Bienvenue Kamikaz Crew (Algerie)

This week, Urban Artistry has the honor of helping the State Department welcome Kamikaz Crew, a hip hop-inspired performance group that frequently uses their talent to uplift Algerian youth, including orphans, children who are ill, and children living with disabilities. The Kamikaz Crew was recently voted the most talented group after participating in a competition sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Algeria. They also recently won the Algerian National Dance Championship and the 2011 Algerian Talent Competition.

Kamikaz Crew is participating in a 3-week study program coordinated by Global Connections, titled "Youth Empowerment through Hip-Hop" for the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program.  They will be touring D.C., Mississippi, L.A., and New York, and we hope to expose them to the many sides of cultural dance that D.C. has to offer during their short time with us. 

On Sunday, they were invited to our company rehearsal.  Their passion and charisma amazed both our Artistic Directors and the youth in our company. Diyanna, an Artistic Director with Urban Artistry and first year student at Trinity University, said, "They were dope!" We'll have many more opportunities this week to bond and break bread with Kamikaz. 

Tuesday, December 4th @ 6pm

Explore one of the U Street Corridor's newest artsy and casual additions- Satellite Room.  Kamikaz and Urban Artistry will dine in the diner-inspired setting tucked back behind the 9:30 Club. It's a perfect spot for a pre- or post-show burger thanks to its late-night hours.  Then we'll head over to Bus Boys and Poets for Open Mic Night. 

Wednesday, December 5th @ 9pm

Along with @OKAYAFRICA, Tropicalia DC and DJ Underdog, we welcome you to be apart of the essence of progressive African rythmes and house music at "Okayafrica DC". House Dance, Azonto, Zouk and stretch out with dj's Underdog, Native Sun, DrewCool, Kimozaki and Nykoskiie.

Thursday, December 6th @ 6pm

Kamikaz will join Urban Artistry students and family for our weekly classes in Bethesda, MD. Arts education is a key component of our mission, so to learn from and with Kamikaz is an honor.

Friday, December 7th @ 11am 

Kamikaz will be guests on our weekly live radio show, The Urban Artistry Show, which airs live on WLVS: http://listenvision.com/listen_live.  This will be an opportunity to share Algerian hip-hop culture and dance traditions to American and international audiences.   While dance itself is a language, and a way of communicating, one can gain different understandings of the movements through discussion about where and when they came from. Urban Artistry has begun having more conversations about dance on our new live radio show. It is a chance to interact with DJs, musicians, visual artists, historians, dancers, and educators who continue to shape the culture that is dance. 

@11pm: Finally, to celebrate the end of Kamikaz's week in Washington, DC, and to wish them well on the continuation of their journey across the United States, we have invited Kamikaz to join us for a night of dancing at U Street Music Hall.


As excited as we are to show Kamikaz how we experience urban dance styles in Washington, D.C., members of Urban Artistry are even more interested in seeing, hearing, feeling, and being inspired by the similarities and differences of the experiences of Kamikaz.

Bienvenue aux Etats-Unis, Kamikaz!

Education of Maren Cummings, Assistant Operations Director at Urban Artistry

I have always loved learning; from staying late to sharpen pencils in fourth grade to drawing mental maps to connect texts in grad school (I’m dorky, I know).

… yes, that’s me on the far right with my 4^th grade Urkel glasses

So, it was a particularly hard decision for me to leave grad school in 2008 to dance. It was an emotional decision to leave the ivory tower, but as much as I tried to infuse dance into my studies (I did learn a lot from those Performance Studies books) and my schedule, I couldn’t do both and keep my sanity. And I knew that I needed dance in my life.

… my first year of college… minus the Urkel glasses

The tipping point for my decision – what made my choice stick was truly thinking about how Urban Artistry teaches. I was used to dance classes, but Urban Artistry’s teaching goes above and beyond classroom teaching. It’s not about teaching choreography, although that does happen; it’s about learning the history of the movements and the music, learning to apply concepts in your own way, learning from everyone in the class, and creating a space that’s safe enough to freely explore movement, but directed enough to make that movement dynamic.

Some of the most important lessons I have learned from Urban Artistry have happened outside of the dance studio. Urban Artistry encouraged me to get into my first cypher after 10 years of studio dancing and lurking on the sidelines (Thanks House!) Urban Artistry showed me how to build deeper friendships and how to truly push through character flaws to become the person I want to be (I’m still working on this .. but thanks for the guidance, Em).

Urban Artistry teaches me every day to be a student who is ready to learn. Those all-nighters from college turn into almost-all nighters in cyphers… riding the fumes of that inspiration to work a few hours later.

The research and thesis papers I wrote have paved the way for me to contribute to art grant proposals. My desire to learn to teach has been enhanced by being a student to such giving and patient artistic and operations directors.

I realize that I have surrounded myself with a dream team of educators to learn from and give back with- from music teachers, to SPED teachers, to life coaches and cultural ambassadors. Most recently, I realized how many layers of learning I was able to touch when I asked Urban Artistry to teach dance in my after-school program. I am used to doing homework help, art projects, and science projects with our youth, but to see them dance brings out a whole new side of them. Where they may hesitate to raise their hand to give an answer, they will raise it in a second to start a body wave. While they have down pat the dougie and the jerk, they had to learn to push themselves to learn old school hip hop moves. While they trust and test each other in the classroom, they had to re-explore that trust to get down with each other in cypher.

I am thankful everyday for having so many positive teaching role models and for being able to always be a student. Embrace all of who you are!

