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D&E hosting Urban Dance Series

The first public session is scheduled for 11 a.m. today in Pit Dance Studio in Myles Center for the Arts with Loose Joint, a founding member of Elite Force Crew.

ELKINS — Davis & Elkins College will present a series of urban dance lectures and demonstrations open to the campus community and the public throughout the fall semester. Coordinated by the American Vernacular Dance Program at D&E, the presentations will focus on urban dance forms such as hip hop, locking, popping and breaking that have been a significant part of commercial and concert dance in the United States for the last 50 years.

There is no admission fee to attend.

The first public session is scheduled for 11 a.m. today in Pit Dance Studio in Myles Center for the Arts with Loose Joint, a founding member of Elite Force Crew.

Loose Joint got his big start when he became a member of Elite Force Crew and was featured on the set of Michael Jackson’s music video “Remember the Time.” Through the years he has worked with and opened for well-known artists such as TLC, Will Smith, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, New Edition, Kool & The Gang, Patti Labelle, and danced with Mr. Wiggles, Buddha Stretch, Henry Link and others. He also placed second in the breaking contest to determine which b-boy crew would appear in the cult classic film “Beat Street,” toured with Fresh Fest and performed with Shannon of “Let the Music Play” fame.

“I am so excited to meet Loose Joint,” D&E student Elizabeth Brown said. “I really admire the fluidness in the way he moves his feet. I can’t wait to come and learn more about him and hip hop as an art form.”

Additional artists in the fall Urban Dance Guest Artists Lecture-Demonstration Series are: Spex, a faculty member of Broadway Dance Center, who will present locking from 11-11:50 a.m.

Oct. 11; Popin Pete of the Electric Boogaloos, who will present popping from 5-5:50 p.m. October 27; and Cricket of Step Up 2 the Streets, who will present house dance from 11-11:50 a.m. November 17.

The guest artists will also teach movement workshops in the Survey of Contemporary Urban Dance in the U.S. course that D&E Assistant Professor of Dance Emily Oleson is curating, a required class for all dance majors at D&E. Oleson, who has studied urban dances with D.C.-based Urban Artistry and at The School at Jacob’s Pillow, is bringing a different guest artist for every content unit.

“This area of dance is so current and important for dance scholars to understand today — and so frequently watered down or misappropriated — that I wanted to make sure we got subject matter experts to address each dance style we’re covering,” Oleson said. “I’m very fortunate and grateful to have D.C.-based guest artist Shanna Lim as a liaison connecting our school to this high caliber of guest artists for our curriculum. It is wonderful to know that our dance students are getting top quality instruction in areas of American social dance that are usually marginalized in college dance departments. This lineup fulfills the mission of our American Vernacular Dance major more spectacularly than I could have hoped, and I can’t wait for these artists’ visits.”

For additional information on the fall Urban Dance Guest Artists Lecture-Demonstration Series, email Oleson at olesone@dewv.edu.

The first program of its kind in the United States, the Davis & Elkins College Dance curriculum explores social and vernacular forms such as Appalachian flatfooting, tap, swing, hip-hop and other urban dance, as well as classic forms such as ballet. Students engage in technical training and theoretical inquiry, giving them opportunities to perform, choreograph, compete, produce and teach dance.

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