The Los Angeles based Versa-Style Dance Company is hot right now and deservedly so. After a successful run at The Wallis with its extraordinary work Box of Hope, the company will present the world premiere of its latest full length work Freemind Freestyle on Friday October 1st, 2021 at The Ford. Freemind Freestyle that incorporates many styles of Hip Hop, was commissioned by The Ford Theatre Foundation and presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The choreography and dancing by Versa-Style Dance Company is always excellent, high energy and filled with emotion. Freemind Freestyle is said to be “a riveting, visceral immersion into hip hop and street dance culture, a 65-minute production that will consist of high-energy, unadulterated hip hop movement that brings culture to the stage in the form of competitive exchange known as battles and raw freestyle street dance. The work explores how we find freedom through dance and centers the voices of the Black and Latinx communities.”
Considered one of Los Angeles dance treasures, this award winning Hip Hop company has toured throughout the U.S. and abroad performing it’s work that demonstrates some of the best LA Hip Hop performers whose styles include Popping, Locking, and Krump, Afro-Latin styles of Salsa, Merengue, and Cumbia, and others such as 90s Hip-Hop, House, Whacking and Boogaloo.
Versa-Style Dance Company at The Wallis – “Box of Hope” – Photo by Lawrence K. Ho
Founded in 2005 by Jackie “Miss Funk” Lopez and Leigh “Breeze-Lee” Foaad, Versa-Style creates highly energetic work that fuses dances that are culturally significant to our community. Now in its 15th year, Versa-Style has become a staple in the Los Angeles dance community, named “LA’s Best Dance Troupe for Hip Hop Empowerment” by LA Weekly in 2015, and featured as Red Bull’s “Heroes of the Year” in the Red Bulletin Magazine in 2019.
“Hip-Hop breaks color lines by creating a forum where people come together for a common passion rather than grouping themselves by race or socio-economic backgrounds. Versa-Style demonstrates freedom of expression, freedom of individuality, hard work, self-discipline and dedication to the form.” Davidson & Choy Publicity press release.
Freemind Freestyle includes costumes designed by local East LA-born artist Alex Ayon, dramaturgy from internationally-acclaimed poet Bobby Gordon, and spoken word by North Carolina-born poet/rapper Kane Smego.
Versa Style Dance Company premieres Freemind Freestyle on October 1, 2021 at 8:00 pm PT at The Ford located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd E, Los Angeles, CA 9006.
I recommend that you go! You will be glad that you did.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
To visit the Versa-Style Dance Company website, click HERE.
To read my review of Box of Hope at The Wallis, click HERE.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
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