Free The Cheeks: Twerk Church Promotes Sisterhood and Self-Expression Through Dance
Let’s face it, going to the gym a’int for everybody and most women want a more fun way to workout, such as a dance class. This is why zumba and belly dancing classes are popular among women. Over the years pole dancing as also become more of a fun, recreational and way to shed some pounds which is why more instructors are starting to offer it as one of their fitness classes.
Breezy Love and Bobbi Perfection are the founders of Free The Cheeks. I recently had the chance to interview them on how they got started in the business. Check out the interview below:
Can you please tell myself and the readers about yourself?
We’re Breezy Love and Bobbi Perfection sisters and dance instructors from Richmond, California. Our sole mission is to inspire and uplift our community. We realized that our power lies in the way we feel about self first and secondly in relation to our environment. We, like so many other women, have experienced growing up in a society where we aren’t given the space to express sensuality in a safe, healthy and empowering way. Naturally, we decided to be the change. We create safe spaces for women to express themselves through dance. Free The Cheeks: Twerk Church is a high energy twerk class designed to empower women, build confidence, self-esteem, body positivity and sisterhood. Free The Cheeks: Twerk Church allows women to be free, to create their own identity outside of what society has told them and showed them what a woman should be.
Growing up and still to this day who or what are your inspirations?
Family, especially our younger sisters. Children are humbling and just as much as we teach them they teach us. Our other inspirations, inn no particular order, include: Eartha Kitt, Nina Simone, Beyoncé and Tupac Amaru Shakur.
What influenced the creation of Free The Cheeks Twerk Church?
It’s no secret that women can be very catty and competitive. It’s learned behavior. Society has taught us for the longest to be at odds, so at the very core of FTC:TC is sisterhood. We wouldn’t be what and who we are without that as our foundation. In other classes we didn’t feel that. When we would take classes a lot of times there’d be this underlying competition or lack of acceptance for whatever reason and we’d both feel it and talk about the vibe we got during a class. This helped us shape FTC. Also, our mom grew up an only child and she hated it; she felt alone. When she decided to have kids she never wanted her kids to feel like she did. She raised us to respect one another and to always support one another. So in a way we’re kind of implementing our family values with our class. The matriarch is a lost necessity. It’s important for women to respect, care, support and hold space for one another we all have similar experiences and if we could get past our differences we could see that. Also, just the lack of spaces for women, specifically to release and express themselves without judgement. Free The Cheeks: Twerk Church is literally what it says a space where women are free to worship themselves through dance.
Who are the dance instructions and choreographers?
Breezy and Bobbi
Do you believe the free the cheeks movement is a confidence builder in women?
Yes!
While in the classes do you feel a certain atmosphere, bond, friendship and achievement with the women?
Yes!
What big upcoming events we can look forward to from you and attending?
We’re approaching our 2 year ASSiversary in April! In addition to our weekend classes, we’re adding on a #FreeTheTension Thursday night stretch class and a Friday #FreeTheBelly belly dance class beginning March.
Any advice or words of wisdom you can offer the millennial?
BE PRESENT! There is so much opportunity in being in the now and engrossing yourself with the moment. Many times we miss life changing opportunities because we aren’t appreciating our present, the now. Honor yourself, honor your intuition! Life is tricky and full of distractions, but if you take time to get quiet and listen to your spirit you will always succeed. Your highest self is always looking out for you, don’t doubt that. Another quote that we adore is, “Failure is not the opposite of success, but it is apart of it.” The beautyFULL thing about life is you get endless do-overs, TAKE. ADVANTAGE.