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Genesis teaches Beginner Hip Hop weekly on Wednesdays from 8--9pm @ 2100 Chestnut. Check out a note from her below about Crunk Music & her class! Crunk Music and some of my favorite artists/songs: Crunk music is defined as a subgenre under Southern hip-hop that is often up-tempo, energetic and has a club-like appeal. Common themes in crunk music are vocal calls and responses, 808 beats, and a focus on party vibes and creating an atmosphere for a great time. To be 'crunk' was to be energetic and hyped. As a Southern girl myself, this genre of music was everywhere in the early-mid 2000s. Granted, I wasn't old enough to be at clubs but pretending was enough for me to get hype. Some of my favorite pioneers in Crunk music are Lil Jon and the Ying Yang Twins. In my eyes, they are staples to crunk music I use a few of their hits in my class a lot during my warmups and across the floor. It sets the atmosphere for the party vibe I try to cultivate during the hour. My goal for Beginner Hip-Hop is to not only teach the foundation but also create a hype atmosphere for people to enjoy. Hip-hop was birthed in the parties. A lot of our favorite moves came from those parties where it was all about having a great time. Other than me hyping the class up with vocal chants, Crunk music is an essential piece to the energetic vibe I bring weekly. If you're looking to learn about hip-hop foundation and enjoy a party vibe, meet me on Wednesdays 8-9 PM! Here are some of my favorite hits of both artists Clyde Evans, founder and director of Chosen Dance Company Often reverence is given to the pioneering icons that were in the limelight in cities like New York or L.A. at the genesis of dance movements. In the funk styles, we remember the Original Lockers or the Electric Boogaloos. In New York, we sing the praises of Ken Swift and Caleaf Sellers. The praise given to these legends is legit. They deserve it. However, while singing the praises of famous pioneers from the most famous cities, we often fail to acknowledge hometown heroes. One of the most important Philly heroes is Clyde Evans, an original member of RHPM and founder of Chosen Dance Company. Clyde is immensely important for the standard that he brought to his approach to the dance and the mentorship that he offered to a vast array of millennial street dancers in Philly. Clyde is one of the trailblazers that set the bar for Philly dancers being able to hold down multiple dance styles. Clyde is proficient in everything. Most dancers tend to gravitate to a particular form. Particularly in the 90s and early 2000s, dancers that popped didn't also break. People were specialists. Almost all of the alumni of RHPM from the original class got busy across multiple forms. Clyde epitomizes versatility, particularly in his capacity to break and do the groove/stand up based forms. And out of all of Philly Gen X dancers, he is the most technical. Clyde knows how to bring the funk while being squeaky clean. And he lives to perform. He is an expert at communicating the traditional styles to a broad audience while honoring their integrity. Discipline and craftsmanship is at the heart of his practice. And he passed down these qualities to the next generation. Many leading figures in Philly street dance can trace some line back to Clyde. For example, the amazing Mark Boston and Virgil Gadson were central figures in Chosen dance company. Some other major figures that passed through Chosen include Shanika, Justin, David, Dre and Jon. This is only naming a few. And for dancers that weren't in Chosen, there was still a very likely chance that they would have received some sort of support from Clyde at some point along the way. For me, one notable memory that I have is catching a ride to the house dance conference at Club Shelter in NY once or twice with Clyde. He gave immense support to my generation of Philly dancers. I think of Clyde as the king of the lecture demonstration. In my opinion, most dancers in Philly got their lecture demonstration, swag from Clyde. For those of you that do not know what a lec dem is, for street dancers it is an educational performance in which the performers talk about the history of dances and offer demonstrations. Clyde perfected this form of performance and education. Along the way, anyone in his proximity gained a priceless skill: the understanding of how to speak eloquently and instructively about street dance. Clyde's meticulous attention to history, culture and vocabulary set a standard for everyone in my generation. Clyde, along with pushing us to be dope dancers, has taught us the importance of knowledge. There are many features in Clyde's legacy that I can continue to share. But I will conclude by reflecting on Clyde's impact on street dance professionalism in Philly. Clyde's mentorship and sharing of opportunity has presented me and many of my peers with a broad perspective of what is possible with our art. Clyde works across multiple platforms and institutions, ranging from mainstream media, theater to academia. His model of professionalism set a very positive example for my generation. As I mentioned above, one notable person that I've always admired that was a part of Chosen is Mark Boston of Phresh. Clyde's branch extends to Mark's and from there Mark has paved the way for so many younger millennials and Gen Z dancers to pursue fruitful careers. Keep in mind that this contemporary configuration of American Street Dance is still rather younger, not extending past the 70s. Clyde and other members of his generation are extremely important for bringing dignity and respect to what we do. For me, Clyde modeled the power and importance of our work as dancers. I confidently and proudly say that Philly dance would not be what it is today without the influence of Clyde Evans. Thank you, Clyde. Folks, this is my first Philly Street Dance Hero entry. I am truly looking forward to sharing more about the people that I've always looked up to. There's much more to come. Stay Tuned. Vince talks about the importance of deepening our relationship to the music associated with our favorite dance forms.  Oftentimes as dance students, we put most of our emphasis into learning the moves. Spending time studying the music associated with certain dance forms is integral to our development as dancers too. The music often defines the shape and character of the dance. For example, if you can't vibe with 70s funk, it is going to be hard to tap into the character of locking. If you want to do the street dances of today, you should be well versed in the hip hop, r&b and pop that is on the radio and streaming on current playlists. The less you are in touch with the music, the more limited you'll be in trying to develop a strong voice as a dancer. I encourage everyone to do more close and active listening to the music that you would like to dance to. This basically means that it is important to make time to listen to music without it being in the background. Bring it to the forefront of your thinking and imagination. The sharpening of your ear will help to shape how the rest of the body moves. |
ContributorsKayla Bobalek Archives
May 2025
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Locations
812 Chestnut StSearch 'Urban Movement Arts @ 812 Chestnut' on Google Maps
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2100 Chestnut St. 2nd Flr
*entrance is on 21st! between Rione Pizza & Monde Market*
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