This “Streetdance Theater Showcase” was the culmination of a four-day 20th Anniversary Hip Hop festival hosted by Versa-Style Street Dance Company at Mihran K. Studios, Burbank. From the time you enter the space, the energy is palpable. The music is playing, and the bass is beating. I was so moved by the warm hugs and happy hellos being exchanged as people walked through the door. There is a feeling of family that permeates the atmosphere. A multigenerational and multi-ethnic audience filled the seats and excitedly waited for the performance to begin. As I surveyed the room, the entire audience appeared to be moving with the music, heads bobbing, rocking, swaying, in unison. The M.C., Leonardo “Inner-G” Flores, hit the stage and set the tone for the remainder of the evening.
Having had the opportunity to observe this young man first as a teenager, then a college student, and now an accomplished, articulate, skilled, and knowledgeable college graduate, dance teacher, and artist was tremendously moving for me! He began a call and response chant with the audience and reminded the audience that we were expected to participate in the evening, cheering and sharing our feelings about the happenings on stage. His excitement was contagious, and he kept the evening moving at a rapid pace. Interspersing information about each company performing and the importance of dance as a form of cultural communication, and a conduit for building bridges of understanding.
Versa-Style Streetdance Theatre Showcase – Photo by Bryce Koebel.
First up was “Six Six Four” from Tijuana performing “Telepathy.” This multidisciplinary street dance team took the stage and confidently set the stage on fire. The piece opened with the company in interesting poses. They moved with joy and abandon, immersed in movement that covered the entire stage. I was in awe of the clean and sharp unison sections. The company moved as one as they carried us on a dance journey and ended with the opening pose.
Next up was soloist, “Robo-Zilla.” As Leonardo introduced the artist with the utmost respect, it was clear that we were in for something very special. “Ultralight Beam” did not disappoint! It was an animation tour de force in which this tall, imposing, strikingly handsome man articulated his arms and then his entire body to reflect the rhythms and melodies in the music. He seemed to effortlessly isolate each muscle in his arms, hands, fingers, and torso as he skated across the stage. At one point, he seemed to open his chest to the sky and converse with God. He was totally overwhelmed with emotion, and one could feel the power of animation.
Versa-Style Streetdance Theatre Showcase – Photo by Bryce Koebel.
“UniverSoul,” a multicultural dance collective dedicated to bringing transformative and empowering dance experiences into diverse communities and schools, was next up with “Revival.” This piece was characterized by pure energy and personality from beginning to end, using the floor, gestures, shaking hands, and honestly relating and connecting to one another at breakneck speed. Large groups moving in unison with knees pumping up and down and then moving into men’s and women’s sections. I was amazed at how simple shoulder shakes brought such coherence and love to the dance. Finally, the show-stopping jumps into splits were an explosive way for the piece to come to an end.
Versa-Style Streetdance Showcase – Danzel – Leigh “Breeze Lee” Faood – Photo by George Simian.
“Friends” presented by “Whacking LA” was a definite change of pace with its nuanced legato opening, with whacking done in a canon. This company came with drama and attitude as they walked forward to the music of “Shaft,” whacking to emphasize musical accents and then punctuating their whacking with poses often done in profile. As I watched, their commitment to restorative joy and expression and their commitment to “accessibility, ensuring that all individuals—regardless of background, identity, or ability—can engage in dance as a means of healing…” seemed to be embedded in the presentation. Each dancer moved with pride and confidence as they told their stories through whacking.
Danzel (Thompson-Stout) and Cris (Barreto) brought us “Bruddanem,” an engaging duet featuring the profound, deep connection between two fiercely talented men. The piece had an improvisational feel and flow to it, but included house that was so rhythmical and precise, done in unison and then individually, that I quickly realized this was much more than improvisation. These two consummate professionals pushed one another to bring their individual styles to the floor in an innovative and continually connected way. One could immediately see Danzel’s amazing mastery of Afro-diasporic dances and Cristian’s mastery of African dance technique merged with street and club dance. These athletic masters seemed to have endless movement vocabulary at their fingertips that they instantly summoned, with their confident and stylish swagger, connecting to one another and the audience. These two were absolutely amazing!
Versa-Style Streetdance Theatre Showcase – Jackie “Miss Funk” Lopez and Leigh “Breeze Lee” Fooad – Photo by Bruce Koebel.
As legacy became the focus, Jackie took the time to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of the mothers of the founders of Versa-Style. It was moving and touching watching founders, Leigh Foaad and Jackie Lopez, acknowledge the support and encouragement their mothers and family provided. This was the perfect segue to introducing Versa-Style Legacy performing “The Legacy Continues.” I remember Jackie Lopez as a senior at Marshall High School and then as a student at UCLA with big dreams. I knew Versa-Style Street Dance Company before there was ‘Versa-Style Legacy,’ and I am in awe of this newest accomplishment. The company leadership responded to the need for more performance and educational curriculum. Ernesto “Precise” Galarza has done a phenomenal job developing an accomplished professional secondary company. Through dance, this company tells the story and acknowledges the history and people who paved the way. The piece started, and it was on!!!!!!!!! Exciting technical high-energy choreography that never stopped and included house, whacking, breaking, popping, locking, krump, anime, and Afro-Latin styles done in a variety of formations with intricate transitions that used the entire space from the floor to the air above. These dancers were clean, clean, clean, hitting beats and accents as they moved in canons, then in unison, then as an amoeba, waving from the floor to the air. Duets, trios, and solos, totally unpredictable, kept the audience on the edge of their seats and 100% engaged. This was the perfect way to end the first act on a high note, and with the audience looking forward to Act 2.
