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Tuesdays @ 7pm @ 812 Chestnut This class is designed for adults with limited or zero knowledge of Hip Hop dance, but have some sense of direction, balance, and coordination. The class begins with going through some very simple Hip Hop grooves and social dances. New moves and grooves are introduced periodically depending on the growth of the consistent participants. The class then moves to creating a simple choreography pattern to show how you can peice moves and grooves together in seamless transitions. Those that take this class for the first time may find challenges in rhythm or being comfortable in some of the foundation that is introduced. This is a very normal experience for beginners. The only way to get the most out of this class is to attend consistently, work on the foundation in your free time, and be patient. Learn more about Emerald and what to expect from her class below!  Learn more about Emerald & her Hip Hop class! -When did you start dancing/ how did you get involved in dance? I started dancing when I was about five years old. My family is filled with dancers so I always admired them and tried to copy them, but a community member of my church opened a dance company and that's where I got started. -What is your training background? I actually started out praise dancing with my church and that was mostly contemporary movement. I did that for many years but I was also training in ballet, jazz, modern, and tap. I took hip hop classes, but I mostly learned hip hop from watching others and going to events with my family. Hip hop became my main focus for a minute. When I got to college, that's when I knew I wanted to take dance seriously. After college, I started to explore other styles like house and waacking, taking as many classes as possible! I am currently training with the Creative Reaction Dance Studio. -How do you go about creating choreo for your classes? What inspires you? What music do you like to use? I have a whole playlist of songs that I want to make potential choreography for! But sometimes when I randomly hear a song, the choreo falls into place and I just go with it! I draw a lot of inspiration from my peers and mentors because they all bring something so unique to the table and encourage me to level up in my movement or think about my approach differently. I've been in my Drake bag recently when it comes to music, but I've also been tapping into the UK rap scene! -What do you want folks who take your class to take away from your class? And/or what kind of vibe do you hope to cultivate in your classes? So far, I have been focusing on grooves and party/social dances, with the goal of cultivating a party atmosphere. I want folks to explore what it means to move with swag in my class. I use the word "swag" a lot but I feel like it's the best way to describe how this certain type of music or movement should make you feel. Of course, some things we learn from being out in the club or parties, but I want everyone to feel supported while finding themselves in their movement; I will always gas folks because that's the energy we need to bring to class! Thanks Emerald!
You can sign up for Beginner Hip Hop with Emerald via the 812 Chestnut Schedule page here using a drop in, membership, intro month, or class card pack! 2024 will mark our 4th year of doing outreach work in the Philadelphia School District and providing summer camp scholarships. This work is critical to our organization and we need your support to keep it going. In our previous announcements, I shared the numbers: between our winter and spring fundraisers of the concluding season we raised an accumulation of $18,000. Our organization contributed $15,000 of profits to give back. We aren’t only doing the work. We also have skin in the game. Altogether, to at least match the work we did last year, we need to raise $33,000. Your help is critical. We are the only organization in the region that is based in Contemporary Black Vernacular Dance that is doing outreach in underserved neighborhoods. We are also new to the game. In many ways, we are the underdog. The legacy players are the city’s modern dance and ballet companies. Often, these organizations hire hip hop dancers to do their teaching opposed to doing ballet or modern offerings in their outreach. This is a clear sign to the relevance and impact of living Black American Vernacular forms. The distinction between our organization is the depth and thoughtfulness of pedagogy and curriculum. I pledge to continue to push the bar and challenge what is expected of outreach art educators. My goal is for MoveMakers and Urban Movement Arts to be disrupters in this space, raising the bar for what we can offer in public schools. In order to continue to push the bar, we need your support. Give to I Am The Move, today! I Am The Move has been supported by our fiscal sponsor, Archedream for Humankind, since 2021. With are extremely thankful for ADHK director, Patricia Dominguez', continued support. *The hyperlink for donation will take you to our fiscal sponsor, ADHK’s PayPal page. You will initially receive a receipt that payment is complete. Soon after, you will receive an email notice that contains information for your tax filing.To donate by check, email [email protected] Our Goals for 2024 Season
