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Project Abundant Life Family
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| Our Family |
The Board, volunteers and students of this project are
ethnically and cultural diverse by design, and as a natural result of the target audience. The founders believe that one of
the strengths of the program is its cultural and ethnic diversity, since learning to understand and cooperate with others
is a key element of the mission. The organization also believes that students in the program are learning skills that will
lead to personal economic betterment, as well as developing the powerful habits of life-long learning and self-improvement.
The skills learned in our programs help youth and young adults become disciplined and focused in their personal lives, leading
them to more productive and fulfilling adult lives.
Project Abundant Life believes that this project is a close match to the City’s criteria
for economic, cultural and social impact. The mission of the organization was designed to identify and serve the special
needs of inner city youth and young adults, a target group that has been traditionally underserved by programs that promote
both art and a service mission.
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| Founder of Project Abundant Life |
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In 1999 Dorian Layssard found Capoeira
Angola and began training as a student and has traveled to learn with the great masters of his art. Dorian is now an professor
in the art and is respected as a quality practitioner of Capoeira Angola by his peers and Master. By maintaining
the highest of artistic standards of implementation, he has been giving the blessings of his masters to teach the ancient
art of Capoeira Angola. In February of 2005 he began teaching Capoeira to youth in AISD and adults at the YMCA in Northeast
Austin. Dorian instructs students in the dance fight movements song instrument playing and construction as well as the history,
philosophies and traditions of Capoeira Angola. Dorian uses Capoeira for the much needed skills of self discipline,
respect for others, tolerance, and the joys of cooperation all which transform into their daily lives
 Project Abundant Life began its Capoeira
programming in February of 2005, and has worked hard to maintaine the highest of artistic standards in the implementation
of its classes and performances. Instructors are all expert in the fluid, close to the ground movements of Capoeira. The lead
instructor is an inspiring Capoeira instructor, and is supported by two assistants who have each studied for over 10 years.
All instructors emphasize the artistic quality and integrity of the art form’s movements at all times. They also
teach students the cultural history of an art form in which African slaves developed a physical and artistic discipline that
allowed them individual expression, while “fooling” their slave masters into thinking it was merely a way of showing
off or joking around. (Once the real intent became known, Capoeira was actually outlawed on pain of death). Practiced in secret,
and handed down from one generation to the next, Capoeira has a rich cultural history. |
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Curtis Williams and Dorian
Layssard began the first Capoeria group in Belize, Central America in 2000, Curtis is a member and a lead instructor
with Free Angola Capoera Society. He is a key factor in the existence and the perpetuation of our organization
and has been with Project Abundant Life since it was just a vision.
Dorian
and Curtis created a chapter of Free Angola Capoeira Society, in order to serve and empower the local children. Our purpose
was to make aware the possibility of self-mastery through the healing arts of our ancestors. Presently two of our students
are continuing to work with the youths in their village and at the University of Belize.
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| Youth workshop Belize, Central America |
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