We extend our gratitude to The Mellon Foundation for partnering with Full Circle Souljahs! Your support enables us to further celebrate and uplift our community.
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NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
October 4: Rokafella at the University of Mexico
Thank you to the National Institute of Flamenco for inviting our very own Rokafella to connect with the community in Mexico and share the power of hip-hop. Her experience alongside flamenco dancers is a reminder of the resilience and soul that all dance cultures share.
#DanceFamily #Connections #Resilience
October 4-6: 15 Years of 4TheLuvOfIt
We marked 15 incredible years with The Good Foot Arts Collective in Seattle, celebrating hip-hop culture and creating safe spaces for expression and community. Highlights included workshops from legends like Kwikstep and Boogie Frantik who shared their journey and wisdom, bringing love and inspiration to the scene. Plus the DJ's played great jams and the youth arts collective presented poetry and a dance performance. We send our condolences to the organization and prayers going up for other hectic situations they are enduring as a community.
#TheGoodFootArtsCollective #HipHop #Seattle
October 6: NYPL Oral History Project Anniversary
Celebrating 50 years of the Oral History Project with the @jeromerobbinsdancedivision! Legends like Peaches, Violeta, Zone and Float master John were present to lift up our local street dance community and celebrate their unique dance journeys archived in the Oral Project by the New York Public Library. It’s an honor to see other community pioneers such as Archie Burnett, Buddha Stretch, and so many others. Here’s to continuing the legacy and sharing our stories with the world!
#HipHopCulture #DanceHistory #HonoringOurLegacy
October 12: Full Circle Souljahs x Retumba! at BAAD’s 25th Anniversary
On October 12th, Bronx dance forces reunited as Full Circle Souljahs and Afro-Caribbean ensemble Retumba and evcen the founder of Bombazo hit the stage for an unforgettable night of dance, music, political commentary and unity. This dynamic partnership brought Hip-hop and Afro-Caribbean rhythms together, celebrating BAAD’s 25 years of community and culture. Shout to our FC dancers NfiniT and Miss CC who joined in on the dance theater moment.
#BronxSteez #HipHopMeetsAfroCaribbean
October 18: Celebrating 35 Years of Hip Hop with Time Machine Squad!
Sending big love to @timemachinesquad and the global hip-hop community. Celebrating 35 years of culture, resilience, and connection, we’re honored to stay linked to such incredible pioneers. Special shoutout to Queen MC @gabylonia for shutting down the house and we are so proud to be a part of the family, wear our T shirts and to have been there to witness greatness! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Rexjay / Alex who turned 50 a day before the crew anniversary! #HipHopCulture #PuertoRico #TimeMachineSquad
October 21: Honoring DJ KS360
Congratulations to DJ KS360 (Kwikstep) from Full Circle Fresh Kids for receiving the BattleWire Image / Grand Master award at Battle for NYC! A huge moment to honor his contributions and the legacy he’s building in the hip-hop community.
#FullCircleSouljahs #DJKS360
October 26: Gotham Halloween Battles – Hosted by Rocka Jamez
Full Circle Souljahs joined Rocka Jamez and his organization, Roundz of Flame, for an electrifying Halloween-themed dance battle at Gotham. The night was packed with dancers from across the city, costumes, and high-energy rounds showcasing NYC’s incredible talent. Rocka Jamez brought his unique style as both host and DJ, setting the tone for an unforgettable evening of music, movement, and unity within the dance community. While November may bring a short pause, the event will return in December to close out 2024 with even more fire.
#ROUNDZOFFLAME #UnitingDanceCultures #GOTHAM
October 30: BTG Monster Jam – Halloween Edition!
Wednesday, October 30th, was the night we celebrated the 40th anniversary of “Set It Off” with a live performance by the legendary @strafe1 at Behind the Groove NYC. Special showcase by Full Circle Souljahs with a Thriller remix dance tribute! Shout to Fresh Frank and Miss CC for the choreo work! Thank you to DJ DP One and Kwikstep who thrillled us with their mixes.
We danced the night away to the best of Funk, House, Disco, and Soul and snacked on real feel-good food. Shout to The Hitters who showed up and cranked up an unexpected performance for the party.
Happy Birthday to Float Master John!!!
#BehindTheGrooveNYC #SetItOff #ForTheLoveOfFunkHouseDiscoSoul
Upcoming Events
Nov 9: Rokafella visits Ithaca to offfer a workshp and screen All the Ladies Say documentary at the Southside Community Center
Kwikstep will DJ at NuBlu
Nov 22: Kwikstep and Rokafella perform with Miss Chief Rocka at the Millennium stage /Kennedy Center, DC
Nov 23: Kwikstep and Rokafella offer Workshops at Wholly Mammoth Theater and Behind the Groove after party
Nov 25: Kwikstep and Rokafella Hip hop Master class at Mind Builders Bronx, NY 3415 Olinville Ave Bx Register Here
Affiliated Organizations
Check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
www.Alltheladiessay.com Veteran b-girl Ana “Rokafella” Garcia’s first documentary film ALL THE LADIES SAY features the work of female breakdancers in the United States, including Aiko, Baby Love, Beta, Lady Champ, Severe and Vendetta. This film raises awareness of the female presence in Hip-hop and promotes the growth of this dance community in the United States and internationally
@360FlowBreaking by Bboy Flonetik, Educating the youth about the art of Breaking
www.bgirlherstory.wixsite.com Founded by Bgirl Mantis in 2020, Girl Herstory is a project that documents the stories of old school and new school Bgirl generations from the limelight to the underground.
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
September 4: Gather Round – CeleBreak Outside! at Manhattan West Plaza
We kicked off September in style with “Gather Round,” an outdoor dance and music series at Manhattan West Plaza, in partnership with @worksandprocess. Every Wednesday this month, we’ve been vibing to the sounds of @djks360 and breaking it down with @larokafella, celebrating the debut of breaking as an Olympic sport. If you missed it, don't worry—there's more to come throughout September. Catch us bringing the heat at this dynamic midtown space, blending street and club dance battles with the high energy of the city!
September 8: FUTURA2000 Breaking Out Exhibit at the Bronx Museum
On September 8, history was made! Full Circle Souljahs had the honor of performing at the opening day of @futuradosmil's FUTURA2000: Breaking Out exhibit at @bronxmuseum. The energy was electric as generations came together to celebrate the intersection of hip hop and visual art. Big shout out to the dancers who rocked out, including @king.ice.o, @mantis_360, and @sunkimdance, along with DJ @djks360 holding it down on the 1s and 2s. If you haven’t checked out this exhibit yet, it’s running through March 2025, so don’t sleep on it!
September 11: Hustle Club BK – DJKS360 Spinning for the Floor Fam
We hit the floor with fire at @hustleclub_bk on September 11, as our very own @djks360 brought the vibes for the Floor Fam! From a beginner class with @felipebelieving to a night full of groove at the Imperial Ballroom, this event was all about community, dance, and music. Stay tuned because the rhythm doesn't stop—catch DJ Nelson Paradise Roman and @veronica_nychustle next!
September 21: Streetmasters Anniversary Worldwide in NYC
Legends never die! On September 21, we gathered for the Streetmasters Anniversary Worldwide Jam in NYC, where new memories were made, and old stories were brought back to life. We paid homage to those who paved the way—big ups to Bboy Steel Teals, Hitter Legend Peewee, Speedy, Elmo, Concrete Monkey, Zone TDK, Paranoia, and the legendary Bboy Spy.
This jam was all about honoring the OGs who rocked the 70s and 80s, laying the foundation for the breakin' culture we continue to celebrate today. Much love to everyone who came out and showed support, and a special shout out to the Double and Triple OGs who brought that classic energy into the building. We wouldn’t be here without you!
September 28: 25 Years and Still Getting Live at Hostos College
We closed out the month with a major milestone—our 25th anniversary celebration at Hostos College! "25 Years and Still Getting Live" was a night filled with unforgettable performances, celebrating our ongoing partnership with Hostos. Generations of Full Circle family came together to tear up the stage, with a live musical tribute. It was a beautiful evening filled with nostalgia, energy, and the undeniable spirit of hip hop. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special night! Extra special shoutout to Hostos College, Bronx Council of the Arts, and Pepatian Bronx Arts Collaborative.
Affiliated Organizations
Check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
www.Alltheladiessay.com Veteran b-girl Ana “Rokafella” Garcia’s first documentary film ALL THE LADIES SAY features the work of female breakdancers in the United States, including Aiko, Baby Love, Beta, Lady Champ, Severe and Vendetta. This film raises awareness of the female presence in Hip-hop and promotes the growth of this dance community in the United States and internationally
@360FlowBreaking by Bboy Flonetik, Educating the youth about the art of Breaking
www.bgirlherstory.wixsite.com Founded by Bgirl Mantis in 2020, Girl Herstory is a project that documents the stories of old school and new school Bgirl generations from the limelight to the underground.
