On Tuesday, October 17, Stockton’s Caribbean Student Association (CSA) held a free class in the Lodge at Lakeside for anyone to come in and learn Kompa, a beloved Haitian dance. Snacks were set out and music played in the Lodge for any guests coming in to learn the dance. Being a late Tuesday night, there was a low amount of guests, but enough for Darlyncia Nobrun, the dance instructor, to conduct a fun dance class for everyone in the room to enjoy.

In this free ‘Kompa 101’ course, students learned about the history of Kompa and experienced the beauty of the dance firsthand. It was a very enjoyable experience, both for those dancing and those only watching from the sidelines. Nobrun helped each student through every step, proving to be an excellent teacher, and shared many laughs with everyone in the room.

Nobrun hosts various dance classes independently and teaches her students about Haitian culture and dance. She has taught in the USA and Europe. “I loved how everyone is just willing to learn and have an open mind,” Nobrun commented. “Even if they’ve never danced Kompa before, or aren’t Haitian, I love how everyone took that step to try something new.” For more information on Kompa dance classes, follow @tashaa_lovely and @dancewdar on Instagram.

Ann Delva, the president of CSA, stated, “I feel like a lot of people don’t know about Kompa, and that’s our main purpose; showing our Caribbean culture. Kompa is very popular in Haiti and a lot of French-speaking countries. We wanted to bring Kompa to Stockton, show [off] our culture, and have fun!”

For more information on CSA’s events, follow @stockton_csa on Instagram.