# Bring Memphis Jookin' to Miami: A 3-Day Dance Academy for Our Community

## What We're Building

This March, we're bringing something special to Miami - a 3-day dance academy featuring Phyouture, a professional jook dancer flying in from Memphis to share their craft with our community. This isn't just about learning steps; it's about cultural exchange, artistic growth, and bringing people together through movement.

**The Event:** March 25-27, 2026

**The Culmination:** Sunday, March 29th performance at a community talent show and barbecue

## Why This Matters

Our nonprofit exists at the intersection of environmental restoration and the arts - because we believe that thriving communities need both healthy ecosystems and vibrant culture. Over the past months, we've hosted free music events for emerging artists and sound healing gatherings in local parks. Now, we're taking it further.

Jookin' is more than a dance style - it's a living art form born in Memphis, a way of storytelling through movement that deserves to be shared, preserved, and celebrated. By bringing this instruction to Miami, we're:

✨ **Creating access** to professional dance training that many in our community wouldn't otherwise have

✨ **Connecting cultures** through artistic collaboration

✨ **Empowering local artists** with new skills and perspectives

✨ **Building community** through shared creative experience

## Where Your Support Goes

We need to raise **$5,000** to make this happen. Every dollar goes directly to:

- **Instructor Fee:** $3,200 (professional rate for 3 days of teaching + performance)

- *Urgent: $1,600 deposit needed to secure the booking*

- **Travel & Lodging:** $1,200 (flight and 6-day stay for the instructor)

- **Studio Rental:** $150 (6 hours of professional dance space)

- **Contingency:** $450 (buffer for unexpected costs)

This is transparent, grassroots fundraising. We've done the math, kept costs lean, and we're asking for exactly what we need - nothing more.

## The Urgency

**We need the $1,600 instructor deposit ASAP to lock in this March date.** Without it, we risk losing this opportunity entirely. The sooner we hit our goal, the sooner we can shift our energy from fundraising to creating an unforgettable experience for participants.

## Who We Are

We are fundraising on behalf of Celandine Seeds, a California-based 501(c)(3) (EIN: 33-2195825) expanding our work to Florida. Our Florida nonprofit paperwork is currently processing and will be complete before the event. We believe in keeping arts programming accessible - which is why our events are always free or donation-based. But to host something this special, we need community support.

Funds will be managed by our Florida team and distributed directly to event expenses with full documentation available upon request.

## What's Next

Any funds raised beyond our $5,000 goal will go toward:

- Supporting the March 31st community barbecue and talent show

- Future free arts programming in Miami

- Continuing our mission to connect people through creativity and environmental stewardship

## Join Us

Whether you can give $5 or $500, you're helping create something meaningful. You're saying yes to culture, yes to community, yes to the idea that art belongs to everyone.

Let's bring Memphis to Miami. Let's dance.

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*Follow our journey and stay updated on event details - https://www.instagram.com/celandineseeds?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==*

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Thank you for believing in community-powered art. ♡ ♡