three snippets of boom-say action
1. Kukuwa: Good morning, America! But here at Tenley, the apartheid, it has not ended! Outside, America; in here, only Africans allowed!
As an aside to the Latina woman in the front row: Not you, honey, you can stay.

2. (Standing next to me in the back is an older woman, about 60-65, with aqua knit pants and gigantic sunglasses -- indoors, of course -- and one of those deep West Coast skin-cancer tans that just looks wrong, wrong, wrong. She will heretofore be known as "Malibu Bubbie.")
Kukuwa comes to dance next to Malibu Bubbie for one of the back-facing parts. She yells, "Come on, boom-say! Use the boom-say!" and Malibu Bubbie literally stops in her tracks and stares at her like she's just yelled something unimaginably offensive. Malibu Bubbie *sits down on the floor*. Kukuwa is unfazed, and everyone just dances on.

3. (A woman who's never been to the class before is standing in the front, next to Faux-Ellen.)
Kukuwa: Come on, what is the problem? This dance needs-- wait, no, wait.
Kukuwa turns the music off and gets very still, so that the entire class comes to a complete halt.
Kukuwa, looking very crestfallen and sad: What is your name?
Amy: Amy. I've never been here before.
Kukuwa: Yes, I can see that.
Amy, not sure how to take that statement: Um, I'm sorry?
Kukuwa: No, it is OK, but class, we have a situation here. Amy is not using her pelvic. Use the pelvic. Pelvic! Pelvic! Do it with me, pelvic! pelvic!
Amy and Kukuwa use their pelvics in sync.
Kukuwa, turning the music back on: OK, now we can all dance with Amy and her pelvic. Pelvic! Pelvic!