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Say What????
……Say Yes! Say Yes Philly outreach programming celebrates 5 years of operation in 2026. Your donations to close 2025 will power us into our 5 year anniversary. Donate Today! |
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How did we get here?
Say Yes Philly was built from I Am The Move, MoveMakers Philly’s summer camp scholarship program launched in the summer of 2021. In 2022, I Am The Move expanded its reach by becoming a Strategic Partner with the Philadelphia school district, offering Street Dance education in Philly public schools during school hours. Since 2022, the I Am The Move program has served 10 Philadelphia public schools with free programs. Each year since 2022, between assemblies and work in classrooms, a minimum of 300 students have been reached. A key player in our work in Philly classrooms has been Mr. Rukkus, who has defined the standards of this program. I Am The Move hasn’t only been a platform for us to serve Philly youth. It has provided an important arena for Rukkus to maximize his passion, gifts and vision as an ambassador and educator of street dance.
Where are we now?
Say Yes Philly launched as an organization devoted to continuing I Am The Move and other initiatives that support youth arts education and serve Philly dancers and musicians. Play It Forward Orchestra, a youth led education and performance program is entering its third season in 2026.
Say Yes Philly promotes collaboration and experimentation between artists and musicians in an annual dance battle set to live music called the Philliest Diss. Since the Fall of 2024, Say Yes Philly helped to power over 10 Philly Fringe productions by local dancers and musicians. .
Say Yes Philly supports monthly music concert series at First Unitarian Church. Free Range is a series featuring local Jazz artists and singer songwriters. Iris is a music series that celebrates local femme voices in music.
In 2025, Say Yes Philly, in collaboration with MoveMakers Philly, began hosting monthly Adaptive Dance classes, which serve kids with disabilities. Say Yes Philly’s Adaptive Dance classes advance the organization's commitment to using creativity and expression as a means for empowering individuals and uniting diverse communities.
We continue to work with Logan, McCall, Nebinger and Webster Elementaries as our core group of schools. We are aiming to expand to Comegy Elementary in 2026. If funding allows we would love to add 1-2 more Philly public schools.
In 2025, Say Yes Philly received its first grant from the Bartol Foundation which has supported an extension of Play It Forwards season and I Am The Move’s season in Philly schools.
What’s Next?
In 2026, I Am The Move in PSD schools and MoveMakers scholarships will continue. Play It Forward Orchestra will start its third season. And we will continue to produce events that enrich Philly’s dance and music scene.
To celebrate our 5th year, we are committed to making Say Yes Philly’s work more visible throughout Philly. More effort will be given to documenting and promoting the work that we do throughout the year.
Our immediate expansion goals are to add Comegy to our PSD school roster, grow the Play It Forward Orchestra’s student base and to grow the Adaptive Dance program, which would include more classes offered per month and increasing the amount of students reached.
Say Yes Philly was built from I Am The Move, MoveMakers Philly’s summer camp scholarship program launched in the summer of 2021. In 2022, I Am The Move expanded its reach by becoming a Strategic Partner with the Philadelphia school district, offering Street Dance education in Philly public schools during school hours. Since 2022, the I Am The Move program has served 10 Philadelphia public schools with free programs. Each year since 2022, between assemblies and work in classrooms, a minimum of 300 students have been reached. A key player in our work in Philly classrooms has been Mr. Rukkus, who has defined the standards of this program. I Am The Move hasn’t only been a platform for us to serve Philly youth. It has provided an important arena for Rukkus to maximize his passion, gifts and vision as an ambassador and educator of street dance.
Where are we now?
Say Yes Philly launched as an organization devoted to continuing I Am The Move and other initiatives that support youth arts education and serve Philly dancers and musicians. Play It Forward Orchestra, a youth led education and performance program is entering its third season in 2026.
Say Yes Philly promotes collaboration and experimentation between artists and musicians in an annual dance battle set to live music called the Philliest Diss. Since the Fall of 2024, Say Yes Philly helped to power over 10 Philly Fringe productions by local dancers and musicians. .
