1520 Arts In The Community | Oct

It’s time to say good bye to summer!  As October and chilly weather sets in, we shift gears a bit.  Summer is all about events and festivals, but as we get into 4th quarter you can find us in the classroom more and more.  Education is a huge part of what we do and it’s always nice to get back in the classroom and work with kids ( of all ages ).

Freestyle Session is a global Breakin’ event with over 25 years of history.  It’s one of the premier events for the community and we are happy to host a qualifier here in Salt Lake City.  Our 2019 qualifier featured a 3v3 open and a 1v1 Youth 15-and-under battle.  Dancers came from Utah, Colorado and Nevada to participate.  The Break Syndicate took the 3v3 crown, featuring dancers from 3 different states ( including Utah ).  They will be heading to San Diego Nov 22 to compete in the world finals!  Joining them will be Bboy FReal of Las Vegas, our first 15 and under champion.  Catch them on the live stream or make the trip and see them in person.  We’ll be cheering for them either way

Respect The Decks was a DJ battle that took place during FSS Weekend.  9 local DJ’s had 5 mins each to impress the judges with their ability to mix, scratch, select tracks and put it all together into a seamless experience.  5 of them advanced to the final round where they had 12 mins to prove why they’re the best. DJ BZ  was bringing the heat all night and took the win!  The whole night featured incredible performances by some of Utah’s finest DJ’s and special guest judges Rob Swift & Mista Sinista ( Da Odd Couple ) put on one of the craziest showcases we’ve ever seen.

This was the perfect way to finish the weekend.  Thanks to all who came out and special thanks to Club 50 West and The Salt Lake Arts Council for helping make the whole weekend possible

$10 provides 1 hour of free Dance, Art or DJ instruction for a student. 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!

With event season officially behind us, we are back in the classroom.  October saw the start of a lot programs for us and first was Escalante Elementary.  This is our 3rd year as an “Artist In Residence” at the school.  Powered by a grant from The Salt Lake Arts Council, we will spend 16 weeks with three 4th grade classes during the school year.  Students will learn several different Hip Hop dance styles along with some Street Art basics.  Providing diverse arts and culture programs to students helps them find a creative outlet while building valuable life skills.  This is one of our favorite partnerships and we’re grateful for all the support the school gives us

October also marked our return to BYU and Dance 245.  Now in our 8th Semester, Dance 245 introduces students to Hip Hop history and some of its dance forms.  Students learn about the origins of the culture and the context of things like the cypher and the battle.  Students begin by learning Breakin’ and are placed into crews.  They learn and battle with these crews for the duration of the semester.  We approach this class like a language class.  Instructors Text and Big Chocolate provide students with a basic vocabulary of dance moves, but they also teach students how to use their movements in a correct way.  The connection to each other is crucial in Hip Hop and it’s always fun to see how the students grow and progress during the course.

In addition to teaching at After School programs for South Salt Lake we also had an amazing opportunity to perform at the Multicultural Youth Leadership Summit presented by the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs.  We spent the morning talking about Hip Hop culture, learning some Breakin’ and cyphering with the students.  Over 1200 students from a wide range of culture backgrounds attended.  Hip Hop has always had diverse cultural roots and always appreciate the chance to share our passion for the culture.