______X_____ is something I would do every day if given the opportunity.

______X_____ is something I could make a living from but would be open to do for free!

______X_____  is something that I utilize to be of service to the world.

When I practice/do ______X_____  I feel challenged to be better version of myself.

Ever since I could remember, I could be found  ______X_____ .

SENDING YOU LOVE & LIGHT!

Xo,

Shakera