Say Yes Philly supports monthly music concert series at First Unitarian Church. Free Range is a series featuring local Jazz artists and singer songwriters. Iris is a music series that celebrates local femme voices in music.
In 2025, Say Yes Philly, in collaboration with MoveMakers Philly, began hosting monthly Adaptive Dance classes, which serve kids with disabilities. Say Yes Philly’s Adaptive Dance classes advance the organization's commitment to using creativity and expression as a means for empowering individuals and uniting diverse communities.
We continue to work with Logan, McCall, Nebinger and Webster Elementaries as our core group of schools. We are aiming to expand to Comegy Elementary in 2026. If funding allows we would love to add 1-2 more Philly public schools.
In 2025, Say Yes Philly received its first grant from the Bartol Foundation which has supported an extension of Play It Forwards season and I Am The Move’s season in Philly schools.
What’s Next?
In 2026, I Am The Move in PSD schools and MoveMakers scholarships will continue. Play It Forward Orchestra will start its third season. And we will continue to produce events that enrich Philly’s dance and music scene.
To celebrate our 5th year, we are committed to making Say Yes Philly’s work more visible throughout Philly. More effort will be given to documenting and promoting the work that we do throughout the year.
Our immediate expansion goals are to add Comegy to our PSD school roster, grow the Play It Forward Orchestra’s student base and to grow the Adaptive Dance program, which would include more classes offered per month and increasing the amount of students reached.
Make a Tax Deductible Donation
ArcheDream for Humankind remains a fiscal sponsor for our outreach programs, allowing your contribution to be tax deductible.
We encourage folks who are interested in making larger contributions to participate this way. Also, for anyone not participating in the other two methods described below, this would be the option for you.
Do you work for a company that matches your charitable contributions?
Are you interested in pledging an amount and challenging our broader community to match your pledge? This is a great way to propel us to our goal.
Tax deductible donations can be made via the link at the end of this email or via check to ADHK.
We encourage folks who are interested in making larger contributions to participate this way. Also, for anyone not participating in the other two methods described below, this would be the option for you.
Do you work for a company that matches your charitable contributions?
Are you interested in pledging an amount and challenging our broader community to match your pledge? This is a great way to propel us to our goal.
Tax deductible donations can be made via the link at the end of this email or via check to ADHK.
*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]
To donate by check, email [email protected]
Learn more about these programs and their impact by checking out SYP Spring 2025 Fundraiser Brochure below!
about:
Mission
Say Yes Philly's mission is to provide equitable access to performing and multi-media arts education for Pre-K-12th grade students and capacity building resources for emerging artists in Philadelphia, emphasizing multiculturalism and breaking down social barriers.
Vision
Say Yes Philly’s vision is to transform the lives of youth in Philadelphia through the practice of music and dance in tandem with inspiring innovation, collaboration and commitment to service among the city’s emerging professionals in dance and music. We believe that a thriving population of K-12 students and young professionals sets the bar for the extent to which local arts communities thrive. Aligning efforts to support K-12 students and young professionals is our pathway to continuing to propel Philly’s excellence in dance and music education and performance.
Core Principles
Service
Collaboration
Leadership
Compassion
Respect
Collective Joy
Discovery
Determination
Say Yes Philly's mission is to provide equitable access to performing and multi-media arts education for Pre-K-12th grade students and capacity building resources for emerging artists in Philadelphia, emphasizing multiculturalism and breaking down social barriers.
Vision
Say Yes Philly’s vision is to transform the lives of youth in Philadelphia through the practice of music and dance in tandem with inspiring innovation, collaboration and commitment to service among the city’s emerging professionals in dance and music. We believe that a thriving population of K-12 students and young professionals sets the bar for the extent to which local arts communities thrive. Aligning efforts to support K-12 students and young professionals is our pathway to continuing to propel Philly’s excellence in dance and music education and performance.