Coming up
Oct 4 to 6th - Rokafella, Kwikstep, Tiff, and Mantis will be heading to Seattle for 4TLOI by The Good Foot Collective
Oct 12th - Rokafella and Kwikstep will once again partner with Retumba to celebrate the 25th anniversary of BAAD during their Blaqtinx Festival. Check back for more details.
Oct 30th - Behind the Groove will return for a spectacular Halloween party in October.
Make sure to also save the dates to watch or check out 2 national events –
October 4-6th - the Good Foot Arts Collective’s “For the Love of it” dance event in Seattle.
October 18th - Time Machine Squad’s 35th Anniversary in Puerto Rico as they celebrate their Hip Hop Legacy this fall.
August Newsletter
–Another Summer for the books!--
August jumped off with Rok and Mantis supporting Kate and Shiro at the Summer Landmark festival in the Lower East side. Shout to DJ Evil Dee and Large Professor for bringin the heat with feel good music on both days despite the rain!! It was great to run into Bboy RonLo and Meen 183 at the festival..Breakers connecting with the art element and music family.
Breakin' Olympics watch parties
Breakers gathered to witness the historic moment as Breaking made its debut on the Olympic stage together. The Wake and Break watch party which was a “Full Circle” and “Break for Love” collabo, took place at the Snipes/Ladies of Hip Hop studio in Queens and with CUDA Culture at the Caribbean Soul Dance studio in Jersey City. Big shout out to Tiffany and Bougie Cutie Boards who provided the Brunch set up for Wake and Break along with other contributions from attendees. There were cyphers, deep conversations, cheering and laughter as dancers bonded while experiencing this historic moment together in anticipation of who would earn the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. News channel 4 captured the excitement and the insights from some of the organizers and attendees at the Wake and Break watch party. You can watch the feature here:
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/nyc-break-dancers-watch-as-breaking-makes-its-olympic-debut/5690541/
Breakin' Rules the World
Harold O’neal dropped his new album of original Breaking Tracks “Rule the World: Breaking at the Olympics” to celebrate its debut. The Album release party took place at NuBlu as Full Circle, Dynamic Rockers, Works and Process and Princess Lockeroo worked together to make the event a success. There was a panel discussion with speakers Jaze Art Remote, Harold O’neal, Rokafella and Gabriel Furman moderated by Kid Glyde on the topics of the origins of Harold’s music journey as well as his perspective about music production. The panelists shared their feelings about today’s Breaking music, how the music has changed to fit the changes in the contest platforms and how the music impacts the way the dancers move. It was a thought provoking and inspiring conversation which was followed by cyphers for All Styles Cypher battle. You can find Harold’s new album “Rule the World: Breaking at the Olympics” here:
https://songwhip.com/harold-oneal/rule-the-world-breaking-at-the-olympics
Boone Walls
Full Circle dancers Ava, Frank, Future and Mantis performed with Rokafella at the 10th annual Boone Avenue Walls event doubling as a Bronx beautification and arts festival. Big shout out to Shiro One KayLove and all the Writers who represent annually at the Boone Walls. Thank you to Silo and Wen for inviting Full Circle to dance and celebrate this year.
August Birthdays
Happy Birthday to our co-founder Rokafella who celebrated at the South of France restaurant in the Bronx not far from the FC DoJo. We wish her good health and more opportunities to be creative.
Happy Birthday Yasha..it was a fun party!! We wish you and your wife sustained growth and great health!
Happy Birthday Cmar and Miss CC.. we are grateful for your presence in our company and wish that all your dance dreams come true!!
Unapologetically Asian Awards
Congratulations to Aiko Shirakawa - our All The Ladles Say film star – who received the annual Unapologetically Asian award from the House of Chow. Big shout to Yvonne Chow for making sure our Asian Hip hop family gets the love they deserve. Shout out to Jeff Chang- Journalist PHD and Author who was also recognized during the celebration.. which also doubled as a Birthday party for Yvonne! Happy Birthday Yvonne– a toast to many many more vibrant years!!
The Graffiti Hall of Fame
Staying connected with the local Writers, Kwikstep and Rokafella worked once again with the organizers of the Graffiti Hall of Fame event to uplift the original Hip hop dance element and its local OGs and Young Gs. This year marked the 44th anniversary as they celebrated the renaming of 106th street and Park ave to Graffiti Hall of Fame Way. All the elements were in attendance and repping hard. There was an exhibition battle between Dynamic Rockers and mOD Squad Crews as well as cyphers, vendors, Local MC’s like Rayza and DJs including Grand Wizzard Theodore, DP One and Diamond D plus of course all the incredible Writers who left their mark on this historic 44th annual Graffiti Hall of Fame walls and cubes. Shout to Sharif, Veronica and the team.. And mad respect to Part One, Skeme, Fabel, Mare Joey TATS CRU King Bee and even Martha Cooper who spoke about the humble beginnings of this gathering and the people who made it a rite of passage for all writers in NYC and around the world.
Coming up next
Sept 4th - Join us as Behind the Groove gets down at Manhattan West through Works and Process bringing street and club dance battles and party vibes to their outdoor plaza. Rocka Jamez will take over the Dance Magazine Instagram to share media and go Live from the party/battle. https://www.instagram.com/dancemagazine?igsh=cG03c2p4czEyeThi
Sept 8th - DP One will spin a set to help launch the FUTURA exhibition at the Bronx Museum 1pm-4pm. Please swing by and enjoy the art, dance and music.
RSVP for your free ticket Here: https://bronxmuseum.org/exhibition/futura-2000/
Sept 28th - Full Circle returns with a trip down memory lane to celebrate 25 years of dancing at Hostos Community College Repertory Theater with a cast made up of alumni and present company members performing new and classic dance theater moments. Make sure to get your tickets at the box office. 71854455. TICKET LINK https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=HCAV_PL_MPV&orgid=56451&eventId=118977
Oct 12th - Rokafella and Kwikstep will once again partner with Retumba to celebrate the 25th anniversary of BAAD during their Blaqtinx Festival. Check back for more details.
Oct 30th - Behind the Groove will return for a spectacular Halloween party in October.
Make sure to also save the dates to watch or check out 2 national events –
October 4-6th - the Good Foot Arts Collective’s “For the Love of it” dance event in Seattle.
October 18th - Time Machine Squad’s 35th Anniversary in Puerto Rico as they celebrate their Hip Hop Legacy this fall.
Summer was busy and we are gearing up for a phenomenal Fall season. Please follow us on our Instagram @fullcirclesouljahs for weekly updates. Thank you Mantis, David, Karl and our newest staff member Valerie helping Full Circle dance company continue rockin to the future.
360 Flow Breakin studio will return to their regular scheduled kids and adult dance programs. Please get in touch with Flonetik via Instagram @bboyflonetik for info.
We are happy to welcome Bgirl Flyya based in Cleveland to our dance family. You can follow her @flyyathanyou
August Newsletter
July 11 - Kwik2Rok: Breakin Through Evolutions
We released episode 23 of the Kwik2Rok Season 4 on a high note on July 11, featuring the incredible talents of @bboyflonetik and @mantis_360. It has been a memorable 2 years of giving a platform to and celebrating the vibrant dance, art and music community of NYC. The finale will air on August 8th at 8pm EST and then on August 11th our Bgirl documentary will also be aired 3 times to mark Hip hop's 51st anniversary.
July 15 - Full Circle at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
On July 15, Full Circle had a fantastic time at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (@cmomnyc). Our talented @djks360 led an engaging session, inspiring future dancers with his skills. We extend our gratitude to Rokafella, Mantis Michelle M, and Chris for their contributions, and special thanks to Yanet, Michelle, and Natalia for organizing this successful event!
July 18 - Rokafella at Mind Builders Creative Arts Center
Rokafella shared her dance journey on July 18 at @mindbuilderscac, connecting with students and sharing her experiences. The event was a great opportunity, made possible by Dr. Johnson, Melinda, the folklore project, and the film students/summer program. A highlight was the beautiful artwork by Ross, one of the talented students. It was inspiring to meet the young leaders at Mind Builders! #inspiration
July 20 - Appolonia's Birthday Celebration at Crotona Park
We were thrilled to have supported and to have celebrated Appolonia's birthday this Saturday at Crotona Park! Appolonia is a vibrant member of our Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance family and is known for her dedication to community building. It was a day filled with joy, camaraderie, advocacy and festivities as we honored her contributions and celebrate her community with a special day.
July 21 - 36 Chambaz of Stylz at Peridance Center
On July 21, we were thrilled to be part of the @36chambazofstylz event at @peridancecenter. Rokafella and Kwikstep had the honor of teaching alongside some of the most talented artists in the dance community. The event was filled with knowledge-sharing, deep dives into dance culture, and the vibrant spirit of NYC street and club culture!
