Tinka

We are blessed to have the opportunity to say Happy B'earthday to my handsome husband today!!! This has been quite a season for us in the Barnes household. We have had multiple graduations and festivities now culminating with us dropping our third son off at Xavier on his B'earthday! you have been an amazing father and husband driving us cross country back to the city we gave birth to our second son in, New Orleans. This is a beautiful way to celebrate a bearthday! The last time we celebrated a bearthday here was my 40th 8 yrs ago! Everyone please join me in showing my King some love today as we do the positive but gut punching work of dropping our baby off at school. I love you so much Derrick Barnes💙💙💙

What I do on a day off from clinic; CPR course, meet the husband and boys for lunch, and shop at independent book stores for third book I'm her series!!! Thank you for putting me onto her. And I am holding up to other books you need to get one is from my Soror💙🤍 Zora Neal Hurston. Could not make it to Boule with my finer Sorors so I am sporting my gear here in
I LOVE books!!!

It has been a crazy busy Juneteenth season for us this year with CADDC and we are thankful. From a week long residency workshops with Vacation Bible School, Town of Matthew's Juneteenth, to Carnaval in Greensboro we have been running. Amidst all of this we had two graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, and homegoings. You get one life and it sometimes moves faster than you think you can handle. Just hold on tight and give thanks.

We have both Childrens and Adult classes this weekend!!! See you soon! Bring a friend and let's keep the Juneteenth focus still going.

His road to fatherhood started back on the campus of Thee I Love
We started a love story that took us back to his home town where I somehow managed to have my first son during medical school. We proceeded to move to New Orleans where the second son was blueprinted and developed a love for shrimp po boys from Harbor Cove. Katrina hit and we landed back in KC where our third son graced our family. It was so close behind that we had two in diapers. joined the might Barnes brothers and fit perfectly. Derrick tool it in stride and was busy diapering and cooking while I was on call on residency. It was rough but he did it. Let a few years go by and we created our final installment to the Barnes dynasty
Derrick has always been so supportive of me breastfeeding the boys and with the last one he would even help bring him up to clinic at lunch time. Things like that and so many more fatherly sit down sessions and sn**ch them up by the collar moments you all don't see, that's what makes me love this man. He is a phenomenal father and loves passionately in all that he does. I thank God for him and the type of man he is. His hard work and dedication to creating books that are colorful and withstand the test of time. He is our treasure and my ❤️. Love you

Celebrating my sons graduation from Olympic high school today! So proud of his personal drive and how he advocates for himself. He has said he wants yo be a lawyer and is determined to make it work with Howard University despite the cost of attendance. Praying that something comes together with that financial aid package. Our goal is no debt for our sons when they get out of college. That's our gift to them. Howard is testing our abilities to honor our pledge. But my God is able to do exceedingly above and beyond my own understanding. Silas Nathaniel Barnes deserves it. He is my Youth leader at church, trumpet soloist in the Jazz band, track team athlete, son #3, and stubborn to a fault at times but has always moved to his own beat. Graduating with distinction from OHS and ready for the next chapter. Momma loves you baby.

My husband took me to Chocolate City for a lovely romantic weekend that was truly beautiful. After 28 years of being together we still cherish some alone time. With his busy schedule he gave me something that is priceless...his undivided attention. Thank you baby! 😍😘

We were honored and excited to be a part of the 2024 Lavagem Celebration here in Charlotte!!! you did such an amazing job of curating and choreographing this years event. CADDC dancers and drummers were on point. And the audience participation for Mendiani was the best ever! They need to come to our Sunday community class for real. ❤️🔥👊🏾 Thank you to all the company for your talented presentation for the community. It's a blessing to share what we love with you all.

Photo credit: By BT Twitty
Choreography: yours truly Tinka Barnes
Costumes: By MO
Dancers:
Drummers: .boy.juju

We had a wonderful time this morning performing live on WBTV for the QC Morning segment! We are gearing up for the free dance class sponsored by the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture Please come on out and join us this weekend Saturday at 12:30. And then double down and come back to class on Sunday at 4:30 at The Dance Company on WT Harris. Lets Dance!!!

