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Soka Tribe is a community that brings carnival culture to life through dance fitness classes, experiential activities, and branded apparel. Soka Tribe was founded by Shermica Sokanista Farquhar in 2015 in Washington D.C. As a newbie to the area, she desired to connect with the local Caribbean community aka her tribe. She overcame the challenges of meeting new people in a new city by building her own community the Soka Tribe! The Brooklyn-born Trinidadian has been dancing since she could walk, and began participating in carnival mas (short for masquerade) with her family band since she was 4 years old. Sokanista now shares the rich culture of Trinidad carnival with the Washington D.C./DMV-area weekly. Soka Tribe invites participants of diverse backgrounds to let loose, have fun and be the carnival! The Soka Tribe is growing with the Soka Tribe Chiefs lead dance fitness classes, group performances, trips and tours, which spread the vision and energy of Soka Tribe to the broader community. Tribe members stay connected in between classes and carnival via @SokaTribe social media and features on SokaTribe.com Soka Tribe has taught over 1,000 class participants and performed in front of thousands in cities throughout the U.S., the Caribbean and Africa. Soka Tribe has been featured in The Washington Post, Good Morning Washington, Great Day Washington, Mid City DC, and performed with the likes of Soca King Machel Montano, singer Patrice Roberts and at the Washington Wizards game half-time show. This Funk Parade Presentation was done in collaboration with Jamie Thompson of LyveARTS International and Kwabena Safo-Agyekum of Kwabs Dance Company.