 You can catch Kerry for weekly Heels classes at both UMA locations, and Street Jazz/ Jazz Funk classes at 812 Chestnut! You can see her full teaching schedule below: -Tuesdays 8-9pm HEELS (BEGINNER) @ 812 Chestnut. -Wednesdays 7-8pm STREET JAZZ/ JAZZ FUNK @ 812 Chestnut -Saturdays 2-3pm HEELS (BEGINNER) @ 2100 Chestnut Heels Classes: Beginner Heels offers the opportunity to slow it down, embrace your sexuality and sensuality, and build the technique needed to dance safely in heels. Participants will be unpacking how femininity can support them in their movement and used to empower. Use this class as a way to fall in love with yourself! Note: The best heels to bring are non- platform heel with ankle support. Sneakers are welcomed too. Street Jazz/ Jazz Funk Classes: These classes will allow participants to feel like they've landed somewhere between a music video and the So You Think You Can Dance stage. This class aims to build confidence and expand the horizons of performance quality through intricate and upbeat choreography with varying shifts of rhythm and dynamism. General understanding of head tail connection, use of pelvic articulation, and constant weight shifts are key for sequence execution.  Learn more about Kerry & her weekly classes! -When did you start dancing/ how did you get involved in dance? I started when I was 8 and it was sort of an accident. One of my friends decided to quit dance mid year and her mom offered me the her spot in classes for the rest of the year because she thought I was a dancer. I was like “sure?” -What is your training background? I grew up dancing at your typical competitive dance studios. When I got to high school, I decided to take my ballet training more seriously, training 5-6 days a week in addition to taking contemporary, jazz, and hip hop. I trained in contemporary dance and ballet in college, educating myself on street and commercial styles on my own time. So I’ve dabbled in a bit of everything. While I still engage in contemporary dance as a performer, these days I’m focused on the study of vogue. -How do you go about creating choreo for your classes? What inspires you? What music do you like to use? I rely on visualization any time I create choreo! I can create choreo in my mind anywhere when the inspiration strikes me; on a walk, in the shower or in my bed falling asleep at night. I very much go with my gut instinct and don’t question my first thought when I create. I’m mostly inspired by music and whatever movement impulse it creates in me. Right now, some artists I’m loving creating to are Tinashe, Bree Runway, and Victoria Monet. I also really love dancing to 2000s jams and you’ll find a lot of songs from that era in my classes! -What do you want folks who take your class to take away from your class? And/ or what kind of vibe do you hope to cultivate in your classes? So far, in my classes I’ve been focused on delivering my technical knowledge to students in a way that feels exciting and accessible. I want students to recognize that they don’t need years of what we call “technical” training to achieve a clean turn or jump! I’m also hoping to equip folks with nuggets of street dance knowledge in each class so they can understand what we are referencing. The combination of these concepts is what really makes my classes unique! I’m hoping that students will walk away from my classes with a sense of empowerment. Thanks Kerry!
You can sign up for Beginner Heels with Kerry at both UMA locations! Saturdays 2-3pm @ 2100 Chestnut (sign up via 2100 Chestnut schedule here) Tuesdays 8-9pm @ 812 Chestnut (sign up via 812 Chestnut schedule here) You can sign up for Street Jazz/ Jazz Funk (Wednesdays 7-8pm) with Kerry at 812 Chestnut via the 812 Chestnut schedule here! Saturdays 1-2pm @ 2100 Chestnut! This class is the bridge between you feeling immersed in a music video or a bumping party. Expect to listen and jam out to bangers, both old and new. This class is open to dancers of all levels. The goal is to provide you with tools to grow and find your groove while letting loose and having fun. Learn more about Sangita and what to expect from her class below!  Learn more about Sangita & her Hip Hop class! -When did you start dancing/ how did you get involved in dance? I started dancing when I was 10 or 11, and was looking for a place to make friends and connect with a community. Dance started out as and has always been a social / communal thing for me before anything else. The more I worked with mentors, and after graduating high school when I started teaching I became more focused on the artistic, social and cultural capacities and histories that dance holds. -What is your training background? I grew up in Denver, Colorado at competition and performance studios training in a variety of styles like jazz, hip-hop, waacking, tap, ballet, contemporary, house, and commercial choreography. During these years I was also surrounded by local street style crews who I watched and learned from. I also trained in Kathak and Bhangra for several years! After graduating high school I moved to New York City, where I trained primarily under Kelly Peters at Brickhouse NYC with his street dance training program and as a dancer on his commercial and contemporary fusion companies. My years with Kelly were definitely some