Join as we hit the floor today at 3pm is childrens class and 4:30pm for adults and youth. We have also been asked to come on tomorrow morning for a live demonstration! Thats the station. Giving thanks for the opportunity to showcase what we love to do.

Loved our graduation trip to LA! Challenging him to navigate these LA streets. Its where i grew up. Love my chocolate drop. ♥️

Pics from our first major production with ❤️🖤💚 The youth did so well. And the CADDC Kwanzaa spelling bee was loaded with eager spellers! We are creating programming around that and literacy as we speak. I love putting the shine on our youth and helping them develop a passion for dancing and reading. We will have adult classes this weekend and dedicated youth classes start back on. Jan 14. will be teaching that weekend. The youth are welcome to come to adult class as well. So thankful for this opportunity to share my passion for the culture with the community. thank you for being my mentor and pouring into me and all your students the value of training and developing as a dancer.

Last night CADDC was blessed to host the 6th night of Kwanzaa Charlotte, Kuumba! I was challenged to put a show together and choreograph a production for yhe evening. The youth have been working hard at learning the rhythms and dances. With a focus on developing them to be good dancers that understand the mechanics of dance along with the cultural nuisances. We worked to bring the community a great show last night. I am so proud of our youth and their work ethics. This new year will bring more programming and challenges to grow them in the cultural arts.
We at CADDC are in this and commited to developing the next generation of dancers and drummers. Thank you for the opportunity to present our first major full performance to the community! Garlana Hill so happy to have you on board to work with the youth as well. Thank you to all of the parents, community dancers and drummers for your support. Ladies you all looked lovely last night and we will be posting those soon as well. Thank you to my sons for helping us with the evening and looking so handsome as they did it. To my dance mentor Baba Danny Diallo Hinds your guidance and teachings are what i leaned on to make this night possible. To April Turner, you looked amazing and helped create such a memorable night for us all. Thank you for your excellence. And to my ace Karen Darlington Phelps this is only the beginning! Thank you for giving of yourself, your time, funds, and intellect as we worked to bring this presentation to fruition. Looking forward to next year.

Habari Gani?!
KUUMBA CREATIVITY

"To Do Always As Much As We Can, In The Way We Can, In Order To Leave Our Community More Beautiful And Beneficial Than We Inherited It."
Join us tonight at

Habari Gani! Come on out if you are in the KC area and share in an amazing night of performances with youth and adults! We can’t wait to see you. And you may even get a chance to show us what you got. 😉❤️🖤💚

President Barack Obama just read my husbands book to a classroom on the South side of Chicago today! I am still processing this. It's so awesome! If you haven't got your copy yet, please do. Its a perfect addition to the childrens library. Derrick Barnes Barack Obama ✨🎊
Here is the link, please share with your loved ones: https://www.amazon.com/Santas-Gotta-Go-Derrick-Barnes/dp/0593530438/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2C98XHS6AA4UR&keywords=santa%27s+gotta+go+derrick+barnes&qid=1702441530&s=instant-video&sprefix=santas+gotta+go+derrick+barnes%2Cinstant-video%2C82&sr=1-1

🍁Fall into the season with rhythm and cultural expression🍁This weekend is fast approaching so please come join us for children’s class and adults class at TDC!

Even where there has been immense pain you can find beauty. The land from wich we were taken is rich in vibrant fruits and natural resources. We saw this and felt the ebb and flow of energy with each step on the path to the Last Bath and the Slave Dungeon Castle. The river gave and took that day. Haunted walls 200 voices screamed quitely as we walked the dank and storied prisoners rooms.

My first time in the mother land proved to be a soul stirring roller coaster of emotions and events. I could not have anticipated the breath of awakening it brought to me. The trepidation i had before going vanished as i moved in rhythm with the local citizens. I felt at home and at peace. Thank you for choosing such a valuable experience to share with me for your B'earthday. Thank you Baba Kojo for curating a monumental homecoming for us. Being able to also share donations with the medical clinics and the village school was humbling and priceless. More pics will be following, but heres a few from day 1! Medaase Paapa

Lets Go Broncos!!! #25 thats my baby!

He is my second born Son and today is his B’earthday!!!! You came at a time when we were ruffing it in the Big Easy humid city of New Orleans. Shout out to our NOLA family we love you! I remember all the early morning rides to Houma for my surgery rotation and pulling over to take care of my queasy stomach. How you didn’t want to come out but you was getting too big for me to carry much longer. So you are now 19!!! I am proud of you baby and all the hard work and superb work ethic you demonstrate for all to see. You have an awesome example in your father and big brother all mighty Not to mention your almost B’earthday twin We love you and send prayers of health and prosperity to you baby. Always your number one fan…momma😘❤️😘❤️

Charlotte are you feeling the dance energy in the air and you have free time tomorrow? Join us on the dance floor at with momma April ! West African Dance class just for YOU this Sunday. Come on out and bring a friend.

This Soror right here!!! She delivered the word today here at the leadership conference in Denver Colorado! She has blessed me immensely today. To God be the glory for all that we are and plan to do. With Extraordinary overflowing in this great ballroom today I am humbled and supercharged to do more, be more, lift more. Thank you to the whole team for making this happen and elevating all these blutiful women here!

If you came to the workshop this weekend with Baba Danny Hinds you can keep that same energy flowing this upcoming Sunday. Mama April Turner is leading us in expression of Weat African Dance and culture this upcoming Sunday. Look we have to get ready for when he comes back. Remember the five elements of dance?
I will give you the first three and you can comment below with the next two. 1️⃣Body 2️⃣Action 3️⃣Space… What’s 4️⃣&5️⃣? See you on the dance floor family. 😘❤️✊🏾

✨SAVE THE DATE!!!✨ JULY 9th…Baba Danny Diallo Hinds is coming! A brief bio for Danny:

Danny Diallo Hinds had his foundation for dance and cultural arts start in Barbados his home country. Early on he had the unique opportunity to further his study with the late Katherine Dunham at her Dance and Performing Arts Center in Edwardsville IL. While in the United States he has taught and been a consultant with multiple organizations. Baba Hinds has been the assistant artistic director of the Chicago based Najwa Dance corp. Baba Hinds has also founded dance companies in Barbados and the US. Currently he is the Cultural Arts director and teacher at The African Centered Collegiate Preparatory Academy in Kansas City MO. Grades K-8. Diallo is also founder and Director of Art in Motion Blkdance-tek School of Dance in KCMO.
Art In Motion is a professional Multi-performing arts organization with an extensive repertoire of music and dance taken from Afrika, Caribbean, Central, Southern, and Northern America.

Juneteenth is OUR liberation celebration! Join us on Sunday as we kick off our week with a shared purpose. Giving thanks to the ancestors that paved the way for us to enjoy the freedoms we have today. We will drum and dance OUR story. For the betterment of OUR own health, the uplifting of OUR communities, and the preservation of our culture. Dance like you’re FREE!

Why does a society feel the need to ban books? We should want an educated and well informed populist, unless we just want people to be easily swayed by mistruths.

I have to give a shout out to the first designer and tailor to custom make a work for me over 24 yrs ago. This is my most recent piece I purchased from her. you are a phenomenal creative who never fails to make a woman feel beautiful and seen. I applaud you and thank God for those gifted hands and mind. Smooches!!!😘❤️✊🏾

The Childrens class is happening today but at a different location. 😊❤️👏🏾 Please see flyer for details. We will be at Fuzion Force getting our dance on family. If you have any questions please DM and we will get you taken care of. See you soon!

Please not new one time class location! See you on the dance floor!