{"id":11282,"date":"2022-09-15T13:54:52","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T18:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/?p=11282"},"modified":"2022-09-15T13:54:52","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T18:54:52","slug":"bienvenue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2022\/09\/15\/bienvenue\/","title":{"rendered":"Bienvenue!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Adventure Begins Today<\/b><\/p>\n

By Madelaine\u00a0<\/span>B. Landry<\/em><\/p>\n

When entrepreneur, health professional, filmmaker and multilingual folklorist Dr. Moriah Hargrave speaks, it\u2019s hard to resist her enthusiasm. When she dances, however, most find it impossible. Her mission is to \u201cinspire local and global communities to fleurish forever through fitness, dance, film, music, and faith.\u201d That\u2019s \u201cfleur\u201dish\u2026with a fleur-de-lis and a distinctly French flair. And guess what, SWLA? She is on the lookout now for fitness instructors who wish to get certified to teach her ZydeFit courses.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Certified ZydeFit instructor Jill Hernandez was hooked immediately. \u201cWhen I first contacted Moriah about getting certified, she explained to me that getting the certification was a three-step process. The first step was to learn the history behind ZydeFit. This includes the history and heritage of Cajun and Creole music. To say the least, it was eye-opening and so much fun. Upon completing the certification, I am now teaching classes on a weekly basis and having the greatest time watching others learn something new. Moriah is such a blessing and so full of knowledge. I am proud to call her mentor and friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

A visit to Moriah\u2019s website, fleurishforever.com, offers some brief biographical tidbits: \u201cShe founded the company Fleurish Forever; directed and produced the documentary film First Cousins: Cajun and Creole Music in South Louisiana; and established her own dance business, LA Danser.\u00a0 <\/span>Moriah also created an innovative fitness program called ZydeFit and operates as a partner with the 50-year old multibillion-dollar health and wellness Juice Plus+ Company operating in more than 20 countries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Moriah appreciates every opportunity to share her passion for culture, health, and dance at home and abroad.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s that passion for sharing that strikes you first. Moriah grew up dancing. From her childhood, she danced at big Catholic weddings, while attending local festivals, and during breaks on rural trail rides. Wherever she was, she never stopped two-stepping, jitterbugging or twirling. But eventually, she had an epiphany. Dancing could not be separated from her beloved Cajun and French Creole cultures, but it could be more than that. \u201cOver time,\u201d she says, \u201cI realized that dancing could also be a path to good health, if one eliminated alcohol and greasy foods.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Moriah Hargrave<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Moriah\u2019s educational background is impressive, from being homeschooled to attending the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Arkansas State University, Universit\u00e9 de Sainte-Anne in Nova Scotia, and Universit\u00e9 de Mons-Hainaut in Belgium. It was during their doctorate work in Heritage Studies at Arkansas State, that she and her sister, Dr. Elista Istre, found a way to communicate their appreciation and respect for the culture they loved. While putting their noses to the grindstone, they decided to collaborate on producing a documentary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Elista came into the project with experience in museum and exhibit design; Moriah\u2019s contribution was from a festival planning and stage management background. What better way to collaborate than to highlight their combined research over a 10-year period, including over 250 hours of footage, into one 55-minute film?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They co-directed First Cousins: Cajun and Creole Music in South Louisiana, a documentary that explores \u201cthe artistry, music, folklore, linguistics and history of various communities within Louisiana and beyond.\u201d The film debuted in conjunction with Festivals Acadiens et Cr\u00e9oles in Lafayette in 2016, traveling from there to several other states, as well as to Canada and France. \u201cWe are dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of cultural heritage through film and other art forms. With a great response from our documentary First Cousins: Cajun and Creole Music in South Louisiana, Fleurish Films continues to share the rich culture of South Louisiana with the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMoriah and her sister Elista produced the most ambitious and successful documentary film on the story of Louisiana Cajun and Creole cultures and music,\u201d says Dr. Barry Ancelet, ULL French professor emeritus. \u201cIt was a magic trick that allowed the story to be as complex as it really is, respecting and celebrating the identity of each community without segregating them. The secret was simple: a deep insider perspective and allowing the participants to tell their own stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lafayette filmmaker Pat Mire agrees. \u201cThese two sisters truly met the classic trade-off in documentary film, which is quality of production versus content. Moriah and Elista tell a story of vast cultural and musical importance to the better understanding of the Cajun and Creole connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, however, Moriah\u2019s love for dancing and fitness never stopped simmering on a back burner. While working on their doctorate degrees, Moriah explained, \u201cElista and I would wake up at 5 am for a boot camp fitness class, get into the office by 7 am, then go for a walk around Craighead Lake after getting off work around 5 pm. With that much sitting down for research, it occurred to me that we had to do everything possible to stay in shape. Dancing has always been a natural fit for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One day, as they were walking to class, Moriah mentioned to Elista that she would love to take a zydeco dance fitness class, but regretted that nothing like that existed, especially in Arkansas. That\u2019s when Elista turned to her little sister and simply stated, \u201cSo make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she did. The sisters graduated with a PhD in heritage studies in 2014, premiered the film in 2016 and launched ZydeFit in 2018. Meanwhile, Moriah taught zydeco and Cajun dance lessons for individuals, groups and events to pay the bills. She has since traveled extensively all over the U.S., Canada and Europe, teaching dance workshops at a variety of cultural events. She has collaborated with multiple Grammy winners and celebrities from Louisiana, including Chubby Carrier, Wayne Toups and Zachary Richard. When she\u2019s not choreographing new music by seasoned artists, dancing in a hot music video or touring across country, you can find Moriah on the dance floor, teaching both locals and visitors in the Bayou State how to master the basics and really dig into the nuances of Cajun and zydeco dancing.<\/p>\n

