An Advance Training Intensive For Teens Interested in American Street Dance Practice and Culture
All Levels of Dance are Welcome from Absolute Beginner to Advanced Practitioners
Ages 13 and up
Read below for info on how to Apply
This summer intensive in collaboration with MoveMakers Philly and Philly Music Factory is designed for middle schoolers and high schoolers that have a deep passion for American Street Dance, which includes breaking and hip hop.
However, this is not your ordinary summer dance intensive, like those that you might find advertised in Dance Spirit Magazine or even legacy workshops held by Street Dance subculture aficionados, like Illadelph Legends. Both of the aforementioned are invaluable tools for passionate dance enthusiasts and aspiring dance professionals. Although UMA's intensive will cover some aspects of what each of the aforementioned resources offer, it presents a completely innovative approach to providing tools to young people who care deeply about American Street Dance, or any relic of Black American cultural ingenuity..
All Levels of Dance are Welcome from Absolute Beginner to Advanced Practitioners
Ages 13 and up
Read below for info on how to Apply
This summer intensive in collaboration with MoveMakers Philly and Philly Music Factory is designed for middle schoolers and high schoolers that have a deep passion for American Street Dance, which includes breaking and hip hop.
However, this is not your ordinary summer dance intensive, like those that you might find advertised in Dance Spirit Magazine or even legacy workshops held by Street Dance subculture aficionados, like Illadelph Legends. Both of the aforementioned are invaluable tools for passionate dance enthusiasts and aspiring dance professionals. Although UMA's intensive will cover some aspects of what each of the aforementioned resources offer, it presents a completely innovative approach to providing tools to young people who care deeply about American Street Dance, or any relic of Black American cultural ingenuity..
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CAMP WEEK DATES:
Monday-Friday 8:30am-3pm 2 WEEK SESSIONS: We recommend attending camp in 2 week sessions, however if you can only attend 1 week during a session that is ok! June 17th-June 28th July 22nd- August 2nd August 12- August 23rd |
PRICING:
$499/week APPLY BEFORE 4/30 AND GET DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION: $449/WEEK! How To Apply UMA's advanced training intensive is open to all dance levels. Regarding dance practice, students will have classes that are separated by level and classes that are all levels. Students will also receive individual coaching each day. The selection process for the camp is not based on dance skill, but instead students' ability to articulate their intent and goals, as well as their potential for working in teams. We are looking for passionate learners and individuals that are motivated to positively impact their communities. Character is our primary metric for selection. Interested students must complete an interest form. Those that complete the interest form will be invited to a free event (workshop, meet and greet and open house). If candidates are unable to attend the free event, they will be required to complete an in-person or virtual interview. Information on dates and further instructions will be sent to you upon completion of the interest form. |
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Who Is This Intensive For:
This intensive is certainly for youth with a deep interest in dance, particularly contemporary social dances like hip hop and breaking. It is also for youth who have a general appreciation for arts and culture. For instance, if you are someone that loves hip hop and rap music an intensive like this will provide exposure to information about the evolution of the music and how it relates to dance, fashion and daily life. It allows any young hip hop enthusiast a pathway for raising consciousness and sensibility for Black American Art in a comprehensive way through the lens of Street Dance. One incredible characteristic about Street Dance, when studied and practiced in a particular way, is that it allows us to cultivate our bodies along with our intellectual sensibilities, heighting our abilities to listen closely, think historically, critically and creatively. With this in mind, any young person would benefit from a learning intensive like UMA’s. UMA’s Youth Intensive is designed with the principal to provide young people with tools for growing themselves and their communities, broadening their capacities to be critical and compassionate. American Street Dance is a reliable conduit for inspiring growth and success. This is undeniable when we consider the ubiquity of American Street Dance across the world. Understanding it more will reveal new insights about the world. |
Here are some of the standard offerings that you should expect from an organization like ours:
Here are some of the non-standard offerings and features that we offerer:
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A Note from Vince Johnson, Urban Movement Arts Founder and Director. (Vince is the lead instructor of the Intensive which will feature a line up of charismatic and inspiration guest teachers, coaches and speakers)
I am pleased that you're considering this intensive. It has been many years in the making, as I've arrived at a point in my career in which I am confident in providing a service such as this that is authentic to what I've learned in my 20+ years as a professional in the performing arts. This intensive for young people is inspired by my personal experience as well as my observations of my peers' careers as well as my students' success (martial artists and dancers).
One central criticism that I have of most summer dance intensives that exist in the United States, whether they are based in Hip Hop or Ballet is their inherent competitive and exclusionary nature. There is often a preoccupation with achieving a very specific standard of good. Those that are closest to this standard are rewarded and those that are far from it are overlooked. Another concern with many of these institutions is their isolated focus on physical achievement, neglecting the importance of nurturing development of the intellect and value systems. In considering development in American Street Dance, someone might not be on the path to be able to do airflares, which is a highly technically advanced physical maneuver. Instead, someone might be more interested in developing themselves artistically or as an educator. Or perhaps there is a young person who has no experience in any of this at all, but is curious and is looking for a way in. UMA's intensive is designed to serve a wide spectrum, establishing a platform for young people of various different levels and interests to engage and be inspired by one another.