July 22 - Bgirl Mantis PIX 11 News Feature
Bgirl Mantis was featured on PIX 11 News. The interview highlighted her journey in breaking and her thoughts about a dance form originating in the Bronx that is set to debut as a sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Mantis shared how breaking has instilled tenacity in her life and her experiences learning from female Breaking pioneer Rokafella. The segment also discussed the community's anticipation for breaking's Olympic debut and the potential challenges in judging the sport. The feature celebrated the cultural significance of Breaking and honored the pioneers who paved the way.
July 25 - Behind The Groove NYC at Bogart House
We brought the HEAT on July 25 at @behindthegroovenyc, held at The @bogarthouse! The night was electric with FUNK, HOUSE, DISCO, and SOUL vibes, and we crowned the Cypher King & Queen, each winning a $500 prize. Big thanks to DJs @didpone and @djks360 and special guest DJ BKLN Terry. The event featured free food, snacks, and refreshments by Bougie Cutie Boards adding to the festive atmosphere. A special shoutout to @itsviceyvice for the fantastic flyer design. The party was a huge success, and we thank everyone who joined us including Redness,Kash, GI Jane and Michelle! Congratulations to our dance contest winners: Cypha Queen, @jennuine_v, and Cypha King, @mrocean87! 🏆
July 25 - Kwik2Rok : Skyy is the Limit
Kwik2Rok Season 4 continued with an episode featuring the Legendary Ladies of Skyy. The episode aired at 8pm on BronxNet.org/watch, Cable Ch 67, and Fios 2133. We extend our heartfelt thanks to @bronxnettv, @creativesrebuildny, @nesie.skyy, and @austin_kwame_wilkinson. Missed it? You can catch all past episodes on BronxNet’s YouTube channel. #Kwik2Rok #ladiesofskyy
July 25-27 - Lords of the Land Hip Hop and Street Dance Festival
The 4th year of the Lords of the Land - Hip Hop and Street Dance Festival (@10kmovement) was an exhilarating event from July 25th to 27th! The festival included workshops, open cyphers, and special events, culminating in 1v1 battles in Popping, Hip Hop, and Breaking. Winners received $1000 and a trophy. This festival celebrated the authenticity and dynamic energy of international, national and local Hip Hop and Street Dance artists and creators. The final day at the Red Lion Barber shop and Tattoo shop was pure magic adding the graffiti element to the weekend. Thanks to the Mellon Foundation and @10kmovement for making it all possible! #LOTL4 #10KMovement #Popping #Breaking #HipHop #StreetDance #DanceBattle #TheLand
New Paragraph
Upcoming Events
Aug 4 - Breakin Rules the World NuBlu
Aug 8 - Olympic Morning Watch Party at the LOHH Studio, organized by Bonnie, supporting the debut of breakdancing in the Olympics. The event will include a Summer gathering hosted by Full Circle and Break for Luv.
Aug 8 - Next Episode of Kwik2Rok is airing on Bronxnet (8p eastern time)
Aug 11 - In honor of Hip Hop's 51st Anniversary, "All the Ladies Say" will be airing on Bronxnet (channel 67 Optimum + 2133 Fios in the Bronx or BronxNet.org/watch)
Aug 22 - Behind the Groove Wildstyle vs Beatstreet
Aug 24 - Graffiti Hall of Fame block party/street naming ceremony
Affiliated Organizations
Check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
www.Alltheladiessay.com Veteran b-girl Ana “Rokafella” Garcia’s first documentary film ALL THE LADIES SAY features the work of female breakdancers in the United States, including Aiko, Baby Love, Beta, Lady Champ, Severe and Vendetta. This film raises awareness of the female presence in Hip-hop and promotes the growth of this dance community in the United States and internationally
@360FlowBreaking by Bboy Flonetik, Educating the youth about the art of Breaking
www.bgirlherstory.wixsite.com Founded by Bgirl Mantis in 2020, Girl Herstory is a project that documents the stories of old school and new school Bgirl generations from the limelight to the underground.
JULY NEWSLETTER
June 15 – 21st Annual Hunts Point Fish Parade & Arts Festival
We celebrated community, learning, and fun at the 21st Annual Hunts Point Fish Parade & Arts Festival on June 15. The parade kicked off at The Point CDC in the Bronx and continued at Hunts Point Riverside Park. Despite the rain, the event was a success, thanks to @thepointcdc for having us and of course our Fam @de_toong, @obumanjalo, @miss_cc720, @m75mendez, @tiff_t_a_c, @shiro_one, @rodriguezsr.a, @kaylovebx, and @kidsbreakingleague. It was a wonderful day celebrating our cleaner neighborhood and future-building efforts.
June 18 – Harper's Bazaar Feature
On June 18, Kwikstep and Rokafella were featured in Harper's Bazaar in an article discussing their journey in the dance world. The piece highlighted their contributions to the Breaking scene and their significant influence on hip-hop culture. They shared insights on the challenges and triumphs of their careers, as well as their excitement about Breaking being included in the 2024 Olympics. The article also explored their dedication to mentoring the next generation of dancers and their vision for the future of the dance community. Read the full article here.
June 20 – BronxnetTV Episode Premiere
Season 4, Episode 22 premiered on June 20, where Kwikstep and Rokafella reconnected with Mach3, the creator of the first Breakin Battle app, “Battlewire.” The episode aired on Optimum Cable Ch 67, Fios CH 2133, and was streamed live on bronxnet.org/watch. Special thanks to @bronxnettv and @creativesrebuildny for making this episode possible!
June 26 – BAAD Dance Collaboration
On June 26, we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of BAAD with a new hip-hop dance theatre work by Janice Tomlinson and Lotus Bomb, mentored by our very own Rokafella. Supported by @pepatian_pepartsbx, the event showcased the connections between East Coast and West Coast dancers.
June 27 – Behind The Groove Summer Soulstice
Summer officially kicked off with the Behind The Groove Summer Soulstice on June 27 at Bogart House, Brooklyn. We celebrated @djks360’s birthday with live performances by D-Train, a popping showcase, and tunes by @djdpone and @djks360. It was a night filled with love, good vibes, and incredible music!
June 29 – The Get Down Battles
"The Get Down" Battles took place at University Settlement on June 29. With 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, and 5 vs 5 battles, the event was epic. Hosted by @rockajamez and @samiam_thedancer, with @synsanity_ capturing the vibes, and special guest @djks360 spinning the tunes. Judges @bigtara, @_kidbreak, @stylophonicdoll, @kenfury, and @dameion_rhythm_child_williams had the tough job of picking the winners. Shoutout to all the amazing dancers who made the event unforgettable!
June 30 – KR3T's Wellness Dance Festival
On June 30, we joined KR3T’s Wellness Dance Festival at 99 St, 2nd & 3rd Ave. The event offered free health services, giveaways, and amazing performances from choreographers and dancers. Congratulations to @kr3ts for organizing this uplifting event. A big happy birthday to @violeta_kr3ts, who continues to inspire us all!
Upcoming Events
July 2 - USDAN Summer Camp for the Arts --FC SoulSisters
July 11 Kwik2Rok S4 Ep 23 Flonetik and Mantis Bronxnet.org/watch 8pm EST
July 13 Children's Museum of Manhattan Kwikstep and Rokafella kids workshop
July 17, 18 & 21 - 36 Chambaz of Stylz workshops with Kwikstep and Rokafella
July 20 Rokafella with DJ KS360 Appolonia's Birthday / Bronx Pride event Crotona Park
July 25 Behind the Groove party at Bogart House Cypher King and Queen
July 26 and 27 10K Movement Lords of the Land Dance Event Cleveland OH.
Affiliated Organizations
Check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
www.Alltheladiessay.com Veteran b-girl Ana “Rokafella” Garcia’s first documentary film ALL THE LADIES SAY features the work of female breakdancers in the United States, including Aiko, Baby Love, Beta, Lady Champ, Severe and Vendetta. This film raises awareness of the female presence in Hip-hop and promotes the growth of this dance community in the United States and internationally
@360FlowBreaking by Bboy Flonetik, Educating the youth about the art of Breaking
www.bgirlherstory.wixsite.com Founded by Bgirl Mantis in 2020, Girl Herstory is a project that documents the stories of old school and new school Bgirl generations from the limelight to the underground.
June Newsletter
Kwik2Rok - Jayday is Live on Concrete
May 9 Kwikstep and Rokafella open up season 4 with guest Jayday from the legendary street hitter crew, The Breeze Team. He shares the unique journey of his life as a breaker from Harlem and the Bronx to the World. It aired on BronxNet TV and Optimum Ch 67, Fios 2133 and on
BronxNet.org/watch
Catch up on all of our past episodes on BronxNet’s YouTube Page and thank you to BronxNet and Creatives Rebuild NY for making these episodes happen
Dance Parade
May 18 Full Circle had the honor to return to the dance parade moving and grooving down the streets of New York City and showcasing the music that makes us dance. On our float we had DJ KS360 with a full set up representing Behind the Groove. Dancing on and around the float we had dancers representing our community and street dance culture. In Tompkins Square park, Full Circle came through with popping, breaking, locking, and hip hop to the community stage!
