Ever dream of dancing in a music video, or of touring as a back-up dancer with your favorite artist? Or how about moving as fluidly and in control as phenom Lil Buck? And what about “locking” – don’t you wish you could master it?
Lissette Salgado-Lucas, co-artistic director of JBS’s Summer of Hip Hop Intensive. Photo courtesy of Joffrey Ballet School.
For those dancers who want to dance all summer but wish to try something new, the Joffrey Ballet School may have the program for you. The school, in partnership with Shake the Ground, will present its brand new Summer of Hip Hop Dance Intensive, to be held in New York City, July 11-29, 2016.
This exciting program will consist of three weeks of up to five dynamic classes a day, with some of the most sought-after hip hop instructors and choreographers. For students who want to break out of their mold or want to delve further into their training, this hip hop intensive could be quite the eye-opening experience.
“It is a hip hop-only intensive, where they will learn many different forms of hip hop, ranging from breaking, freestyle, house, jazz/funk, street, locking, pop’n, stepping, battle and commercial,” explains Lissette Salgado-Lucas, a former Joffrey Ballet principal dancer, who, with husband David Lucas, also a former dancer, will be artistic directors of Joffrey Ballet School’s Summer of Hip Hop Dance Intensive.
This program, available to dancers ages nine to 25, is geared toward those who have a love for the hip hop dance style and wish to study various forms, as well as the history and roots of where hip hop began.
Performers in Joffrey Ballet School’s hip hop program. Photo by Anna Kuzmina.
“We hope that they will learn an appreciation of the history of hip hop and gain confidence to perform in the new styles of hip hop dancing that they will learn,” Lissette says.
During these three weeks, Lissette and David ensure that students will be exposed to: technical skills in various hip hop dance styles, hip hop dance movement terminology, dance battles, practical application of dance theory for music videos, and they will even experience some NYC outings. In addition, students will take part in a music dance video, a flash mob and the end-of-intensive summer performance, for those who attend all three weeks.
With exposure to multiple forms of hip hop dance, the Joffrey Ballet School Summer of Hip Hop Dance Intensive aims to breed more versatile hip hop performers.
“These dancers will have the opportunity to learn from the masters of these different styles,” Lissette says. “This will enhance their appreciation of hip hop and help them be a more well-rounded hip hop dancer. It is important for dancers to be versatile in the forms of hip hop if they ever want to go into a career as a hip hop dancer in musicals, music videos, dance productions…as you never know what style a choreographer will want and ask for.”
David Lucas, co-artistic director of JBS’s Summer of Hip Hop Intensive. Photo courtesy of Joffrey Ballet School.
Lissette and David are excited for this upcoming intensive, one that they hope will be a fun and intense learning experience for students.
“I am most looking forward to watching the dancers grow, create and explore what their bodies can do in the various styles of hip hop,” Lissette concludes. “We are very excited to add the hip hop summer intensive to the list of Joffrey Ballet School summer intensives, seeing this program unfold and pushing the boundaries.”
For more information on the Summer of Hip Hop Intensive, and all of Joffrey Ballet School’s summer programs, head to www.joffreyballetschool.com/summer-programs.
By Laura Di Orio of Dance Informa.
Photo (top): Dancers in Joffrey Ballet School’s hip hop program. Photo by Anna Kuzmina.
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