Sponsored by the EC Dance Association, a hip-hop master class event will take place for students on May 11, which will include competitions as well as dance classes.
Students can purchase tickets for $30 throughout this month in the PE South Room 223 or email the club at [email protected]. Tickets will not be sold on the day of the event.
The event is actually a fundraiser for the Dance Association and it helps to spread awareness of the club. Even though the club involved multiple styles of dancing, creating a hip hop event will be more appealing to students because of the familiarity.
“It’s a way to ease in people,” Miguel “Igi” Echave, dance association board member said. “Since it is a hip-hop workshop, it’s easier to take in because people are familiar with hip-hop and hip-hop dance.”
While the hip-hop aspect of the event is alluring, the actual competition which includes a cash prize for the overall winner, and celebrity judges will grab the attention of students. There will be three instructors, Matt Gutierrez of ABDC’s Season 7 Mix’d Elements, Patrick Packing of Common Ground Alumni, and Jonathan Sison of Culture Shock LA/SD, Mischief Makers and Boogiezone Armada. The judges will include, Igi Echave of Culture Shock LA, and Stylistic Kings, BBoy 24/7, of Soul2Soul and Stylistic Kings, and Keiko of Soul2Soul and Stylistic Kings.
“The artists that we’re bringing in are really famous and it’s an honor and a privilege to have them on our campus,” Leslie Washington, dance association president said.
There will be three dance classes which will last an hour and a half each, the classes start around 10 a.m. where students will learn different hip hop routines. The battle competition starts at 3 p.m. with on the spot sign-ups at 2 p.m. and will be a head to head contest with an overall winner who will receive and a 100 dollar monetary prize. Also there will be a freestyle session with a live DJ, by the name of Boogiemind. The entire event will take place until 6 p.m.
Putting together such an elaborate event filled with many interesting aspects is very beneficial for the dance association. It brings students together to showcase their talents and to teach and influence others with their artistic craft of dance.
“We have students such as Igi Echave and Eric Whitehurst who are major contributors and also dynamic influences in the hip hop culture today,” Washington said.
While the event is a fundraiser the ultimate goal isn’t just to simply raise money for the club. The goal is to give students an inside look of what hip-hop dancing entails regardless of their own dance abilities.
“The overall goal is to expose students of any level of dance to the genre of hip-hop dancing which also incorporates jazz to urban street dancing,” Washington said.
STORY UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 26 AT 10:32 P.M.