Thank you to the Dance Parade for having us and to all of our wonderful partners, we couldn't have done it without you! Be sure to give them all some love.
Partners: United Hip Hop Vanguard, Behind the Groove, All the Ladies Say, Roundz of Flame, Bougie Cutie Boards, NXGN Studios, NY collective, Swift Charakterz, 360 Flow Breaking, and CUDA Culture
Kwik2Rok - Speedy D Still Rockin for Hip Hop Culture
May 23 - Kwikstep and Rokafella go back in time with OG Bronx Popper/ Bboy and "Battle for NY" Producer Speedy D. Plus, check out highlights from The Guggenheim BTG party.It aired on BronxNet TV and Optimum Ch 67, Fios 2133 and on
BronxNet.org/watch
Catch up on all of our past episodes on BronxNet’s YouTube Page and thank you to BronxNet and Creatives Rebuild NY for making these episodes happen
Behind The Groove
May 23 - The BTG party was FIRE! Krumpers brought the energy, moving to a mix of classic breakbeats and Ejoe's deep underground house cuts and dance showcase by Dreamz Fam. While we missed Tiffany, her twin Thieanna saved the day with a stellar charcuterie board.
We can't wait to celebrate Kwikstep birthday at BTG with a legendary performance by D Train next month!
It all went down at the Bogart House in Brooklyn, the vibes, the music, and dancing!
Express Your Skills -
May 24- Full Circle was a proud sponsor for Time Machine Squad's (Puerto Rico) Express Your Skills Event bringing together skateboard, breaking, graffiti, salsa and hip hop together! Our very own Tiffany aka B-Girl NFINI-T represented Full Circle as one of the open style judges!
Womxn Leading the Culture
May 25th At the Womxn Leading the Culture workshop was a collaboration with Bgirl City, Girl Herstory, Full Circle Souljahs, and United Hip Hop Vanguard at the LPAC. Our very own Bgirl Mantis was the discussion panel moderator with guest panelist @everydayjk47 from the illest, @supremebeingzcrew, our Rokafella @larokafella and @stacyvanb repping @b.flogirls and workshop with both GI-JK and Rokafella.
The hope is to not only continue creating platforms for our local girls but up and coming womxn who take interest in amplifying your voice and learning how to create some dop arsenal and confidence of being you in this culture. Truly grateful for the womxn in this culture steadily building platforms, contributing and uplifting the next generation.
The panel explored the challenges and benefits of fostering sisterhood within a male-dominated and competitive dance genre. Bgirls JK47, Resolve, and Rokafella shared perspectives from three distinct geographic regions and generations.
Battle for New York
May 26 We had such a great time reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting new dancers in our community at Battle for New York @battlefornyc at the legendary LPAC on 170th street in the Bronx.
This event had a special power to reunite dance veterans. The location's rich history played a big role – the organizer,a true OG, held many events here back in the day. The presence of judges Kwikstep, Kmel, and Mach 3, all original FC dancers, further solidified this connection. It was a unique blend of energy, bringing the spirit of 1999-2004 back to life!
Big thank you to Speedy D and Tanya for helping to bring that undeniable jam vibe with the participation of the Hip Hop elements and local businesses and artists. NYC street dance elders pulled up to show love and young dancers definitely made their presence known
Shout out to Grandmaster Caz, Grand Wizard Theodore, Mr. Wave, Peaches, Breeze Team, Incredible Breakers, Furious Rockers, Ness, Bam Bam, Supreme Beings, Domestic Apes, Breaks Kru, Problems Crew, Step Frenz, and Ground FX who keep us all hype and inspired!
Some images by FloatMaster John
Special Shoutout to the Mellon
Thanks to the Mellon Foundation's generous support, we've been making a real difference in the dance community!Through partnerships, we've expanded opportunities for both dancers and organizers. In Puerto Rico, we collaborated with Time Machine Squad, enabling Tiffany to offer a workshop and judge the All Style Dance Battle. Additionally, we provided travel assistance to Battle for NY, allowing Bgirl Babygirl from Texas and Bgirl Resolve from Buffalo to participate. This impactful support paves the way for future initiatives, and we're thrilled to continue this momentum by supporting Supreme Beings KR3Ts and Roundz of Flame in June!
Upcoming Events
June 1st - ShaRock Day afternoon performance
June 6th - Vinyl Nights, Hudson Yards
June 6th-7th - Supreme Beings 25th Anniversary
June 30th - Kr3t's Wellness and Dance Festival
July 2 - Summer Camp Long Island --FC SoulSisters
July 9th - Summer Camp Long Island FC Brothers performance
Affiliated Organizations
Check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
www.Alltheladiessay.com Veteran b-girl Ana “Rokafella” Garcia’s first documentary film ALL THE LADIES SAY features the work of female breakdancers in the United States, including Aiko, Baby Love, Beta, Lady Champ, Severe and Vendetta. This film raises awareness of the female presence in Hip-hop and promotes the growth of this dance community in the United States and internationally
@360FlowBreaking by Bboy Flonetik, Educating the youth about the art of Breaking
www.bgirlherstory.wixsite.com Founded by Bgirl Mantis in 2020, Girl Herstory is a project to document the stories of old school and new school girl generations from the limelight to the underground
May Newsletter
Fresh, Bold & So Def Symposium
April 5 The women of Full Circle put together a spectacular set for the Lincoln Center stage bringing street dance culture. We are so proud of all their hard work and really putting on a SHOW! Thank you to our wonderful team of dancers: @larokafella @kiminmilla.flo @miss_cc @yincheng_84 @spixy23 @tiff_t_a_c @mantis_360 @prettybabezmoni @groundintellect and @i.c.u.c.me_
Hip -Hop Education center Lincoln Center presents: Fresh, Bold & So Def Symposium - A Tribute to Women in Hip-Hop at Alice Tully Hall. The Inaugural heroines who have played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of Hip-Hop culture. Held at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully HAll, this all-day symposium showcases the rich tapestry of talent and innovation brought fourth by women trailblazers in a male-dominated industry as carefully curated panel discussion, keynote speeches, masterclasses, performances, and networking opportunities are tailored to industry professionals, artists, and guests of the culture.
No Excuses - Violence Prevention and Safe Spaces
April 7 we brought in the Good Foot Arts Collective from Seattle, WA to present their workshop at Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture in the Bronx. The event was hosted by our very own Rokafella and facilitated by May Praseuth, Ester Townsend, and Louie Praseuth.
Violence prevention work is nothing new to the Hip Hop community. The NO Excuses training empowers Hip Hop leaders to affect a dynamic cultural shift by addressing the roots and continuum of violence, offering customized support and resources. This is designed for those who want to interrupt violence and toxic behavior, and inspire change in the Hip Hop community to continue leading efforts for violent free communities, homes, relationships, and people.
Full Circle/Behind the Groove partners announced for the 2025 Dance Parade
April 16 we excitedly announced our partners for the 2025 Dance Parade happening in May and we extend the invitation out to friends, families, students, any anyone else who might want to walk the parade route with us. If you want to walk the parade with us, make sure you register as an individual HERE and write FULL CIRCLE as your preferred organization!
Time Machine Squad - PR
April 20 Full Circle and United Hip Hop Vanguard were announced as sponsors for Time Machine Squad’s: Express Your Skills 2024 Edition in Puerto Rico! We are elated to support our fam in PR and representing street dance and hip hop culture!
Kwik2Rok Update
April 24 Kwikstep and Rokafella were back in the Bronxnet studio to film a new Kwik2Rok episode. Be on the look out for 1st episode of Season 4 with Jayday of the legacy Hitter crew Breeze Team!
Behind the Groove
April 25 was our monthly event, Behind the Groove and we were back at the Bogart House in Brooklyn. The April edition was: For the love of Soul, Funk, and Disco. For that silky soul, feel good funk, and disco delight all night long plus a 7even to Smoke Multi Style invite.
The night featured DJ’s @djdpon and @djks360
Hosted by @cebonxgen and @larokafella
Flyer by @itsvicyvice
Special Shoutouts!
April 17 FULL CIRCLE gives a birthday shoutout with so much love to the one and only @spexboogz who has been firing up the stages with us since 2001. You are forever young in our book and you still got that witty sense of humor that is right on time when we need it most! May God continue to shower you with blessing through the ups and downs of your brave life as an artist. Your Full circle family wishes you all the best an we are so GRATEfUL you chose us to dance with you all these years!
Congratulations to our wonderful Monica for getting married, you looked so gorgeous and we are so happy for you!
Upcoming Events
May 18th -
Performance/Float at the 18th annual Dance Parade and Festival. Get more info
HERE (Marching, Performing after 3pm, After Party hang out.)
