Legacy Workout joins Rock Camp! for Girls

Andia Winslow and Monique Walton, Creators of Legacy Workout, join Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls ® as ancillary workshop facilitators: “Cinematic wellness movement” founders featured as contributors for youth summer camp that celebrates artistic expression, social justice & empowerment 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW YORK, NY (August 18, 2015)

Joining musicians, activists and educators, Monique Walton and Andia Winslow announced today that on Wednesday, August 19th they will present Legacy Workout curriculum to attendees of Girls Rock! Camp a major initiative of non-profit gender justice organization Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls ® based in New York City.

Celebrating it’s 10th year of creatively educating campers ages 8-18, the award-winning Girls Rock! Camp not only provides daily instrument instruction and band practice but also ancillary workshop tracks that allow attendees to engage more intensively with themes central to the organization’s mission. In the Movement & Body Care Track, “we’ll learn how to celebrate our bodies rather than think negatively about them. We’ll practice being active, being whole and caring for ourselves” says Program and Communications Director Gracie Aghapour.

In 2014, on the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Andia and Monique created a short film in which each historical character was paired with a physical fitness manifestation. The multidisciplinary project sought to pay homage while educating muscle and mind through kinetic storytelling. Following it’s public debut at the ImageNation Cinema Foundation Belletrix exhibit and New York Women in Film and Television panel discussion, Legacy Workout received acclaim and was featured by Colorlines, xoJane, Well+Good, Daily Burn and Brooklyn Independent Media. Of the work, Oscar nominated Director Ava DuVernay wrote, “Whoa. This is brilliant to me. Will speak to some of us loudly and clearly. Brava!”

Legacy Workout encourages reflection of purpose that celebrates self-care yet simultaneously goes beyond the physical self. “We understand how girls, women (transgender and cisgender) and gender non-binary peoples’ bodies are often undervalued, shamed and targeted. At Girls Rock! Camp, we’re honored to have Andia & Monique offering an empowering and fun way to fight against that” explains Aghapour.

###

About Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls Founded in 2004, the non-profit music and mentoring program is named after Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, a blues and rock performer/songwriter who was one of the first women to play the music that came to be known as “rock n’ roll.” The organization brings together girls and women from diverse communities and encourages them to explore self-expression through music, hone their critical thinking skills, build meaningful alliances with other girls and women, develop confidence in making healthy choices in their lives, and effect positive change in their communities and in the world. Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls operates a summer day camp, after school programs, and community events in New York City. www.williemaerockcamp.org

About Legacy Workout Choreographed in 2014, Legacy Workout is a multidisciplinary fitness, film and education project dedicated to honoring “legacy makers.” Those who used, and continue to use, their physical bodies and bodies of work to address crises, combat injustice and affect global and historic change. It was created by the Founders of The Fit Cycle, a cinematic wellness movement that works to inspire people from all walks of life to live more active and engaged lives. www.LegacyWorkout.com

For inquiries and booking, please contact Press at: TheLegacyWorkout@gmail.com

Brown v. Board of Education

Today, Saturday, May 17th 2014, marks the 60th Anniversary of the Supreme Court’s unanimous Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) ruling to end de jure (legal) racial segregation. Leading the charge to fight for equal protection under the law and challenge the precedent of “separate but equal” established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was Thurgood Marshall (b.1908 – d.1993) a Civil Rights Pioneer, Presidential Medal of Freedom Awardee and, in 1967, the first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court.  A decade later, the Court’s decision was translated into the enforcement of both the Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts.

“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” — Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall

Early in 2014 and in honor of the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board, Monique Walton and I created a living history –education, art and fitness– project called the Legacy Workout. One of our sources of inspiration was Justice Thurgood Marshall and his movement to secure a better future for all. Each physical movement within our project was choreographed to reflect a person, a people, or a point in time — an era. Thus, each physical movement was curated to spur a mental movement. Each physical and mental movement expressed concurrently to help inspire a MOVEment based movement. We do hope that you reflect on this day and the nuanced meanings of activism.

Enter Lateral Raises whose anatomical focus is the shoulder(s), one of the most mobile joints in the human body. Its range of motion makes the shoulder responsible for important functional movements —pushing, pulling and lifting— but also makes it highly unstable. But upon some shoulders balances the weight of the world as was the case with our contemporary Titan, Thurgood Marshall who stood at the borders of mobility and stability. His scales of justice helped to engineer one of the greatest social transformations in American history. Stand that ground.

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

10 Ways To Maximize Your SXSW Experience

The SXSW Interactive Festival is an amazing experience that you won’t soon forget. The following are cues to maximize your on-the-ground resources and minimize the “could have, would have, should have!” Adventure is near the beginning of the dictionary, and that is where this story will start too. Let’s look at it from a sports perspective.

