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!

Megan Keefe, Director of Digital Media on Global Projects in bboy culture

As of today Invisible Children's "Kony 2012" viral video has been viewed more than 41 million times on Youtube. It has been talked about over social media, major tv networks, NPR and probably a few beers at your local watering hole. Whether you watch the Kony 2012 video or not it is important to learn about the history of Ugandan youth. Why? Because they are our brothers and sisters and their history is our history. Their pain is our pain.

In 2011 Junious and Hannah and I went to a screening of Bouncing Cats at the National Geographic Society. Junious and I recently returned from a trip to South Africa where Junious taught South African youth about the history, culture, and movement of House Dance. This film about Uganda brought tears to my eyes because I suddenly saw the positive impact of urban dance culture in South Africa and Uganda. It's something that's happening in Africa without thousands of dollars of investment or the visibility of the western world. It is stronger than money or political power. Dance will always bind us together. When greed, racism, violence and fear work to tear us apart, dance will bind us together. It's always been this way.

http://vimeo.com/12234800

Find out more about the film and how to make donations to Breakdance Project Uganda by visiting the Bouncing Cats website: http://www.bouncingcats.com/synopsis/

Watch John Legend talk about the film: http://vimeo.com/20751293

Other links:

https://www.facebook.com/bouncingcats

https://twitter.com/#!/bouncingcats

http://www.bpuevents.org/

-Megan Keefe-

'1 mo round' aka Giovanni Galleno of CAB CRU

When it comes to writing a blog I must admit it feels like the very first cypher experience. Itching to run in, cautious to not stumble and ruin your entire decade. a glimpse of your favorite dancer doing your favorite run from your favorite battle....you say to yourself...."I wanna do that!" Then you imagine the most sloppy looking run from the most annoying dancer from the battle you always fast forward on the tape....and you say "I hope I don't ever do that".

With that being said I would like to share my most favorite experience in an open cypher. As this is my first blog for Urban Artistry and I hope it will be memorable to others and not just me. Back in May of 2000 I attended 99.1 HFStival. This was a concert held at RFK Stadium. Throughout the entire day I was just groovin on my own and head banging and moshing and having a ball. There was a surprise guest this year...Run DMC. They came on after 311 and had a great set....I was on the side where it was clear and began to try to TopRock and do footworks... haha I was off beat like a mug. Anyway, after that Jimmy's Chicken Shack came on and it was game time! After the first track I managed to break into the mosh pit and decided to establish myself.... napoleon complex lol. I managed to stay on my feet and when the dust cleared and the hook of the song played...I decided to let these dudes know what else I could do. I started to do some tops and hit like 10 swipes and a quick backspin to a basic chair freeze... After that another bboy from Baltimore started to dance... we battled... can't remember who won, but it was hyped up by the innocent bystanders. The other bboy was bboy Avy, at the time he was a founder of Phusun Force Crew, now in Deadly Venoms Crew.

That moment was more memorable than any other in dance I have ever had, maybe ever will

Do you have a similar story?

Do you have similar interests in music?

Did you meet a dancer somewhere you never thought you would?

My name is Giovanni "1MoRound" Galleno of the Counter Attack Breakers Crew (CAB Crew) DC Chapter established 1997 and Artistic Director in Urban Artistry established 2005. I challenge you to share your thoughts on unexpected events and happenings in your chosen art form.

Correctional Facility Best Of DVD Promo Video 2010

Since 2006 Urban Artistry in collaboration with CAB CRU and The Assassins Crew International have come together to bring you 5 amazing urban dance and culture events called the Correctional Facility. Visit www.youtube.com/urbanartistry for more details on the event and uploaded footage that has already been released.

The full length DVD is complete with cypher footage, hip hop battles, bboy/bgirl battles, seven to smoke, locking performances, waacking performances, house dance performances and popping battles. There are call out battles with DC icons Vortex (Natural Elements Crew), Ghost (Lions of Zion Crew) and Fatrawk (Arrive To Defy) from Bulgaria's famous Sleepwalkingz, solos from Frantick, Future, Rashaad, Popula, among others and hot box footage with Maryland's own Ironman. This DVD box set promises to give you everything you would expect from a Best Of DVD Series.

See the promo available now and stay tuned for the full length DVD which will be available in late 2010. A special thanks goes out to the probono filmmakers who captured this footage for us, especially Geoff Bund, Nick Huynh, Daniel Lagdameo and their assistants, the DJ's, Baronhawk Poitier, Mate Masie, Halfstep and Obyeah, the local, national and international competitors, MC's Halfstep, Ironman and Guerilla Will and the many guests who made this event possible.

We are grateful to all the supporters who believe in the Correctional Facility Mission that when talk is ineffective, we can correct through movement. Stay tuned for more events to come in 2010.

www.urbanartistry.org/events.html

Urban Artistry new show premier presented at The Performing Arts Center at Montgomery College on 11/17/09 at 7:00pm

Last night at the open house for the brand new, beautiful Performing Arts Center at Mongtomery College in Silver Spring, arts in schools agent Class Acts Arts presented the latest new work by the Urban Dance Company, Urban Artistry entitled "DIGITAL FUNK 5002."

The concept and stage direction for this piece was created by internationally recognized Artistic Director, Rashaad Pearson (Urban Artistry, Assassins Crew International). The piece was performed by LaTasha Barnes, Ryan Webb, Emily Wessel, Giovanni Galleno, Gabe Galbraith, Phillip Chang and Rashaad Pearson.

You can see Urban Artistry again at The Performing Arts Center at Montgomery College on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 11:00am for the centers 2009-2010 Saturday Morning Childrens Performing Arts Series. See the link below for more information!

http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/pac/tp_childrens_events/urban_artistry.htm

If you would like to see Urban Artistry at your school please contact:

http://www.classactsarts.org/

Class Acts Arts

8100 Georgia Avenue

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Phone: 301-588-7525

Toll-Free: 866-458-8966

Fax: 301-588-7270

Email: Info@classactsarts.org