May 25th - Behind The Groove
June 1st - ShaRock Day afternoon performance
June 6th - Vinyl Nights, Hudson Yards
July 2 - Summer Camp Long Island --FC SoulSisters
July 9th - Summer Camp Long Island FC Brothers performance
Affiliated Organizations
Check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
www.Alltheladiessay.com Veteran b-girl Ana “Rokafella” Garcia’s first documentary film ALL THE LADIES SAY features the work of female breakdancers in the United States, including Aiko, Baby Love, Beta, Lady Champ, Severe and Vendetta. This film raises awareness of the female presence in Hip-hop and promotes the growth of this dance community in the United States and internationally
@360FlowBreaking by Bboy Flonetik, Educating the youth about the art of Breaking
www.bgirlherstory.wixsite.com Founded by Bgirl Mantis in 2020, Girl Herstory is a project to document the stories of old school and new school girl generations from the limelight to the underground
April newsletter
International Women’s day
On March 8 Full Circle celebrated International Women’s day by throwing it back to our screening of the bgirl documentary “All the Ladies Say” with a Q&A panel with bgirls Tiff, Lexx, and Origen. We cannot believe its already been 10 years and counting!
Events and Performances
Mantis at Bgirl City
Mantis was invited to judge the Bgirl battles and Kids battles at Bgirl City in Houston, Texas. The event was a two day hip hop celebration that honored women in all the elements of Hip Hop through competitions, workshops, and panels. Mantis was honored with a Bgirl City award for “Consistent Love and Dedication to Hip Hop Culture” by Bgirl City's founder Ericka "Babygirl" DeLeon. Thank you to Babygirl and the Bgirl City team for all the amazing work you do to uplift and inspire the women in our scene and for recognizing and showing love to our FC Souljah Mantis.
Dance Parade Gala Performance at Dixon Place
On March 10th, Full Circle Souljahs got funky fresh at the Dance Parade’s “Taste of the Dance Parade Showcase Gala” held at the Dixon Place Theater in NYC. Be on the lookout for our return to the annual dance parade this upcoming May!
Title: Funkonomix
Choreographer- Kwikstep & Fresh Frank, Rokafella and Mantis
Music remix by DJ KS360
Song - "Gotcha" by Starski and Hutch Allstars
Dancers
Lockers: Natasha, Rafa, Sampantha, Sarah Pix, Tunji, Lockhorn
Breakers: Bgirl Mantis. Bgirl Rokafella, Kwikstep
Poppers: Fresh Frank, Ice-O, Miss CC
photo by @ct_tsai
Behind the Groove at the Guggenheim
On March 18th, Behind the Groove was presented by Works and Process at the Guggenheim Museum. We got down in the rotunda with music by Dj KS360 and DP One, performances by the Full Circle Crew choreographed by Kwikstep, bgirl Rokafella, Bgirl Mantis, and Fresh Frank. The rest of the night was for our amazing community of dancers culminating in the crowing of the cypher King and Queen where we offered cash prizes for the winners!
photos by @angielmv
Titi Strikes Back: The Return of Evelinas
From March 19-21, our director Rokafella starred in the play “Titi Strikes Back: the Return of Evelina” directed by Alejandra Ramos Riera starring Sandra Nia Rodriguez, Sonia Mera, & Ana “Rokafella” Garcia at the Repertory Theater at Hostos College in the Bronx. This play was about the magical story of Evelina Antonelly’s journey to save the Bronx from harmful forces.
Flyer: @itsviceyvice
Disco Luv Affair
On March 27th, DJ KS360 (Kwikstep) returned to Studio 151 for Disco Luv Affair where people got down to the sounds of funk, disco, boogie, and rare groove while eating fresh sushi and sake! As always, they took everyone on a journey into sound, one record at a time.
Dj’s: @breakskee @djks360 @deejaybijan @_ruggz
Flyer: @mono_sesamerock
Upcoming Events
April 5th - Performance at the
Women in Hip Hop conference presented by Lincoln Center’s education department and screening of "All the Ladies Say"
April 7th - FREE No Excuses NYC Training - Violence Prevention & Safe Spaces At Hostos Community College. Sign up HERE
April 24th - Disco Love Affair Studio 151 Ave C
April 25th - Behind the Groove party, 7 to Smoke
April 26th -
Behind the Groove at Bogart House with live band performance.
May 18th -
Performance/Float at the 18th annual Dance Parade and Festival. Get more info
HERE
(Marching, Performing after 3pm, After Party hang out.)
May 25th - Behind The Groove
June 1st - ShaRock Day afternoon performance
June 6th - Vinyl Nights, Hudson Yards
July 2 - Summer Camp Long Island --FC SoulSisters
July 9th - Summer Camp Long Island FC Brothers performance
Affiliated Organizations
Check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
www.Alltheladiessay.com Veteran b-girl Ana “Rokafella” Garcia’s first documentary film ALL THE LADIES SAY features the work of female breakdancers in the United States, including Aiko, Baby Love, Beta, Lady Champ, Severe and Vendetta. This film raises awareness of the female presence in Hip-hop and promotes the growth of this dance community in the United States and internationally
@360FlowBreaking by Bboy Flonetik, Educating the youth about the art of Breaking
www.bgirlherstory.wixsite.com Founded by Bgirl Mantis in 2020, Girl Herstory is a project to document the stories of old school and new school girl generations from the limelight to the underground
March newsletter
Full Circle Lockers at their first performance (Behind the Groove 2.22.24) Dancers left to right: Samatha Weese, Jason Lockhorn, Natasha Huang, Adetunji Shennaike, Frank Conception Jr. (Choreographer), Rafalea Oli, Sarah PixleyNew Paragraph
Black History Month
In February for Black History month, Full Circle Souljahs remains steadfast in our mission to honor Black voices and contributions, recognizing that every month offers an opportunity to celebrate the essence of hip-hop, which is undeniably Black culture. We dedicate ourselves to highlighting the wisdom of our elders, whose classic styles paved the way for our community. Let's carry forward the spirit of celebration, reflection, and unity, continuing to preserve and promote the legacy of hip-hop here in NYC and beyond
Events and Performances
Landmark Festival
We caught up with some of our Hip hop dance Family at THC for the Landmark Festival. It is always nice to take a moment to celebrate our congrats to @kate_nyc_ and Much love and Shout to @dancintayo1 @buddhastretch @linkefc @dcrosstheartist @zulujeff157 @powermalu and @ukosnowbunny. Also Congrats to Uncle Ralph and happy anniversary to @videomusicbox.
Break Thru
Day 1: Full Circle helped to support the Break Thru Bboy and Bgirl Wellness Workshops at @360flowbreaking curated by Bgirl Sick Vic. We salute her for providing access to mental health and wellness resources to our community. Shout out to our amazing Bgirl workshop facilitators Dr. Diane “DrD” Duggan @dd102019, Melissa Wu @wuwu828, Hayley Oliver-Smith @moving_the__feast and Johnny Ray-Vega @sircomeske who facilitated for the Bboys. You can follow them on IG.
Bboy Wellness workshop facilitated by Johnny Ray-Vega, Bgirl wellness facilitated by Dr. Diane Duggan, Melissa Wu, and Hayley Oliver-Smith, Breathwork at the Bgirl wellness workshop facilitated by Melissa Wu
Day 2: BreakThur held a Jam highlighting mental health, celebrating the graffiti and breaking elements. There were graffiti writers vending and displaying their artwork, healing body work from Bboy and physical therapist Mike Fresh, a Cypher King and Queen with sounds by DJ Ruggz and hosted on the mic by Bboy Prevail.
Congrats to the winners of the Cypher King and Queen: Heat Rok and Apache. Thank you to everyone who took part in the healing journey for BreakThru.
BreakThru presented by Bgirl SickVic, Day 2 cypher jam
Behind the Groove
We kept the energy going as we transitioned to Behind the Groove and celebrated House, Funk and Disco for the month of February. We are still on a high from our locker’s first performance that night! They brought the fire and we can’t wait to see them perform at the Guggenheim in March so be sure to get your ticket on the Works and Process website here: Rotunda Dance Party: Behind the Groove with Kwikstep and Rokafella to catch them live. Shout out to our choreographer Fresh Frank and to our group of Lockers (IG Handles) @jason.lockhorn @spixy23 @yincheng_84 @rafaela.olii @_sampantha_ @de_toong.
Disco Luv Affair
On Valentines day Kwikstep spun a vinyl set at Studio 151 for the launch of DISCO LUV AFFAIR alongside the Dj’s breakskee, Bijan, and Ruggz Hosted by @nikki_dolly. The vibe was lit with Disco classics all night and freshly-made sushi courtesy of chef @kamuionly!
From left to right DJ KS 360, DJ Bijan, and DJ Skee
New Kwik2Rok Episodes
Catch up on all the Kwik2Rok episodes on BronxNet TV’s YouTube. Thank you to @creativesrebuildny and the amazing team at @bronxnettv for creating the opportunity and platform to share.