My unique development as a professional in the arts has been defined by a life of eclectic taste and heterodoxical practice. From 6th grade to age 25, I traveled the world as a Martial Arts competitor and I am a part of the founding generation of a global subculture called Martial Arts Tricking (here I am inventing). In middle school, I started dancing. By the age of 14, I was dancing professionally. My experience as a professional dancer has run the gamut, from dancing at bar/bat mitzvahs to performing with pop artists to dance battles to dancing with Rennie Harris Puremovement to entrepreneurship. Simultaneously, I went to an elite high school in Philadelphia, earning state championship titles as a wrestler and completing advanced placement classes. I am a graduate of Villanova students with a BA in Philosophy and African American Studies. Along the way, I've had the privilege of engaging and learning from a diverse array of very impressive people.
I share the above not to boast or brag, but to provide just a bit more context for the spirit that motivates the design of UMA's Summer Intensive for Teens. I value lifelong commitment to cultivating the mind, body, spirit and being of service to my community. These commitments have brought me success and all of the people that I admire. Furthermore, I do not hold a belief that every young person should excel in scholastic environments (in too many cases, antiquated education systems in America are a detriment to young people). Instead, my belief is that all young people have the ability to strive for themselves and others, a characteristic that I’ve appreciated in myself and in my peers since I was in middle school. There are a few critical lessons that I've taken away from my formative years. Here are a few:
The points mentioned above helped me to achieve success and maintain high esteem for myself and within my communities while growing up. The lessons that I learned through my formative years inform the process of UMA's intensive.
I will wrap up this note with yet another curve ball. This intensive is built on the principle that young people should strongly question pursuing art at a University level. I believe that certain young people should go to college, but I am not the biggest advocate for studying art in the U.S.' higher education system. I’ve witnessed higher education work out best for folks on a trajectory to be academics and/or performing artists committed to building relationships in the non-profit sector. For most dancers who have been on serious competitive teams or have frequented professional dance company intensives, they know by senior year whether they can enter the industry straight out of high school. In these cases, it’s like LeBron James who went directly to the NBA. In ballet terms, YAGP champs will likely see their way into ABT or the Royal Ballet. By Street Dance standard, if you are a part of a youth crew that has placed high in WOD competitions and want to dance in the commercial industry, there is nothing that college can do to prepare you more. It will only delay you from working when you are in your prime years. Young people should spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on education for fields that will reliably provide a return on investment. It’s a math equation. For security in life, the equation favors someone who goes to school for nursing more than dance. Throughout my career, worry about financial stability has been a constant that I've observed in performing arts communities. I strongly believe that most commercial dance education businesses and higher learning institutions are doing aspiring artists a disservice by being dishonest. Young dancers who have the talent to work straight out of high school should enter the industry immediately. If your speciality is street dance and you aren’t ready for the industry straight out of college but you are driven to go to a 4 year program, you’d do better to diversify your skillset and study an industry that will provide more security while sharpening your dance on the side. Remember a Street Dancer has a longer shelf life than a ballerina both in vital performance and practice years. Also regarding American Street Dance which is a communal form inherently, there is more available as far as resources for development outside of academia. Community and Youtube university is all you need.
UMA's Intensive for Teens will provide participants with insights on how to navigate the landscape of American Street Dance, whether it is to pursue a career or to participate in the communal culture. In the spirit of Urban Movement Arts which is a school for adults first and foremost, the intensive celebrates the possibility of being a Lawyer, General Contractor, Designer, SEPTA Driver, Administrator, Mechanic, Project Manager, Chef or whatever else and a dope Street Dancer. Our community is defined by people who kill it in dancer culture while owning it in their professional and communal lives. UMA aims to support young people with growing into impactful adults and members of their community.
Young people are very impressionable and are often told what to do and what they should value. I believe that more work should be done to help young people develop skills for asking questions, conducting research and working towards self and communal development. UMA's Summer Youth Intensive is in the spirit of celebrating American Street Dance, while emphasizing the importance of communication and encouraging the development of successful young people, no matter what their interests or ultimate path.
I am pleased that you're considering this intensive. It has been many years in the making, as I've arrived at a point in my career in which I am confident in providing a service such as this that is authentic to what I've learned in my 20+ years as a professional in the performing arts. This intensive for young people is inspired by my personal experience as well as my observations of my peers' careers as well as my students' success (martial artists and dancers).
