Aaron Myers, Creative Connections Instructor
Dance Artist, Educator & Organizer
Meet Aaron, one of LBFE Boston’s Creative Connections Instructors. Aaron facilitates music & movement for bilingual older adults at Franklin Field in Dorchester. Born in Chicago and raised in Indiana, Aaron’s journey in dance started with b-boying in the late 1980s, and eventually led him to dance with Boston’s Floorlords in the late 1990s. It was then that Aaron also began to learn Capoeira Angola, an Afro-Brazilian martial art.
Following a hiatus from dance to pursue a career in International Affairs and start a family, Aaron returned to Boston in 2016, when he resumed Capoeira Angola training and took up Locking. He’s currently a member of Boston-based group Beantown Lockers, which specializes in a funky dance form created by Donald “Campbellock” Campbell in the 1970s.
Aaron is also the co-founder of the Boston-based creative venture A Trike Called Funk whose mission, much like LBFE Boston, is to unleash creativity, foster connectivity, and build community everywhere they pedal and park. The Trike’s community-based activations feature music genres & dance forms spanning the African diaspora in the Americas and often feature other local artists specializing in complementary types of music and dance as well as visual artists like graffiti writers.
From street & club dances to heritage dance traditions, Aaron is inspired by the many manifestations of creativity across Boston communities. In all of his experiences with dance, he views himself as a facilitator, rather than a teacher, and someone who helps others connect through dance & movement, and shine their light.
Aaron sees an impactful multigenerational dimension, especially in Latin dance, where people of all ages, from toddlers to older adults, of all colors, and all genders participate and are welcomed into inclusive communities. Here, elders are respected and revered because they are our ‘tradition bearers.’ It is these ‘old masters’ (Capoeira Angola term) who have kept dance alive and paved the way for people like Aaron to participate in different dance forms.
His best advice? To younger people… ‘Always seek out and learn from the tradition bearers while you can because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Reach out and get to know them, show appreciation and celebrate them.’ To older adults…’Keep moving. Even if you don’t want to, you’ll feel better once you do. Movement is health, wellness & vitality.’