Kwik2Rok: Float Above it All
Join Kwikstep and Rokafella as they host the legendary street dance Icon, photographer and mentor from East Harlem, Float Master John. Kwikstep also takes us through Electro Funk in the Behind the Groove segment. Watch it here
Kwik2Rok: From Brooklyn to the World
Join Kwikstep and Rokafella with legendary dancer and choreographer Link followed by checking out our dance event collab at Lincoln Center from August 2023. Watch it here
Special Thanks
We're immensely grateful to The Ford Foundation for their unwavering support of the United Hip Hop Vanguard national project over the past two years. Their assistance has been instrumental in our efforts to center and amplify Black and Brown voices, as well as foster the rich cultural practices of hip-hop.
-Welcome to our new team member David Lee who is helping to coordinate administrative tasks for our company!-
Upcoming Events
March 10th - Taste of Dance Parade Gala at Dixon Place, doors open at 6:30pm. Get more info and purchase tickets here.
March 18th - Performance and Behind the Groove party at the Guggenheim from 8-10pm. Get more info and purchase tickets
here.
April 5th - Performance at the
Women in Hip Hop conference presented by Lincoln Center’s education department and screening of "All the Ladies Say"
April 26th -
Behind the Groove at Bogart House with live band performance.
May 18th -
Performance/Float at the 18th annual Dance Parade and Festival. Get more info
here
Affiliated Organizations
Check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
www.Alltheladiessay.com Veteran b-girl Ana “Rokafella” Garcia’s first documentary film ALL THE LADIES SAY features the work of female breakdancers in the United States, including Aiko, Baby Love, Beta, Lady Champ, Severe and Vendetta. This film raises awareness of the female presence in Hip-hop and promotes the growth of this dance community in the United States and internationally
@360FlowBreaking by Bboy Flonetik, Educating the youth about the art of Breaking
www.bgirlherstory.wixsite.com Founded by Bgirl Mantis in 2020, Girl Herstory is a project to document the stories of old school and new school girl generations from the limelight to the underground
FEBRUARY newsletter
The squad is rockin and reppin strong for the start of 2024 and there is already so much more on the horizon. We kicked off January with a 2 hour sampler Behind the Groove party / All-style battle Top 8 at Alice Tully Hall Lincoln Center. It was part of the Works & Process: Underground Uptown Dance Festival which also featured LayeRhythm and the Underground Uptown ball. The all-style exhibition battle featured dancers from House, Breakin’ Hip Hop and Popping dance backgrounds who flexed their skills for the audience and our masterful Judges Tatiana Desardouin, Future EOF and Loose Joint. Shout out to our line up of all stars (IG Handles) @bboypollo @bboystatic @jung.el Genocide @beastyyy.__ @flexx_wit2x and @thereal_aries! Congrats to Beastyyy from Jersey who took the “W”. Thank you to our DJ’s Dp One and KS360 who brought those BTG funky soulful party vibes to Alice Tully Hall and to our Hosts La Roka and Cebo who facilitated the night with their humor and charisma. Also big thank you to Duke and Caroline at Works and Process for everything they do out here!
We celebrated with our FC family and brotha @djdpone who just completed another rotation around the sun this month, on Jan 6th! We joined him at Barrio BX for the Birthday festivities. We appreciate you and send you much love and blessings for this year. Thank you for rockin’ with us since 1999!
Kwik 2 Rok Broadcast two new episodes this month for Season 3. Episode 17 featured special guest Kash from YAK Films/Box Avoided and then we shot a Full Circle Special with three guests Spex, Big Tara and Tiffany/ bgirl NFinT who rocked with us back in 1997, 2001 and 2005 respectively.
We are so proud to work with such a skillful and committed BronxNet tech team!
Thank you
https://www.creativesrebuildny.org/
You can check out these and other Kwik 2 Rock episodes on BronxNetTV’s Youtube Channel to find more stories about the stars that populate our underground universe. Shout to all the dancers that have blessed stages and cyphers with us through the years!
Kwik 2 Rok with Kash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0XrqXmQLiY
Kwik 2 Rok Full Circle special https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjTmtArBfxs
We held a successful audition for Lockers who can also Pop and under the leadership of Fresh Frank have already begun to train and create choreography for this new group of funk dancers. Performances are already lining up and we are excited to incorporate this new group of Lockers into our Full Circle Souljahs dance company shows. We are also looking ahead to support and be a presence at our national collaborator events as part of the United Hip hop Vanguard. Shout to CUDA Culture, The Good Foot Arts Collective, The Bboy Summit, Time Machine Squad, 10K Movement and Furious Styles Crew. Thankfully, we are not alone in the culture work that is sustaining our local Breakin and Hip hop Dance communities.
We are excited for the rest of 2024 and can't wait to see you out there on the dance floor!
Mantis teamed up with Lil Beast and made it to the finals in the Royal Collective Bonnie and Clyde hosted by Prevail, Baby Girl and One Society crew. Rokafella, Kwikstep and Flonetik came to support. The Dj’s BornOne, A1 Supreme, and Bijan played classics and hype tracks that gave us no choice but to get busy in the cyphers. It felt like a mini reunion cyphering with some of NYC's OG’s that were there including Jiggz, Bongo, ABgirl, Elmo, Toyz, Alieness, Speedy, Paranoia, Jerry Maze and others.
Our Full Circle squad went to support Shiro One, who was a featured artist at the Landmark Festival 2024 gallery opening curated by Kate NYC. The gallery was on Broadway right off Canal street in a beautiful maze-like space with different rooms each dedicated to select artists and their work. Joe Conzo, BlueSter One and Peter Paid were just a few of the other featured artists. There was a live DJ and Live performances that added to the vibe. Shout out to our FC family that came out to support Michelle, CrZ, Spex, Mantis, Sick Vic, and Fresh Frank.
COMING UP!
Mark your calendars for these next events and Behind the Groove parties
Feb 10th - Break Thru Wellness workshops organized by Bgirl Sick Vic at 338 E.5th St Brooklyn
Also catch Rok CHULO NYFW Charity Fashion show 7pm at Club Hush
http://chulonyfwwetdream.eventbrite.com/
Feb 14th - Rokafella at the University of Arts Philly panel and dance workshop
Kwikstep will DJ a Funk Hustle VINYL party at Studio 151
Feb 22nd - Break Thru Cypher event at Absurd Conclave 360 Jefferson St. Brooklyn, with a
Behind the Groove after party at Bogart House. House music party with special Locking performance.
March 10th Dance Parade NYC Gala FC dance showcase, Dixon Place Theater; 630pm doors open
March 18th - Performance and Behind the Groove party at the Guggenheim Museum 8pm
April 5th Women in Hip hop conference All The Ladies Say film screening, Dance performance
April 13 Full Circle Souljahs return to Hostos Community College, Bx
April 25th - Behind the Groove at Bogart House with live band performance.
May 18th- DANCE PARADE NYC Festival, After party
Also be sure to check out the United Hip Hop Vanguard website to save the dates for this years upcoming Vanguard events.
JANUARY newsletter
We had our annual Full Circle Holiday get together at the Oculus! It was reenergizing to unite with our crew and dance family and celebrate all we have accomplished in 2023. It was also the perfect time to welcome our floor fam Cebo to the Full Circle squad as an official FC Souljah! Welcome to the crew! We are so excited for the year ahead!
Rocka Jamez hosted his final Roundz of Flame mixed styles event of the year! And Full Circle was proud to support. It was a multi-generational celebration of dance styles and was inspiring to see the different dance communities in the same room together. There were so many dope battles and we look forward to Roundz of Flame 2024!
Our founders Rokafella and Kwikstep were recognized with a proclamation from the New York City Council for the Puerto Rican heritage celebration Acknowledging Boricua Hip Hop Legends. Thank you to @alexaforcouncil and the whole team. It is an honor to be recognized in our own city for the work we do. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and shown us love.
Our final Behind the Groove party of 2023 was a free holiday party with free food and coquito at Bogart House. Shout out to our resident DJ’s DpOne and KS360 who rocked it as always! Thank you to Victoria, Tiffany, Crz and Frank who made food and Kwik who made the Coquito, also thank you to our volunteers Shanequa, Mantis, Patricia, Flonetik and Yasha who helped out at the party. Thank you to everyone who donated and came through to support the vibe we bring at Behind the Groove. We hope to see you at our next party at Lincoln Center on the 12th.
360 Flow Studio held their Winter Breaks Cypher King and Queen event in Brooklyn! Shout out to everyone who pulled up to cypher and get down before the new year! Thank you to the volunteers, Mantis, Victoria, Angel and Tiffany and Congrats to the Cypher King and Queen winners Elvis and Medusa!
New episodes of Kwik 2 Rok season 3 aired this month with special guests Fastbreak and Kash. You can watch these episodes and others on Bronxnet’s Youtube channel through the links below.
Stay tuned for new episodes that broadcast Thursdays 8pm EST on Cable Optimum Ch 67 / Fios Ch 2133.
FastBreak -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nahYl-LClXg
Kash - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0XrqXmQLiY&t=4s
As we welcome in the New Year we want to give a big shout out to all of our collaborators! We would like to thank the Ford Foundation and Bronx council on the Arts for supporting our programs and for believing in our vision to preserve our New York Breaking legacy.
Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year from our family to yours!
Coming up !
JAN 5TH - Locking audition for a paid Black History Month performance with internationally known Fresh Frank who has been rockin’ with us since 2011. Location: Ripley Grier 520 8th Ave Studio 16J
Time: 6-8pm *Rehearsals will be in the Bronx, Tuesdays and Fridays 7-9pm. Selected dancers will remain on call through out the year for any Full Circle Performance.
JAN 9TH - From Jan 9th - 13th Rokafella will be teaching a 6 week Hip Hop Course at 1000 Rosedale Ave in the Bronx every Tuesday and Friday from 7pm - 8:30p.
JAN 12TH - Behind the Groove at Lincoln Center 6pm-12am (pay what you can tickets) https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/underground-uptown-dance-festival-947
Feb 10th & 22nd - Break Thru is a 2-day event organized by Bgirl Sick Vic featuring Bboy and Bgirl wellness workshops on Feb 10th and a breaking jam on Feb 22nd with prizes for Cypher king and queen as well as graffiti showcase and DJ performances
december newsletter
Kwikstep and Rokafella were able to gather an intergenerational squad of NYC Boogiers/Poppers upstate to the Rockefeller estate’s Pocantico center for a Works and Process LaunchPAD creative residency. The dancers included Fresh Frank, Klown, Float master John, Peaches, Future, Mr. Ocean, Ice-O, Rokafella, Kwikstep, Big Mike, Zone TDK, and Lockatron John For one full week of sharing and jamming, ending in a one-night-only show-and-tell at the Guggenheim Museum with DJ DpOne as a special guest for the collaborative piece called “Wus Poppin NYC.” Before presenting the piece, they broke down some Poppin vocab, and each dancer shared a little about their NYC popping journeys as well as a clip of themselves dancing. Thank you to everyone who came to support! Thank you to the Works and Process team Duke and Caroline and to Elly Kelly and the team at the Pocantico center.
Hip-hop originated in African American and Puerto Rican low-income neighborhoods in the South Bronx and has grown to a global phenomenon. It’s more than music, it’s a cultural movement whose four pillars of DJing, MCing, Breakdancing, and Graffiti have generated numerous subcultures and developed lasting legacies. We are proud of the break legacies we carry and the opportunities to represent and share them to future generations. If you would like to donate to help the dance work we do you can go to our fundraising link here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1747477662346522/?fundraiser_source=external_url
Swarthmore College invited our founders for a performance and panel discussion celebrating the longevity and the shape shifting abilities of hip hop. Thank you Professor
Kyle Clark aka
Just Sole for the invite and congrats on planning this groundbreaking festival! We salute you!
To set off November we were excited to represent our Afro Carribean roots found within Hip Hop at the
“Bomba to Hip Hop”
celebration hosted by
Bombazo Dance Company at
the Point CDC Nov 4th. Thank you to
Militeri Tucker for inviting us to perform and speak alongside
Jason Rodriguez,
Violeta Galagarza and dance with
Bombazo dance company.
Rok got a moment to catch up with Alex @rexjaytms and Sasha, some of her Dance and Art family, for the Grant Making In the Arts Conference in Puerto Rico. Thank you @creativesrebuildny for inviting her to share her insights as a recipient of a grant working with BronxNet TV since 2022. It was her 1st time being at El Ancon in Loiza and learning about its history and preservation work. Shout to Juan P Vizcaino and Javier Hernadez Acosta with the Maniobra project. Shout to Sarah, Bella and Chris! Go team CRNY AEP! Building bridges between Puerto Rico and Diasporicans!
Congratulations to
Furious Styles Crew who marked their 30 years as a pillar in the
Phoenix, Arizona's dance scene with a 3 day celebration that featured Dance, Graffiti, DJ Battles, Panel discussions and film screenings.
Rokafella was able to perform some of her songs with
Kwikstep on the turntables.
The United Hip hop Vanguard project funding supported
Aiko Shirakawa,
Frankie Flave and
Asia One’s participation as well as the 3V3 dance battle. Our founders also got the chance to share their knowledge alongside
Asia One,
Alien Ness,
Stuntman and
Aiko Shirakawa in a discussion that kicked off Day 1 of that weekend.
We are rounding off the year and so proud to have supported
Dancin’ Doug who helped to organize for the 3rd annual
Breaking Hall of Fame awards ceremony at the
Bronx Museum of Art. Every year we gather to celebrate the elders and innovators in our Global Breakin community who have contributed to its growth, Shout out to
Dancin’ Doug and his efforts to acknowledge those who have paved the way and have made an impression on the younger generations. We are excited to see our friends
K Won,
Wayne Blizz,
Fast Break,
Speedy Legs,
DXT,
Michael Holman and
Lady Champ be inducted into the Breakin Hall of Fame 2023!!
Rokafella was honored to be invited to participate in a very special episode of
“Hip Hop Subway: The L line” on
CUNY TV. Thank you
@proferomero and
@tuffybxnyc ! Shout to the other all star guests on the show. You can watch the episode here:
https://youtu.be/KHDv4aiwL0o?si=8qAGZUi6K7cw0k2r
Nov 30th Behind the Groove is back at Bogart House in Brooklyn for OG’s VS New G’s featuring special guest DJ Boogie Blind!
New episodes of
Kwik 2 Rok season 3 aired this month!
Episodes broadcast Thursdays 8pm EST on Cable Optimum Ch 67 / Fios Ch 2133
If you missed them you can catch the interviews with Future, Legendary street dance hitter Zone TDK,
as well as 2 Specials with your hosts La Roka at Bronxlandia and DJ KS 360 with a focus on his Drumming life on the Bronxnet’s Youtube channel links below, also stay tuned for the upcoming episode with Fast Break!
Future: https://youtu.be/QRsaewKLAlc?si=1SYnDL6sZj3PnV4O
Zone TDK: https://youtu.be/nLZz7jseH4M?si=NF7G_FKUdd5FuJA4
LaRoka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1rANkkXyBU
Kwikstep: https://youtu.be/kuIhtI2bUYI?si=i9DqTjHdWSLKPWC0
As 2023 comes to a close we would like to thank the Ford Foundation
and
Bronx Council on the Arts for supporting our programs and we want to take this time to wish you a Happy and safe Holiday Season from our dance family to yours!
COMING UP!
DEC 2nd - Catch the last Rounds of Flame for 2023 Legacy Edition with Battles, performances and a special cypher.
DEC 5th - Join
Rokafella and an esteemed panel for
“Afternoon Tertulia: Puerto Rican Contribution to Hip Hop” at
Hostos Community College Repertory Theater
RSVP link here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/afternoon-tertulia-puerto-rican-contributions-to-hip-hop-tickets-704847587107?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=wsa&aff=ebdsshwebmobileqw
JAN 5th - Locking Audition with Internationally known choreographer Fresh Frank for paid Black History Month performance. Location: 520 8th Ave Studio 16J, Time: 6-8pm *Rehearsals will be in The Bronx Tuesdays and Fridays 7pm - 9pm. Selected dancers will remain on call through out the year for any Full Circle Performance.
JAN 12th - Tickets are on sale for Behind the Groove Lincoln Center 6pm - 12am pay what you can. Get your tickets here: https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/underground-uptown-dance-festival-947
November newsletter
October was a busy month! Kwikstep was invited to DJ for a party hosted by Princess Lockeroo called Easy Speak, spinning the classics and soulful grooves for the East Harlem soiree that included wine and tapas!
With support from the
United Hip hop Vanguard project
Rokafella and
Aiko Shirakawa participated on the
“Our story, our scene” panel discussion for the 14th annual
“4 the Luv of it” Jam with featured dancers
AsiaOne,
Anna Banana Freeze and
Tiffany Jimini Bong. The 2 day event was organized by the
Good Foot Arts Collective and
Cypher Queenz who also celebrated their 5th anniversary and a Birthday for
@NajtheMirage. Jimini Bong, AsiaOne and Rokafella also facilitated workshops that weekend. Shout to the team, volunteers,
Youth Collective, the dancers who competed, the Winners and the organizers IG
@missmaymae and
@laocreative for your dedication to the community. Thank you United Hiphop Vanguard for your support.
Mantis got the opportunity to rock out with Full Circle floor family Uko and her company SnowBlenz in a Collabo with Sun Kim dance. It was an exciting two day food festival at Forest Hills Stadium for the 2023 Eats Con. The dancers performed New Jack swing and Popping choreographies with solos. Thank you to Uko and Buddha Stretch for including Mantis, and congrats to all the dancers who performed!
