New York City hip-hop dance trailblazer Rokafella takes part in online conversation, March 19
Copresented by Dance West Network, Pepatian Bronx Arts Collaborative, and United Hip-Hop Vanguard, event is aimed at inspiring street-dance communities around the continent
Dance West Network, with Pepatian Bronx Arts Collaborative and United Hip-Hop Vanguard, presents a conversation with Rokafella, 2 to 3:30 pm on March 19. Register here.
A RENOWNED NEW YORK City-born and -raised dancer, teacher, and advocate for women in hip-hop is set to speak in a presentation by Vancouver’s Dance West Network, in collaboration with Pepatian Bronx Arts Collaborative and United Hip-Hop Vanguard.
Ana “Rokafella” Garcia will take part in an online conversation about her work founding the UHHV—a group that motivates diverse hip-hop and street-dance scenes to grow as cultural voices and to build the future locally and globally. The online conversation is offered as inspiration, and a specific case study, for breaking and hip-hop communities throughout North America.
Rokafella has worked in the field for three decades, also cofounding Full Circle Souljahs, New York’s only nonprofit breakdance-theatre company. with her husband, veteran B-boy Kwikstep; the project generates theatre pieces, original poetry, and local dance-related events.
In addition to directing All the Ladies Say, a documentary series about B-girls, Rokafella premiered the new dance work Beauty Meets Beast to explore the duality of women in street and club dance. Rokafella usually does a breaking demo during her music sets, often performing songs in Spanish and paying tribute to her ancestors.
At the moment, Rokafella is an adjunct professor at The New School and a hip-hop dance instructor at NJPAC, among other locations. A key part of her approach is her tenet that hip-hop helps urban youth get through the ups and downs of life.