One central criticism that I have of most summer dance intensives that exist in the United States, whether they are based in Hip Hop or Ballet is their inherent competitive and exclusionary nature. There is often a preoccupation with achieving a very specific standard of good. Those that are closest to this standard are rewarded and those that are far from it are overlooked. Another concern with many of these institutions is their isolated focus on physical achievement, neglecting the importance of nurturing development of the intellect and value systems. In considering development in American Street Dance, someone might not be on the path to be able to do airflares, which is a highly technically advanced physical maneuver. Instead, someone might be more interested in developing themselves artistically or as an educator. Or perhaps there is a young person who has no experience in any of this at all, but is curious and is looking for a way in. UMA's intensive is designed to serve a wide spectrum, establishing a platform for young people of various different levels and interests to engage and be inspired by one another.
My unique development as a professional in the arts has been defined by a life of eclectic taste and heterodoxical practice. From 6th grade to age 25, I traveled the world as a Martial Arts competitor and I am a part of the founding generation of a global subculture called Martial Arts Tricking (here I am inventing). In middle school, I started dancing. By the age of 14, I was dancing professionally. My experience as a professional dancer has run the gamut, from dancing at bar/bat mitzvahs to performing with pop artists to dance battles to dancing with Rennie Harris Puremovement to entrepreneurship. Simultaneously, I went to an elite high school in Philadelphia, earning state championship titles as a wrestler and completing advanced placement classes. I am a graduate of Villanova students with a BA in Philosophy and African American Studies. Along the way, I've had the privilege of engaging and learning from a diverse array of very impressive people.
I share the above not to boast or brag, but to provide just a bit more context for the spirit that motivates the design of UMA's Summer Intensive for Teens. I value lifelong commitment to cultivating the mind, body, spirit and being of service to my community. These commitments have brought me success and all of the people that I admire. Furthermore, I do not hold a belief that every young person should excel in scholastic environments (in too many cases, antiquated education systems in America are a detriment to young people). Instead, my belief is that all young people have the ability to strive for themselves and others, a characteristic that I’ve appreciated in myself and in my peers since I was in middle school. There are a few critical lessons that I've taken away from my formative years. Here are a few:
- You're never too young to develop deep curiosity and passion for an interest.
- Young people should be encouraged to be curious and to inquire about the world around them.
- Young people benefit from being shown that they have the capacity for excellence.
- Young people have the power to manage responsibility and importance for themselves and others.
- Young people benefit from exposure to a wide range of experience, people and information.
- It is critical that young people learn how to communicate effectively.
- Leadership and Teamwork is the key to success. Get good at it early.
- Life skill training should go hand in hand with technical learning.
The points mentioned above helped me to achieve success and maintain high esteem for myself and within my communities while growing up. The lessons that I learned through my formative years inform the process of UMA's intensive.
I will wrap up this note with yet another curve ball. This intensive is built on the principle that young people should strongly question pursuing art at a University level. I believe that certain young people should go to college, but I am not the biggest advocate for studying art in the U.S.' higher education system. I’ve witnessed higher education work out best for folks on a trajectory to be academics and/or performing artists committed to building relationships in the non-profit sector. For most dancers who have been on serious competitive teams or have frequented professional dance company intensives, they know by senior year whether they can enter the industry straight out of high school. In these cases, it’s like LeBron James who went directly to the NBA. In ballet terms, YAGP champs will likely see their way into ABT or the Royal Ballet. By Street Dance standard, if you are a part of a youth crew that has placed high in WOD competitions and want to dance in the commercial industry, there is nothing that college can do to prepare you more. It will only delay you from working when you are in your prime years. Young people should spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on education for fields that will reliably provide a return on investment. It’s a math equation. For security in life, the equation favors someone who goes to school for nursing more than dance. Throughout my career, worry about financial stability has been a constant that I've observed in performing arts communities. I strongly believe that most commercial dance education businesses and higher learning institutions are doing aspiring artists a disservice by being dishonest. Young dancers who have the talent to work straight out of high school should enter the industry immediately. If your speciality is street dance and you aren’t ready for the industry straight out of college but you are driven to go to a 4 year program, you’d do better to diversify your skillset and study an industry that will provide more security while sharpening your dance on the side. Remember a Street Dancer has a longer shelf life than a ballerina both in vital performance and practice years. Also regarding American Street Dance which is a communal form inherently, there is more available as far as resources for development outside of academia. Community and Youtube university is all you need.
UMA's Intensive for Teens will provide participants with insights on how to navigate the landscape of American Street Dance, whether it is to pursue a career or to participate in the communal culture. In the spirit of Urban Movement Arts which is a school for adults first and foremost, the intensive celebrates the possibility of being a Lawyer, General Contractor, Designer, SEPTA Driver, Administrator, Mechanic, Project Manager, Chef or whatever else and a dope Street Dancer. Our community is defined by people who kill it in dancer culture while owning it in their professional and communal lives. UMA aims to support young people with growing into impactful adults and members of their community.
Young people are very impressionable and are often told what to do and what they should value. I believe that more work should be done to help young people develop skills for asking questions, conducting research and working towards self and communal development. UMA's Summer Youth Intensive is in the spirit of celebrating American Street Dance, while emphasizing the importance of communication and encouraging the development of successful young people, no matter what their interests or ultimate path.