Pre-Game:

• Prepare your game plan by downloading the official SXSW App for your mobile devices and peruse all scheduled offerings – both official and “un-official” events. Next, strategize which are “Must Attend,” “Maybe” and “Hey, I’m curious.” RSVP in advance for events, talks and parties if required. But remember, sometimes plans don’t pan out and opportunities that you hadn’t expected present themselves. Game-time decisions are for the bold, just do it!
• Organize your roster of teammates, coaches and subs. Are you traveling with a group? Set up “group text” to build a community around you and maximize intel. Make a list (or several) of people/businesses whom you want to meet and pre-schedule face-to-face time if possible.  Take advantage of mentorship sessions offered by industry leaders and have your pitch and questions prepared. Follow Twitter handles and hashtags of folks and/or trends you’re interested in, you just might “street meet.”

• The “Go-Bag” is  a must for organized players. In it, consider including: business cards, a Sharpie (permanent marker), and a Mophie self-charging cell phone case or mobile power station (you can bet the provided charging stations and outlets will have long lines). Always have at least 3 pens. You’ll lose one, you’ll let someone borrow another, and that will leave you with your one and only. A protein bar, —or a zip-lock bag full of almonds or other non-perishable protein foodstuffs— bottle of water and breath mints. Hand sanitzer — hopefully you’ll be shaking a lot of hands.

• Rest and recovery. You won’t get much when you touch down to Austin so organize your sleep schedule to include less hours per night. Start tonight.

Game Day(s):

• Comfortable trumps cute. But comfortable and dapper? You’re a winner, especially in the shoe department! Chuck Taylors are a go-to for many, just add an insole and you’ll be ready for action whether dressed up or down. Also, don’t forget your sweater or light jacket —the conference rooms are often air-conditioned.

• It’s been said that SXSW is the sum of serendipitous meetings. Compliment someone on their exquisitely tied Chucks, ask a friendly face what sessions they’re excited about, strike up conversations with strangers while waiting in line for lunch. There’s no danger there and it’s prime networking time. Remember, that’s just the point of Interactive and no one will find it awkward. Also, try to venture out on your own, you’ll meet friends as you go (plus yours will probably be late to scheduled meet-ups anyway) and you might encounter an awesome session or experience that you hadn’t intended. Snatch a flyer here or there too. If the company/party spent money on advertising, the promotion might just be worth it.

• Get in the zone, live in the present and if you don’t like it —leave it. If there is an event that you’ve had your eager eye on, you had better get there early. Don’t be late. Don’t be on time. Be early. Remember what your grandma said, she was right! The lines may astound many first timers. Then once you’re in a session, engage. Avoid the habit of thinking about what’s next or what could be better that you’re missing. Finally, if you need to take a time out in the form of leaving midway through an unfulfilling session or a taking an unscheduled nap, just take that knee and don’t chastise yourself later.

• Don’t get placed on Injured Reserve. Most likely you’ll be operating on little sleep, high salt, sugar and hops intake and suffering from “tech neck.” Do your body and brain a favor. Hydrate. Hydrate. And then hydrate some more. Try to get fresh air whenever possible, stand up, stretch and un-crane your neck at least once per hour. Also, try to walk to venues whenever possible. Often times lines for free rides and traffic will take longer anyhow.

• Unsportsmanlike conduct can take you out of the game. Get familiar, but don’t get too familiar. The parties and after-hours festivities are memorable but if you go too hard you’ll miss the wealth of day-time opportunity. Don’t forget that the camera is always watching and now more than ever. Folks will take great pleasure in posting your lowest moments to social media and watching them go viral overnight. Be mindful that you represent the company you work for and/or your own personal brand. Have fun? Of course! But don’t do anything that can’t be undone.

Post Game:

• Did you get the win? Not until you follow up post-conference. This means taking account of all that you saw and learned —review your notes and devise implementation strategies. But the human element will prove most important in your game stats accounting. Hopefully you collected business cards on which you wrote the date, time and place where you met the person, and a unique quip or conversation cue that will allow for a personalized email or tweet correspondence.

• Plan for next year! It’s bigger + better every year. And you know this, MAN!

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

Legacy Workout

They who MOVE you.

The Legacy Workout is dedicated to the memory of bodies of work. Of bodies at work. And at play. Of minds committed to mining greatness, to combating injustice, to insuring a future for future bodies, and minds. The Legacy Workout is dedicated to legacy makers past, present and future. The black body. The celestial body. The empowered human body, in motion.

This is not trivial. This is tribute. Each movement reflects a person, a people, or a point in time — an era. Because they dreamed us, because they dreamed of a better place for us -and for themselves- we owe them. We owe it to ourselves to do/be better. To be caretakers of our bodies without which we cannot persist; we cease to exist. Infinity is our limit. THIS, is the Legacy Workout. Visit: www.LegacyWorkout.com

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia