Naomi “Namajala” Milagros Washington Roque, MFA in Dance ‘21

Namajala Naomi’s outward facing thesis project is a fête that took place over the course of two days. A fête, in African traditional religions, is a festival or celebration of selected deities that is open to the public.
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Namajala Naomi Milagros Washington Roque is an artist and educator dedicated to learning, integrating, embodying and sharing the medicines of Afro-Atlantic diaspora movement and music through a spiritual framework. As a native Washingtonian from D.C. with Puerto Rican and African American descent, Namajala Naomi uses her experience and love for Cuban Casino, Afro-Cuban folkloric and traditional West African dance to build healthy, cohesive and diverse communities grounded in the cultural, ancestral and spiritual legacies of the Afro-Atlantic diaspora.

She is currently a principal dancer and instructor for DC Casineros Dance Company in Washington D.C. and has been a member of the company for 10 years. She has taught and performed various Cuban genres, including Casino, Rueda de Casino, Son, Chachacha, Rumba and Afro-Cuban folkloric, with the company both nationally and internationally and has trained with internationally renowned Cuban companies such as Ballet Folklorico Cutumba and Companía All Stars out of Santiago de Cuba.