of the most formative in my dance career. He introduced me to some of my closest friends and mentors and gave me opportunities that I wouldn’t trade the world for! Also while in New York, I apprenticed under Sekou Heru in his Rhythm Metrics and house program and trained at Peridance Dance Center with their MOPTOP program. In my free time I would train in all styles at Broadway Dance Center, Gibney and Peridance with a lot of inspiring and (who I consider trail blazing) dancers and choreographers. My training was really all over the place from dancing in social settings, to battles, to commercial jobs and even to heady dance theory. Now I continue to train here in Philly and make use of all of the rich opportunities the city’s night life and UMA have to offer, while focusing heavily on dance theory at the Temple Dance PhD program. -How do you go about creating choreo for your classes? What inspires you? What music do you like to use? It depends on the class! For my hip hop classes I usually watch some sort of archival video or notable movie in Hip-Hop history, or return to moves I learned in social settings/at sessions growing up. These materials always reveal a really cool / important vocabulary and history in hip hop dance. I’ll find a few moves and grooves per week, study how they came to be and let them guide a freestyle session. Anything that I like in these freestlyes I keep and put into a piece of choreography. For my story grooves / more contemporary-driven classes I start with a narrative. My personal connections to that narrative and how I feel that day will usually guide my creative choices. This process is also very improv/freestyle driven. I also do lots of journaling and reading to help me come up with stories! Fun Fact: Sometimes I will look up creative writing prompts and use those to guide my choreo. But regardless of the class, choreography always starts with the music!! I’m constantly listening to music and adding songs that speak to me to a playlist called “Dancey.” My goal is to choreograph to every song on the list. -What do you want folks to take away from your class? And/ or what kind of vibe do you hope to cultivate in your classes? I really want people to be able to feel how powerful dance really is. Of course it feels so dang good to move our bodies to good music but I want everyone who comes to my class to realize that they are part of something much bigger. As dancers we are a huge community, we’re activists, we’re artists, we are healers, and in my opinion we have super powers! I want everyone to know that they are part of and can participate in all of those aspects of dance too. I also want us to put the work in to honor dance histories, especially in street styles. In a fun, uplifting and community-oriented space, I want us all to continue the legacy of street dance and hip-hop. Classes with me will be really energetic, fun, challenging, safe, expressive and, hopefully eye-opening! -Anything you want to add? UMA’s the greatest place in Philly!! Next to maybe the clubs!! Thanks Sangita!
You can sign up for 'Hip Hop All Levels' with Sangita via the 2100 Chestnut Schedule Page here, using a drop in, membership, intro month, or class card pack! TIPS FROM ALEX: Below is a link to this B-Squat/Compass/ Single leg squat that is used as a foundational position in class. These 4 exercises can be done at home with limited space! The Compass position is a foundational posture used in the Dance Acrobatics classes I teach. It comprises of a half-kneeling position in which the back toes are tucked and the butt sits on top of the heel. The reason this is a foundational posture is because much of the vocabulary/moves covered use a similar access point. Whether you want to roll, jump, cartwheel, kick, spiral, compass pose lies underneath these positions allowing you access to move across the floor in a multitude of directions and dynamic options. Hence, the name. I suggest taking time to familiarize yourself with the static posture first, then begin to explore these level changes. I recommend 2-3 sets of 10 reps or set a timer 1-2 minutes each side for 2-3 sets if you don't like counting. 1. Compass Squats- great for building strength and body awareness when level-changing 2. Compass Get-Up/Get-Downs- helps to start to feel the weight-shifting aspects of this position. In particular, for when transitioning up into an acrobatic movement, or down into something like a back roll 3. Compass Spiral Downs- similar to compass squats but with a bit more complexity. Helpful for spiral work into the floor as well as mid-level acrobatic transitions such as chapeau de coro 4. Compass Pop Kicks- the most complex of the 4. We focus on the ability to control the spiral down, then like a coil wound up, we learn how to use this rebounding effect to create power through a jump and a dynamic kick. Try yourself and tag me for feedback! Learn more from Alex @ 812 Chestnut! you can catch him at the following times: Mondays 8-9pm Beginners Dance Acrobatics Thursdays 7:30-8:30pm Dance Acrobatics & Floorwork Saturdays 2:00-3:30pm Dance Acrobatics & Floorwork  |
ContributorsKayla Bobalek Archives
August 2024
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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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