Class highlight: all levels hip hop with Sangita

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!!

A Look Inside Class with Sangita!

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!