Core Principles
Service
Collaboration
Leadership
Compassion
Respect
Collective Joy
Discovery
Determination
Method
Say Yes Philly prioritizes neighborhood and artist based sensibilities in its operations. We are a boots on the ground organization when it comes to working with underserved communities, tailoring our services to any community based on direct advising and collaboration with educators and community leaders from the neighborhood. Furthermore, we prioritize the hiring and placement of teaching artists based on their connection and sincere reflection of the communities that we serve. Consider that American Street Dance, which stems from Black American neighborhoods, is a core program feature in our work. Our team of teaching artists are BIPOC individuals that have grown up and currently live in Philly, all of whom have found success via the cultural practice of Street Dance. Our American Street Dance exemplifies Say Yes Philly’s capacity and method of fostering connections between teaching artists and students that reflect one another and centers on a relatable topic.
Regarding Say Yes Philly’s commitment to providing resources to emerging Philly based dance and music artists, the organization is founded by Vince Johnson, a local artist who has an intimate understanding of the needs of artists operating on a local and low resourced level. Johnson’s 20 years of performing arts entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary collaboration and performing arts advocacy is the bedrock for Say Yes Philly’s service to emerging artists. Say Yes Philly’s process of serving emerging artists is to intimately know and be in touch with the artists and their unique movements in Philly in order to impactfully platform, enhance their work and grow their audiences.
Say Yes Philly prioritizes neighborhood and artist based sensibilities in its operations. We are a boots on the ground organization when it comes to working with underserved communities, tailoring our services to any community based on direct advising and collaboration with educators and community leaders from the neighborhood. Furthermore, we prioritize the hiring and placement of teaching artists based on their connection and sincere reflection of the communities that we serve. Consider that American Street Dance, which stems from Black American neighborhoods, is a core program feature in our work. Our team of teaching artists are BIPOC individuals that have grown up and currently live in Philly, all of whom have found success via the cultural practice of Street Dance. Our American Street Dance exemplifies Say Yes Philly’s capacity and method of fostering connections between teaching artists and students that reflect one another and centers on a relatable topic.
Regarding Say Yes Philly’s commitment to providing resources to emerging Philly based dance and music artists, the organization is founded by Vince Johnson, a local artist who has an intimate understanding of the needs of artists operating on a local and low resourced level. Johnson’s 20 years of performing arts entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary collaboration and performing arts advocacy is the bedrock for Say Yes Philly’s service to emerging artists. Say Yes Philly’s process of serving emerging artists is to intimately know and be in touch with the artists and their unique movements in Philly in order to impactfully platform, enhance their work and grow their audiences.
History
Say Yes Philly has been derived from founder Vince Johnson’s past work in Urban Movement Arts, MoveMakers Philly and Philly Music Factory. These three projects have provided education and performance opportunities in dance and music to youth and adults in Rittenhouse and Washington Square neighborhoods.
Responding to the tumult of 2020, Johnson was called to action to take more aggressive measures to support underserved communities and emerging artists. Since the beginning, the venues that Johnson has operated have provided scholarships and financial services on an unofficial basis. They’ve also been resource centers for the Philly professional dance scene, offering free practice space and a hub to share. But the events of 2020 inspired Johnson to make his service oriented work official and to expand its reach.
I Am The Move!, in 2021, was Johnson’s first step. I Am The Move, which is still active today, started as a summer camp scholarship program. In 2022, I Am The Move became a Strategic Partner program with the Philadelphia School District, by 2023 reaching the milestone of serving 250 students weekly via in-school teaching residencies and a total of 2000 students in educational assemblies.
Johnson’s outreach mission expanded to include music education programming in 2024 with Play It Forward Orchestra, which is a youth driven music skill exchange. Play It Forward unites middle school and high school students of various neighborhoods, economic backgrounds and skill levels to learn and play music together, further realizing Johnson’s focus on cultivating platforms that encourage service, collaboration, leadership, compassion, respect, collective joy and discovery. I Am The Move and Play It Forward have been the result of individual donorship via fiscal sponsorship by ArcheDream For Humankind.
