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Mr. Vince talks about the different stages of learning, what it means to be a beginner, and growth in the most recent Monday's with Mr. Vince! Check it out! Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube to see future Monday's with Mr. Vince, teacher tutorials, student spotlights and more! #danceclassesphilly #onlinedanceclasses #breakdancingphilly #danceeducation #danceeducationforkids #kidsdanceclasses #childrensdanceclasses #hiphopdanceclasses #housedanceforkids #movementclassesforkids #afterschoolphilly #extracurricularactivitiesforkids #afterschoolactivities #kidsafterschool #danceclassesforkids #eventsforkids
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Check out an interview with hip hop dance instructor Ms. Rachel! How many years have you been dancing? I have been dancing for 19 years. I began dancing at the age of 3 at Clarissa’s School of Performing Arts. I practiced styles such as ballet, tap, jazz, acro, and commercial hip hop. I competed in many dance competitions until I was 12 years old. I then studied at an after school hip hop program called REACH! USA and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, where I was able to further study hip hop, modern, and ballet. Once I was 16, I decided to stop pursuing ballet and contemporary styles and fully focus on authentic Hip Hop dance and culture. With the guidance of Moncell Durden, and The Hood Lockers I have been introduced to dance theater, and have been able to perform and train in styles such as Breakin, Hip Hop, House, Locking, and Popping. What is one achievement in dance that you are proud of or an experience that had a major impact on your specialties? A moment that I am proud of was when I got accepted to Jacob’s Pillow Social Dance Program; Jazz to Hip Hop in 2015. I was able to study under Moncell Durden, Camille A. Brown, Francine Ott, and Adesola Osakalumi. An experience that had a major impact on me was in 2018 being invited to perform at Jacobs Pillow in 2018 with the dance company Hood Nation, under the guidance of The Hood Lockers. What is your philosophy in hip hop dance? My philosophy in hip hop that it is unlike any other dance style to exist. Not only are there social dances that connect a broad range of communities, it stems from a much greater picture. Hip Hop culture is expressed through many platforms such as fashion, speech, music, media, visual art and more. It is deeply rooted in history and culture due to the Black and Hispanic communities who created Hip Hop as we know it. Through their struggles they have birthed a world phenomenon that we see traces of in our everyday lives. Hip Hop is very inclusive and always evolving. I believe we must always appreciate, respect, and value where Hip Hop comes from, and teach the importance of making the best of any situation. Turning the struggles into success! What are your goals for your students? My goals for my students are to (1) Build confidence in themselves, in and outside of dance, (2) Learn the importance of self-discipline, doing things even when we do not want to, so we can better ourselves, (3) Individual expression and ability to be comfortable and strong with in themselves Ability to work well with others, as leaders and teammates, (4) Connecting mental ability and physical ability, to find movement within themselves they were not able to do before and, (5) Ability to understand rhythm, and execute it in minute ways Build close, individual teacher/student connections. What can a child learn from a dance education that will impact the rest of their lives? Speaking from experience, dance has built my confidence as a person. I am comfortable publicly speaking, planning and organizing for groups of people, and I have also gained smart time management. Even if a child does not want to be a dancer when they grow up, the benefits are endless. Students learn discipline, body mechanics, spatial awareness, in addition to social benefits. Feeling comfortable in front of people, publicly expressing themselves, and the experience of working with peers while having teachers to aspire to. Dance is a never-ending journey of learning, growing, and self-improvement. What is a non-dance related fact you can share about yourself? I enjoy many things outside of dance. I grew up in a country area, so growing up I was fortunate to explore many activities such as (bike riding, horse back riding, swimming, kayaking, camping, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, softball, bowling, roller skating, and much more.) My suggestion for my students is to try as many things as you can! You may end up loving something you never imagined. If you find something you enjoy doing; even if you are not great at it … do not let that stop you from doing it. Thank you, Ms. Rachel for the experience, technique and knowledge you bring to our MoveMakers kids!
Check out your teachers getting down while listening to Mr. Vince drop some wisdom! Subscribe to our YouTube for the latest of Mr. Vince's videos, teacher tutorials, and more! #danceclassesphilly #onlinedanceclasses #breakdancingphilly #danceeducation #danceeducationforkids #kidsdanceclasses #childrensdanceclasses #hiphopdanceclasses #housedanceforkids #movementclassesforkids #afterschoolphilly #extracurricularactivitiesforkids #afterschoolactivities #kidsafterschool #danceclassesforkids #eventsforkids
Get to know a little more about MoveMaker's Lead dance instructor Vince Johnson! How many years have you been dancing? I've been dancing for 22 years. I consider myself having a focused practice for 14 years. What is one dance achievement that you are proud of, or an experience that had a major impact on your specialties? Around 2009, I made it to the finals of the Locking Battle at the House Dance Conference, which was a cornerstone event in the Hip Hop Dance community in New York, run by the legendary Brian Green. It was a three-way final featuring Frostlock, FireLock and me. Both of these dancers are amazing dancers who have impacted the community in meaningful ways. Fire Lock won the final. But I was extremely proud to make it to the end. I had to battle some incredible dancers to make it that far. Furthermore, growing myself as a locker was something that I had spent a lot of time and focus on over a 5 year period. Making it to top 3 at the House Dance Conference indicated to me that my work was not in vain. What is your philosophy in hip hop? Awareness is key to a hip hop practice. A good dancer has keen self-awareness and environmental awareness. The dancer knows the parameters of the culture, how to navigate within and how to gracefully bridge beyond. What are your goals for your students? My goal is for my students to be confident and capable individuals. I want them to care about themselves, their community and their practice. I believe that through the practice of hip hop dance, students develop skills for self-determination, creativity, team-work, self-expression and so much more. I hope that, through the practice of the dance, my students will gain tools for cultivating their minds, bodies and communities in circumstances well beyond the hip hop dance arena. What can a child learn from a dance education that will impact the rest of their lives? Learning hIp hop dance teaches kids an understanding of their bodies that other sports and recreational activities don't. Students learn complex mobility patterns, coordination and the understanding of how to use the body to express ideas. Your average sport might teach athleticism. But most sports do not teach individuals how to talk with their bodies. Students at Movemakers Philly will undoubtedly learn to respect what they can do with their bodies. What is a interesting non-dance related fact that you can share about yourself? I spend a lot of time with language learning and acquiring other new skills. I speak French conversationally and continue to work on my competency with the language. In 2018, I began learning Spanish. In 2019, I started learning the guitar. And in October of 2020, I started learning how to skateboard. My hope is that these new practices will remain with me for the rest of my life. I am excited to see where I am at with all of these practices in 10 years. Thanks for everything you do, Mr. Vince! We're lucky to have you as a leader, teacher and mentor!
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