When Chrissy Costello and Angelita Peter formed a Marin dance group to participate in the San Francisco Carnaval parade in 2016, it consisted of 36 women.
Now, eight years later, there are 73 dancers of all ages, sizes and skill levels. Seventy women and three men will dance adorned in bikinis, elaborate headdresses, glitter and feathers at the 45th annual Carnaval San Francisco event on May 28th.
They will be the only Marin troupe – or “comparsa” in Spanish – out of more than 70 groups taking part in the parade.
“Our comparsa is Esforço, which means ‘effort’ in Portuguese,” said Costello, a teacher at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley.
Costello, who was born and raised in Marin, said she has long felt the need to bring community to Marin’s diverse cultural milieu.
“Esforço is all about inclusion,” said Costello, 40, of Olema. “Any age, race, height, gender, dance background, sexual orientation, etc. is welcome with open arms and butt shaking.”
In addition to creating a community, strengthening the body is a goal.
“We find that people of all ages, even people in their 50s and 60s, still have so much not to love and appreciate themselves,” Costello said. “It’s really nice to see how just by wearing a bikini and feathers on the street, people can finally connect with themselves and feel empowered.”
Costello recruited part of the team through Zumba classes she teaches at the Marinwood Community Center. Incorporating almost all Latin dance styles such as salsa, cumbia, mambo, samba and cha-cha, Zumba creates hip-moving choreographies to popular songs that students can easily imitate by following the instructor.
“My daughter took me to Chrissy’s Zumba class eight or nine years ago,” said Doug Koefoed, 66, one of the three male dancers.
“My daughter didn’t stick with it, but I’ve been with it ever since,” said Koefoed, a visual artist who said he’s been dancing since the 1970s. “I love it. This is mainly due to the community.”
Koefoed and many other dancers wore gold-colored sneakers at a recent rehearsal on Sunday. They will all wear similarly spectacular costumes designed by Katie Lister and Apocalypse Fabrication for the parade.
A fundraiser to help pay for costumes and other expenses will be held Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Round Table Pizza at 1565 S. Novato Blvd in Novato.
Peter, daughter of former longtime Carnaval CEO Roberto Hernandez, met Costello at a 2013 Carnaval event. The women were then members of a different group.
When they met, they realized that they both had the same goal: to bring a love of dance and a community of different cultures to Marin.
“We just wanted to create a community where people can be themselves and feel as good as they want,” said Peter, 42, of Santa Rosa.
“We wanted to encourage them and give them the opportunity to do their best,” she added. “We truly believe that dancing heals the mind, body and spirit.”
Peter’s daughter Naitalya, 8, is one of the youngest dancers in Esforço.
“She’s been dancing since she was three,” said Peter.
“I’ve been dancing since I was five,” added Peter. “I’ve been to so many different comparsas. This is my absolute favorite.”
During the pre-Mardi Gras season from February through May, the group rehearses for about an hour every Sunday morning at Lucas Valley Elementary School. At least two of the troop members — Tara Costello, Chrissy’s sister, and Mary Krause — are teachers in the Miller Creek School District, which includes the Lucas Valley school.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Krause, who joined Esforço seven years ago. “It’s about the community.”
Sunday’s rehearsal music reflected Esforço’s theme for this year: female musicians through the decades and female empowerment. Hits like the Thelma Houston classic “Don’t Leave Me This Way” from 1977 and the Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine song “Conga” from 1985 could be heard from the big boom box, which played the whole hour.
After Sunday rehearsals, some group members often meet for tacos at Big Rock Deli, a short walk down Lucas Valley Road from the school. Other social events tend to be spontaneous, such as small groups of friends occasionally taking a pub crawl around town and dancing between stops.
“It’s so much fun,” Tara Costello said. “It’s a good mix of cultures, ages and shapes.”
“Some people have never danced in their lives, others dance their whole lives,” she said. “It’s just great to be comfortable in your own skin. It’s about strengthening the body.”
The festival takes place on May 27th and 28th from 11am to 6pm and spans 17 blocks in the Mission District. The grand parade begins May 28 at 10 a.m. on 24th Street and Bryant Street. General admission tickets are $30.
For more information, visit carnavalsanfrancisco.org online.
