CHOKOLA LAKAY
2015-PRESENT

First performed in 2015, Chokola Lakay began as a way for Casimir to honor her connection to home, memory and ritual.

“My mother has been sending [Chokola péyi] to me since I left her house for college; every few months, a package will appear in the mail with the Haitian cacao. … Chokola Lakay is a way for me to share that ritual of performance, but also the ritual of making something that is important to me, my family and my culture with other people.”

Rooted in the Haitian ritual of preparing Chokola péyi (Haitian Hot Chocolate), this performative and informational piece honors the connection between Casimir and her mother through their exchange of what Casimir considers “brown gold” across geographical distances.  Each movement—pounding, stirring, swirling love into the drink—becomes a story, inviting the audience to connect with Ayiti through smell, taste, and family.