The second act opened with video acknowledgements and greetings to Versa-Style from all over the country. Somehow, in this climate characterized by arts entities being devalued and losing funding, Versa-Style is standing strong and tall, committed to preserving dance cultures and performing to instill the roots, history, and social and political issues surrounding the culture of Hip Hop and Street Dance. The video commentary makes it clear that this company is loved, respected, and valued by luminaries in the dance world.
“The Drop Fam,” a company based in Tucson, Arizona, hit the stage next in “The Good Thing” with a pounding bass line. I could actually feel the bass in my body. This group of movers seemed as if they could feel it, too. They all moved with a swagger and cool confidence that captured the mood of the music. A false ending, followed by more dancing, and the end came too soon!
Versa-Style Streetdance Theatre Showcase -Outrage in “Terrified” – Photo by George Simian.
“Outrage,” a soloist from San Diego and a pioneer in the krump and freestyle scene, hit the stage next, performing “Terrified.” I could not take my eyes off his fingers and the way he isolated each joint of each finger on both hands. It was as if his hands were telling a story that flowed into his arms and then his entire body. The manner in which he was able to control his movement and balance on one leg was truly remarkable. At times, he appeared to be krumping in slow motion. His sinewy, long arms just added to the hypnotic quality of his movement.
Versa-Style Streetdance Theatre Showcase – Photo by George Simian.
“Fantaye and Tyler” were next up with “Drop That Cup.” It is interesting to note that Fantaye and Tyler competed against one another in Versa-Style’s 18th Anniversary Hip Hop Dance Festival 2023. Ruthie Fantaye is dedicated to encouraging individualism and committed to helping dancers carve a unique path that enables them to find the joy and light in their personal movement. She is a strikingly beautiful and charismatic young woman who fills the stage with quick steps, jumps, turns, popping and locking, all done with joyous abandon. Her movement phrases embrace the ground and suddenly seem to become airborne. Tyler D. Creator comes to the stage with a different style and energy. He shakes, shimmies, and shows off his command of House that is sooooooo fast. He is extremely musical and rhythmical and moves with ease, riding the rhythms as he jumps, slides, and turns using the entire stage. This powerhouse of a team collaborated to create a wildly creative dance that included the passing of a red cup or the dropping of the red cup from one dancer to another. You eventually forget that a red cup is being passed because the dancers are adept at catching and tossing the cup while dancing. The dance takes on the mood of friends partying and enjoying one another. Intricate phrases and transitions wrap around a driving musical beat that elicits sheer joy from the performing artists. Their personalities shine, and the audience is invited to the party!
Versa-Style Streetdance Theatre Showcase -SHE and Yoe”/Sheopatra (SHEstreet) and Yoe Apolinario in “You Don’t Know Me” – Photo by George Simian.
“You Don’t Know Me” by “SHE and Yoe”/Sheopatra (SHEstreet) and Yoe Apolinario” begins with blindfolds on. Even blindfolded, both dancers seemed to be totally connected to one another and aware of exactly where they were on the stage. Both women have extensive performing experience with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Usher, and Cardi B. They are also from the south. SHE hails from Memphis, and Yoe from Tampa. SHE is an accomplished and successful choreographer with brand partnerships, including but not limited to, Nike, Apple, Athleta, and Pepsi. Her work includes TV shows, commercials, and print ads. Yoe has an extensive dance background that includes training in ballet, popping, Memphis Jookin,’ and Clown dancing. She is also a published author of two books, “Café Con Leche” and “So You Wanna Move to LA.” Both women are part of an all-female collective called THECouncil that “stands at the intersection of dance, activism, and sisterhood.” As these women move together and individually with and without the blindfolds, the connection is palpable. There is a joy inherent in their movement, and their mastery of a variety of dance styles makes their choreography especially interesting.
Versa-Style Streetdance Theatre Showcase – Photo by George Simian.
I have had the opportunity to watch Versa-Style Street Dance Company grow since its founding in 2005. It is a company that has constantly evolved and expanded its movement vocabulary through hard work, collaboration, and constant immersion in Hip Hop and Street Dance culture all over the world. Their commitment to elevating and preserving Hip Hop and Street Dance culture resonates in their work as artist educators who create “highly energetic work that fuses Street Dances including hip hop, house, breaking, popping, locking, whacking, and krump, as well as Afro-Latin styles such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, and Afro-Cuban.” These artists, each one of them, brought boundless energy, personality, speed, and swagger to the stage from the beginning to the end of the dance. Seamless transitions from one formation to another and one style to another characterized this exciting presentation. It was amazing to see house, krump, African dance, and animation from the ground to the air done in a way that highlighted the incredibly athletic nature of street dance done at this level. A truly fierce whacking solo done by Anthony Berry, Breeze-Lee (Leigh Foad) and Precise (Ernesto Galarza) hitting harder than hard, a popping section of 5, Harry and his puppet (Brianna Grey) pop, pop, popping, and a feature for Jackie and Breeze that was pure magic were just a few of the moments that made this piece phenomenal! Diagonals, straight lines, movement done in unison and series of canons and waves, trios, solos, duets, quartettes, quintettes, floor work, turns, all punctuated with infectious smiles, high fives developing into a choreographic tour de force best described with the paraphrased words of noted R&B singer Jackie Wilson “your dance is lifting me higher and higher”! This was the perfect ending for the showcase. Congratulations to Versa-Style on the production of a wonderful showcase and 20th anniversary celebration. I am looking forward to seeing the “Cypher Session” with a DJ at the end of their summer intensive, July 21 – 25, at LIV’ART Dance Studio, North Hollywood, CA.
To learn more about Versa-Style Street Dance and their upcoming events and performances, please visit their website.
Written by Leah Bass-Baylis for LA Dance Chronicle.
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