Parade Practice: Samba Foundation + Bloco Oya

​Bloco Oyá is PHonk!Philly’s parade project and bloco afro, led by Elaine Smith, founder and artistic director of PHonk!Philly and 2025 Leeway x NextFab Art + Technology Resident.

Bloco Oyá is rooted in African, Brazilian, and Caribbean traditions of rhythm and movement. Oyá, the orisha of wind and transformation reminds us that change happens through movement—and that transformation is a shared process.
Our practice centers breath, listening, and moving together—learning parade skills by staying connected, responding to cues, and allowing rhythm to carry us through public spaces. This is a community in motion, built over time.

​Monthly Themes:
March- Mardi Gras, New Orleans
April- Junkanoo, Bahamas
May- Carnival, Brazil

​🕓 Every last Saturday beginning March 28, 2026