Roosee from the SLEEPWALKINGZ Crew visits Urban Artistry in Washington DC

Urban Artistry was pleased to welcome Bulgarian Bboy, Dancer and DJ; Roosee (Rusi) Yusifov of the famous SLEEPWALKINGZ CREW, http://www.kination.com/Welcome.html to the United States for the past three months. The folks at Urban Artistry met Roosee and some other members of his crew at one of the local events held by UA called THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, during their visit to the States in 2008.

The jam made history that night as members of the Sleepwalkingz Crew decided to call out the judges for battle. This particular night the judges chosen happened to be some of DC's BBOY Legends including, Brent "VORTEX" Talley of Natural Elements Crew; Sonny "GHOST" Tran of Lionz of Zion and Joe "FATRAWK" Nguyen of Arrive to Defy. This battle would be one of the first and only times Sonny and Brent had battled together since they were both in Natural Elements over 10 years ago! For those of us who have been around the scene for awhile or have simply been fans of the bboy scene in DC, this night will be remembered for a long time!

(Judges Call Out Battle Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuIeQ2BElYE

(Judges Call Out Battle Part 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaiADLhrEoo

In September 2009 the Sleepwalkingz got together with the United States Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria to bring Urban Artistry to their Annual Hip Hop Festival JAM ON IT.

http://www.jamonit.bg/

During the festival Urban Artistry members:

Junious, Rashaad, Russell and Rizqi all gave workshops in various urban dance styles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FbbYp6OuEg

Russell and Gabe judged the bboy footwork battles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmvs1hIyMnI

Rashaad won the 1 vs. 1 popping battle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvLo8zZBIGI

The group performed of their popular piece "ONE DREAM."
http://www.youtube.com/user/SofiaPAO

Attending this event allowed the two groups to continue growing the urban artist exchange program they have been developing between Bulgaria and the United States over the past few years. Bringing Roosee here to the States was part of a series of exchanges we hope to get funding for in the future.

Next, Urban Artistry Founder/ Executive Director Junious "House" Brickhouse will visit Sofia again in February 2010 to give a series of workshops on urban dance and culture in collaboration with the United States Embassy in Bulgaria and their efforts to educate the Bulgarian community on the importance of Black History Month in American Culture.

The two crews hope to find funding to bring the Sleepwalkingz Crew out for Urban Artistry and Rogue Squirrel's Annual Urban Dance Festival www.hiphopsoulsociety.com which takes place throughout the DC Metro Area the weekend of April 15th-18th in 2010.


In October 2009, Roosee obtained a work VISA to visit the States and work with Urban Artistry as a fellow, dancer, performer and musician (DJ). During his stay he participated in several shows and performances with the members of UA. He also served as a International Guest Judge alongside, DC's own Ironman (CAB CRU) and PAULSKEE (Rock Force Crew, MIGHTY 4, OUT FOR FAME) from the San Francisco Bay Area at THE ILLEST INGREDIENT, a local 2 vs. 2, Odd Couple bboy/bgirl battle held in Dupont Circle on December 12, 2009.

(Illest INGREDIENT GROUP PAGE)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=342309905332

(JUDGES SHOWCASE- BBOY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ekfcxw0YK4


During his visit to DC, Roosee also collaborated with:

DJ Obeyah, http://twitter.com/obeyah
DJ Mate Masie, http://www.myspace.com/ironmancabcru
Halfstep http://www.myspace.com/bboyhalfstep
DJ Baronhawk Poitier http://twitter.com/DJBaronhawk


on several music projects, including an International Guest DJ spot presented by YEAH CLASS at GAZUZA, a well-known Hooka Bar and Lounge in Dupont Circle. He also helped as a DJ at the Artist in Residency Preview Celebration for Urban Artistry's Open House at their new home in Columbia Heights, The Dance Institute of Washington. http://www.danceinstitute.org/

Throughout the month of Janaury 2010, Roosee taught often during the Urban Artistry Open Practice Session which takes place every Sunday at The Dance Institute of Washington. This free open practice is funded in part by a Hip Hop Initiative grant from the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities. http://dcarts.dc.gov/dcarts/cwp/view,a,3,q,638459,dcartsNav,%7C31624%7C.asp

In December 2009 he taught a beginners workshop in the Urban Artistry Education Program presented by Emily "Incognito" Wessel and Russell "Ironman" Campbell at their past home in Tenleytown, The DC Dance Collective. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2mwsjlHICE

Roosee also placed in the TOP 8 at the 3 vs. 3 battle at the Breakers Delight Jam, "WHO'S HUNGRY 2010" along side Russell "Ironman" Campbell and Emily "Incognito" Wessel, which took place at The hearts in Motion Dance Studios in Springfield, Virginia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kw_d6YJQX4 (PRELIMS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtY9CRwEQWE (TOP 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stYyq3gu_J0 (HD Version TOP 8)

For his last weekend here in DC, Roosee will enter Schoolin' Sessions II, a local 3 vs. 3 battle with friends Russell "Ironman" Campbell and Carlendra "Shyrock" Frank both members of the Maryland Chapter of CAB CRU before heading up to NYC on his way back to Sofia, Bulgaria, 2/10/2010.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=239568581895&index=1 (Facebook Event Page)

From all of us at Urban Artistry, we want to take a moment to thank Roosee for visiting us to share his gift of art, dance, music and culture. We will see you in the cypher again very soon my friend...

- The Urban Artistry Family-