Along with providing performing arts education to underserved youth in Philly, Johnson has a track record of supporting local professional artists. In 2018, Urban Movement Arts launched its Artist in Residency series, which provided free studio space, professional development and performance opportunities for over 10 dance artists within two years. UMA also thrives as a hub where local street dancer professionals train and collaborate at no cost daily for competition, auditions and various other opportunities.
And in 2023, Philly Music Factory began to support Free Range, a performance series featuring Philly’s jazz musicians and singer songwriters. UMA and PMF’s support of local artists has been a result of Johnson’s commitment to giving back, deviating from a profit driven business model.
Say Yes Philly is the coalescence of Johnson’s commitment to charitable work for youth in underserved communities and emerging professional artists in Philly. Say Yes Philly is the new hub for I Am The Move!, Play It Forward Orchestra, UMA AIR and Free Range Performance series. Undoubtedly, new cutting edge programs will emerge in little time. For nearly a decade Vince Johnson has found ways to leverage his businesses to give back to the neighborhoods in Philly that he has grown up in as well as the artists communities that have nurtured him through the development of his career, all representing demographics seldom supported by charitable institutions, such as Philly’s vibrant American Street Dance scene. Say Yes Philly exists to amplify Johnson’s vision and expand the reach of his proven work ethic and systems of execution.
Say Yes Philly has been derived from founder Vince Johnson’s past work in Urban Movement Arts, MoveMakers Philly and Philly Music Factory. These three projects have provided education and performance opportunities in dance and music to youth and adults in Rittenhouse and Washington Square neighborhoods.
Responding to the tumult of 2020, Johnson was called to action to take more aggressive measures to support underserved communities and emerging artists. Since the beginning, the venues that Johnson has operated have provided scholarships and financial services on an unofficial basis. They’ve also been resource centers for the Philly professional dance scene, offering free practice space and a hub to share. But the events of 2020 inspired Johnson to make his service oriented work official and to expand its reach.
I Am The Move!, in 2021, was Johnson’s first step. I Am The Move, which is still active today, started as a summer camp scholarship program. In 2022, I Am The Move became a Strategic Partner program with the Philadelphia School District, by 2023 reaching the milestone of serving 250 students weekly via in-school teaching residencies and a total of 2000 students in educational assemblies.
Johnson’s outreach mission expanded to include music education programming in 2024 with Play It Forward Orchestra, which is a youth driven music skill exchange. Play It Forward unites middle school and high school students of various neighborhoods, economic backgrounds and skill levels to learn and play music together, further realizing Johnson’s focus on cultivating platforms that encourage service, collaboration, leadership, compassion, respect, collective joy and discovery. I Am The Move and Play It Forward have been the result of individual donorship via fiscal sponsorship by ArcheDream For Humankind.
Along with providing performing arts education to underserved youth in Philly, Johnson has a track record of supporting local professional artists. In 2018, Urban Movement Arts launched its Artist in Residency series, which provided free studio space, professional development and performance opportunities for over 10 dance artists within two years. UMA also thrives as a hub where local street dancer professionals train and collaborate at no cost daily for competition, auditions and various other opportunities.
And in 2023, Philly Music Factory began to support Free Range, a performance series featuring Philly’s jazz musicians and singer songwriters. UMA and PMF’s support of local artists has been a result of Johnson’s commitment to giving back, deviating from a profit driven business model.
Say Yes Philly is the coalescence of Johnson’s commitment to charitable work for youth in underserved communities and emerging professional artists in Philly. Say Yes Philly is the new hub for I Am The Move!, Play It Forward Orchestra, UMA AIR and Free Range Performance series. Undoubtedly, new cutting edge programs will emerge in little time. For nearly a decade Vince Johnson has found ways to leverage his businesses to give back to the neighborhoods in Philly that he has grown up in as well as the artists communities that have nurtured him through the development of his career, all representing demographics seldom supported by charitable institutions, such as Philly’s vibrant American Street Dance scene. Say Yes Philly exists to amplify Johnson’s vision and expand the reach of his proven work ethic and systems of execution.