Winter and the holidays are upon us!  It’s also the season of being grateful and giving to others.  We spent our November sharing with the community and helping those in need.  The decade is about to come to a close and we’re so excited for what’s to come.  We’ll need your help though.  Read about how we spent the month and learn more about how you can help us in the future!

When Jaime Alsop Eblen was diagnosed with ALS ( Lou Gehrig’s Disease ) it was up to her sons to provide care for her.  This was a daunting task for the teenagers and it was quickly apparent that they would need help.  Tara Dimoh stepped up and brought the local dance community together to help raise funds for in-home care for Jaime.  An avid watcher of So You Think You Can Dance, Jaime hasn’t missed a single episode.  We had a wonderful time performing with over 100 dancers, and musicians as we raised money for a good cause.  We were able to raise enough to provide Jaime with professional in-home care for over 6 months!  Follow the link to learn more about ALS and how you can support those affected.

East High School is best known as the location where the High School Musical movies were filmed.  Today though, the school hosts a 60% minority population ( above state average ) and below average scores in Math and Reading.  School educators are looking for relevant and interesting ways to connect with students while giving them a platform for expression.  We were happy to perform alongside some of the schools students during their first Hip Hop and Social Justice Open Mic.  We talked about Hip Hop’s history and some of the elements that go into Breakin’.  Spy Hop provided production equipment for students to try out while the rest of us cyphered at the end.  Wonderful experience and we can’t wait to come back.

Each year we are able to teach 1000’s of students for FREE thanks to donors like you!  Whether it’s $10 or $1000, your donation helps provide high quality Hip Hop Arts programs for Utah’s youth.  Join the Cypher Club today and take your donation even further!

The Hip Hop Nutcracker tells the iconic story, but with a twist!  Featuring legendary Hip Hop artist Kurtis Blow and some of the country’s best dancers, Hip Hop Nutcracker is a one of a kind experience and we got to be a part of it!  For the last few months The HERC ( Hip Hop Education & Resource Center ) has been training a group of kids as part of our Crew program.  We were given the opportunity to perform in the lobby of the beautiful Eccles Theater before the start of the show.  We gave the audience a crash course on Hip Hop’s history , delivered by the Crew Kids, then watched the show with the other 1400 attendees.  We were even able to meet some of cast and have a small cypher in the lobby after the show.  The HERC’s Crew Program is growing, so keep an eye on the website to learn more about what we have in store.

We are happy to be back at Hunter High School again this year.  Over the next few months we will be teaching students Breakin, Popping, New Jack and Locking.  Students learn the history and foundation of each style and how they fit into Hip Hop culture.  In October we started with Breakin’ and Jesse Sykes brings us Popping for November.  Students in dance programs spend a lot of time learning about traditional dance styles, but the history behind “Hip Hop” is often over looked.  Hip Hop “Choreography” is confused for a specific style without paying attention to the different styles that have influenced it.  High five to Hunter High for making the effort to teach students this history while providing some diversity to their programming.