Hip Hop & Street Dance
Dance West Network supports the ongoing hip-hop and street dance scenes (including waacking, house and vogue) in Vancouver and BC by supporting local artists with professional development opportunities and performances, as well as connecting with artists from The Bronx and NYC through conversations, meetings, film showings, and workshops.
To date, we have supported these Hip Hop & Street Dance Artists through our various programs:
Please click on the artist’s name for their website/social media and click “DWN” for info on their collaboration with Dance West Network
2023 Activity
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop
An online conversation with Rokafella, co-founder of The United Hip-Hop Vanguard
Dance West Network, in collaboration with Pepatian Bronx Arts Collaborative and United Hip-Hop Vanguard, invites you to join us in a one-time conversation with Rokafella, renowned New York City-born and raised dancer, teacher and long-time representative of women hip-hop dancers, and co-founder of United Hip-Hop Vanguard on
Sunday, March 19 2023
NYC born and raised, Ana "Rokafella" Garcia has represented women in Hip-hop dance professionally over the past three decades. She co-founded Full Circle Souljahs, NYC's only non-profit Break Dance Theatre company with her husband veteran Bboy Kwikstep, generating theatre pieces, original poetry and local dance-related events.
2021 Activities
REAL TALK.
A public conversation and gathering featuring a stellar mix of international and local guest speakers discussing their support of women dance artists in Hip-Hop and how they created different platforms to share their work.
Co-hosted by Vancouver Street Dance Festival
Curated by Dr. Jane Gabriels with support from Char Loro and Roselle Pineda
Moderated by Kathleen Adams, co-founder of Momma & Hip-Hop Kitchen (The Bronx, NY)
Speakers: Michele Byrd-McPhee, Executive Director, Ladies of Hip-Hop Festival (NYC), Natasha Gorrie, Diamonds in the Rough (Vancouver), Alex Spicey Landé, Bust a Move Festival (2005-2015) & Ebnflōh (Montréal), Mycs Villoso, Street Styles Summit.
Hip-Hop Academy
Collaboration with Hiit’aGan.iina Kuuyas Naay – Skidegate Youth Centre in Haida Gwaii
A virtual Hip-Hop Academy with a series of online workshops in music, dance and spoken word culminating in performances featuring Indigenous and POC artists from The Bronx, Haida Gwaii, and Tofino.
2019 Activities
Conversation for Hip-Hop Teaching Artists (Vancouver) with B-girl Rokafella (Bronx, NY).
SATURDAY MAY 11. 11:00am-12:30pm
LOCATION: KW Studios Atrium space in the Woodwards Building (#10 – 111 Hastings St W)
Rokafella will be joining us via Skype to talk about Hip-Hop in The Bronx, brainstorm with any questions you might have, and to also learn from you about Hip-Hop in Vancouver and BC
DOCU FILM SHOWING
Friday, September 6, 2019 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
ROOM 001, 268 Keefer Street (basement)
2 documentary films (30 min each) about dance and artists making work in the South Bronx, New York : "Women in Hip-Hop Rep the Bronx" and "Out of La Negrura/Out of Blackness in the Bronx: A choreographic collaboration across Diaspora."
Featuring artists: Rokafella, Sita Frederick, Marion Ramirez, Caridad De La Luz, Nene Ali, Jennifer "Beasty" Acosta, Nejma Nefertiti, Janice Tomlinson.