Dancing instructions at LA Danser honor the gumbo that is Louisiana music, stirring in helpings of traditional Cajun and zydeco dance styles with pinches of seasoning provided by country, hip hop, rock and blues. Moriah promotes this as a path not only to physical fitness but also to emotional and mental health. Learning to dance well inspires self-confidence and can serve as great couple therapy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of women drag their men to my classes, informing me that \u2018she\u2019 already knows how to dance, but \u2018he\u2019 desperately needs the dance lesson,\u201d says Moriah. \u201cWhat these ladies usually find out through these lessons is that \u2018she\u2019 desperately needs to learn how to follow so that \u2018he\u2019 can have a fighting chance at leading.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Hargrave with instructors<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

She further commented on just how deep the matriarchal roots here in South Louisiana go, which has most likely contributed to the disproportionate numbers of females to males on the dance floor. \u201cMaybe they exist, but I have yet to meet a man who enjoys being told what to do by the lady in his life or feels motivated to try harder at something that she has convinced him he\u2019s not any good at. So rather than deepening any level of embarrassment or inadequacy on the dance floor, most men are content to just let the women go dance by themselves, which of course is not the ideal situation from the woman\u2019s perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, she\u2019s confident that her work in helping couples dance better together is having a positive impact on local communities in South Louisiana and beyond. The dancing increases the overall desire to keep this amazing cultural experience alive and well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And from this, another brainchild, ZydeFit, was born. Billed as Louisiana\u2019s hottest new dance workout, the workout DVD includes the music of Louisiana zydeco artists like Cupid, J. Paul, Jr., Chris Ardoin and many others. These full-body workouts are designed to help participants reach all the usual fitness goals \u2014 to tone muscles, increase stamina and improve coordination. But ZydeFit\u2019s other (and equally important) goal is to encourage its enthusiasts to keep moving outside of the classroom or gym.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cZydeFit instructors must become certified coaches who undergo training with fitness entrepreneurs, health professionals and cultural scholars,\u201d notes Moriah. \u201cWe want our program to attract people who genuinely appreciate this culture and have a passion for health, representing both aspects well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are currently training and certifying, mostly in the Lafayette area. But we are ready to certify more coaches in Opelousas, Lake Charles, Houston, New Orleans and beyond. There\u2019s such a strong interest from folks all over the state and even out of the country who want this program offered in their respective regions, so we\u2019re doing our best to get the word out so people can experience ZydeFit across the globe.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter having gastric bypass surgery, I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. I joined a gym,\u201d explains Jill Hernandez. \u201cIn my journey, I met some amazing people who helped me really get into fitness. Ultimately, I became a fitness instructor. One of my passions is dancing. When I started teaching, it was water aerobics and line dance classes. I am always looking at ways to make fitness more than just exercise, to make it fun. I wanted to bring ZydeFit to the Fontana Center in Lafayette.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hernandez encourages others to contact Moriah and explore the training and certification process. \u201cLake Charles and all of SWLA needs your continuing enthusiasm for fitness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with her husband, Brandon, Moriah has an ultimate dream. \u201cWe envision a cultural center on enough land to host festivals, concerts and workshops focused on fitness, dance, film, music and faith. People long to connect and create, and we want to develop a safe space here in South Louisiana for locals to appreciate their roots so they can branch out and inspire others to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Adventure Begins Today By Madelaine\u00a0B. Landry When entrepreneur, health professional, filmmaker and multilingual folklorist Dr. Moriah Hargrave speaks, it\u2019s hard to resist her enthusiasm. When she dances, however, most find it impossible. Her mission is to \u201cinspire local and global communities to fleurish forever through fitness, dance, film, music, and faith.\u201d That\u2019s \u201cfleur\u201dish\u2026with a [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11283,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2580,4,2581,2582,2289,2579],"yoast_head":"\nBienvenue! - BestOfSwla<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2022\/09\/15\/bienvenue\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bienvenue! - BestOfSwla\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Adventure Begins Today By Madelaine\u00a0B. 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