Afro’s First Outing: The Do-Over

After taking in that first life-changing breath of fro-ish air on St. Marks Place, I met up with my rad roommate Jessie and we headed out for our much-anticipated Sunday plans: The Do-Over. A day to dance, celebrate and do the weekend allllll over again at a giant warehouse in Bushwick.

And mama’s got a brand new toy.

A few minutes on the Brooklyn-bound L and we were released into the bumping crowds of The Do-Over, a wild, sunny, DJ-spun pool party, minus the pool. My other awesome roommate Tracy had taken me to my first Do-Over in LA last summer, and the thing I loved most about it there was the same as what I loved here: The FLAYVAH.

I twirled through a beautiful palette of blacks, browns, beiges, peaches and milky caramels, painting my world with richness. With spice! My afro—and all the magic it made me feel—fit right in here seamlessly. I became especially enamored of the thick and glamorous dos around me, and with that, they became the primary subject of my photos that day.

But the cameras weren’t just snapping outwards.  My dancing drew some attention (which happens with or without the fro). It’s this hybrid stretching/yoga/gyrating thing, and it involves me hella in my zone with lots of long limbs swirling at their own will. It’s a total release. I honestly have no idea what I look like doing it, but despite the fact that I feel extremely cool, I gather it’s somewhat humorous. With the added outlandishness of four-foot tall hair, I was a centerpiece for photos and videos all day long. iPhones pointed my way for full spontaneous dance numbers. People were asking to take pictures with me. Not gonna lie…. I was SO in my element.

Here are some more party photos I took that day. More on my principles of photography another time, but I use a tiny little Canon PowerShot ELPH and although I fancy myself a photographer, I have no plans to upgrade to a fancy camera.

Thanks to @crystlmeatballs, I learned that my fro was already making headlines. This one below ended up as the story-leading photo in FREEwilliamsburg’s coverage of the Do-Over. With all the photos to choose from, it was me who became the poster child for a hip hopping dance party in BK.

…and the disco hadn’t even begun.