The New York Times featured Rokafella, Kwikstep and Mantis in an article on breaking in the Olympics, along with NYC based dancers
Nebz,
Alien Ness and
Sunny Choi! We are so excited and honored to be able to speak on the future of breaking in the Olympics. You can check out the article on the Press page of our website.
Rokafella and Kwikstep accompanied
Jeanie Sol and
Angel Rodriguez for a Hispanic Heritage month public concert at WTC plaza. Rokafella performed original music and Kwikstep played the drums with Angel Rodriguez. We celebrated Mantis’ Birthday at
ZeMotion and
Cam’s party “Saturday Night Fever” at the
Sour Mouse. The venue was decorated for the Halloween season and created a fun spooky vibe for the festivities. Thank you to everyone that came out and celebrated with us. Rokafella and pianist
Adam Tendler were invited to participate in
Cristina Altamura’s monthly event “Altamura Legacy Concerts” in Princeton, New Jersey at the United Methodist Church. The event included a 1 on 1 talk with Rok and a screening with excerpts from our Bgirl Documentary “All the Ladies Say” .
Kwikstep was a guest speaker on the panel for the NYU screening of Philip Rachid’s documentary “It ain't where you from”. The film was an inspiring mix of documentary style interviews and art film that focused on dancers from the UAE and their stories.
KWIK 2 ROK, the variety Hip Hop talk show hosted and curated by Kwikstep and Rokafella, has returned for season 3 on BronxNet TV! Episode 1 premiered on October 19th with special guest Future. You can watch it here on the Bronxnet youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRsaewKLAlc
Full Circle performed at the
MET museum for
Met Fest this year bringing to the stage a performance mix of Hip Hop Dance styles and a featured
Beat Box
and Popping collabo with master Beat Boxer
Chesney Snow and Popper
Mike Supreme.
DJ DpOne followed up with his turntablist set.
COMING UP !
Nov 2nd - Kwik2Rok Season 3 episode 2 featuring Zone TDK Airs on BronxNet.org/watch 8pm EST
Nov 4th - Rok and Kwik are performing with Bombazo for their “Hip Hop to Bomba” at The Point CDC 12-3pm Free
- CUDA Culture with United Hip hop Vanguard will present a Breakin battle for kids and adults
In Jersey city, Free 2-5pm festival will go on till 8pm hit up @CUDA.culture on Instagram for more details.
Nov 11th - Bgirl Herstory Knowledge drop Vol. 3 Feat. NBK Bgirls in person at 360 Flow studio. Hit up @mantis_360 for more info.
Nov 9th - Rokafella’s Mini Concert at Bronxlandia will air on BronxNet TV stay tuned for more info.
Nov 17-19th - United Hip hop Vanguard will celebrate Furious Styles Crew 30th anniversaary in Phoenix AZ.
Nov 30th - Behind the Groove returns to the Bogart House.
October newsletter
On September 1st Rokafella and Full Circle dance family J*La-Rok and Emphasis performed with the iconic Caribbean Soul dancers from Jersey City at the New York International Salsa Congress. It was a welcome collaboration with Ismael who worked with Rokafella back in 2021 for their collabo dance at Little Island.
We celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the
Full Circle Legacy Crew,
Fresh Kids, at Coney island on Labor day. It was an Epic night that honored the Brooklyn Crew and their founder,
Bandit, with a proclamation from the public advocate
Jumaane Williams’ office. Thank you to
DJ Karamel and
DJ KS360 who rocked the decks that night.
The BRIC Hip Hop Block Party and Family day on Sept 10th presented Full Circle members Rok, Kwik, Spex, NfiniT, Mantis and Flonetik for a performance/lecture demo and workshop. Mike Supreme was in attendance and jumped in with Spex during the Popping lecture portion Spex, NfiniT, and Flo also offered short Popping, New Jack Swing and Breakin dance workshops to a multi-generational group. We are so honored to have been invited to celebrate Brooklyn in all its artistic excellence and we thank Carmen Hernandez for inviting us to share the classic Hip hop dance styles with the attendees.
We would like to thank
Linda Murry and
Cassie May who invited Rokafella to participate in a panel discussion about the impact of the cult classic
Beat Street on September 13th alongside
Peaches Rodriguez and
Michael Holman both who were directly involved in the film. It was great to also listen to
Chino/Bboy Action (also featured in the movie) speak about the Breakin' lifestyle back in the 80’s and to meet
Jon Chardiet, the actor who played
Ramo.
Sept 16th La Roka NYC lit up the stage at Bronxlandia in the mini concert and live taping for a season 3 Kwik2Rok special on Bronxnet TV. After taking a musical break in 2011, La Roka has now returned to perform original songs and classic covers. This mini concert showcased her music and poetry. She was backed up by an incredibly talented group of musicians Angel Rodriguez Sr on the Congas, Lockatron on Drums, Ozzie on Trumpet, Esam on Saxophone, Martin Carle on Guitar, Paul Josephs on Bass and DJ KS360 on Bongos. Full Circle Souljahs and dance family: Emphasis, Pollo, Lil Beast, Bgirl NfiniT, Forrest, Zone TDK and Float Master John got down to the classic "Just Begun" with the band plus music by DJ KS360 The phenomenal evening in Hunts Point will air in November during the Fall Kwik2Rok season. Thank you to Vocal Coach Jeannie Sol. Thank you to Nay Marie for capturing photos for the event and to Bronx net and ZDF from germany camera crews for the videography. Thank you to Jesse Foster the sound engineer and Melissa Ulto the projection specialist. Thank you Bronx Council on the Arts, Bronx Music Heritage center, Bronxlandia, Pepatian and BronxNet.
On National Dance day at the Kennedy Center in D.C. Mantis was invited to judge a 1v1 breaking battle alongside Bboys Shogun and DQ at Freshest of all Time. The collaboration with Words, Beats and Life was an outdoor event that featured live performances and a short panel discussion with members Action, Kid Nyce, Powerful Pex, of the New York City Breakers as well as Kid Glyde of Dynamic Rockers and Papo who spoke on their history.
Shout out to Shiro One who was an invited guest, part of the visual art/Graffiti writers component. Thank you to Words, Beats and Life and Simone from National Dance day.
Our
Behind the Groove Hip Hop meets House party took place at Brooklyn’s
Bogart House on September 27th with funding from the
Arts Fund / Bronx Council on the Arts. We were grateful for the generosity from our peers which took the form of a dance floor donated by Red Bull and gift cards / backpacks from
Snipes.
Hip hop Meets House has presented four editions since its inception in 2017. Congratulations to
Tory and
JuanHo who won the 2v2 and much love to all the dancers who rocked the dance floor expressing their creative exchange to
DJ DP One and
DJ KS360 mixes! It was a great party with our international family in full effect alongside our local all stars! Shout to
Yejide,
Apani,
Kito and
Shiro One who repped for the Queens of Rap, Graf Art and all around NYC flavor! Thank you
Ze Motion,
Cam,
Fresh Frank and
Cebo who also brought their flair to the party! Mark your calendars for the next one in Brooklyn- Nov 30.
Coming up !
Oct 6-8th - "For The Love" in Seattle.
Oct 4th - Kwik2Rok begins taping at Bronx Net TV – New studio location.
Oct 26-28 - Kwik and Rok at Swarthmore College.
Oct 21 - Metropolitan Museum FC performance.
Oct date TBA - Rescheduled Bgirl Herstory panel with featured guests NBK Bgirls.
September newsletter
HAPPY 50th Anniversary to HIP HOP!
Kwikstep and
Rokafella started off the month of August at Jacob's Pillow premiering their new duet
“Thief of Hearts” at Hip Hop Across the Pillow festival. Thank you to everyone at Jacob's Pillow for making this happen. It was a truly memorable moment celebrating Hip hop sharing the stage alongside Ladies of Hip Hop,
Sabela Grimes and
Rennie Harris
Pure Movement.
Hip Hop's official Anniversay was August 11th and we kicked off celebrations early by honoring our Hip hop dance pioneers at "We Out Here" Street Dance Oral Histories & Hip Hop Culture Panel Discussion with Street/Club Dance Masters
Buddha Stretch,
Float master John,
Cholly Rock,
Violeta Galagarza,
Kim Holmes,
ZoneTDK. The panel was hosted by Rokafella and Kwikstep with support from the New York Public Library for Performing Arts and the Jerome Robbins Dance Divison Oral History Project. Each of the panelists had been previously interviewed for the Oral History Project and video snippets from each of the interviews were screened during the discussion.
You can watch the full panel discussion on our instagram page HERE. Be sure to come down to the New York Public Library for the performing arts @nypl_lpa to watch the full Oral dance history interviews. There will be more stories archived in the near future. The “We Out Here” Panel was followed by a Top 8 mixed styles battle at Lincoln Center judged by the panelists and A1 Bboy and Breakin Pioneer, Dancin’ Doug, Hosted by Rokafella and Zone TDK. Shout out to all the competitors whose IG handles are: @simba_eltaino @bboystatic @frostlock82 @noahlot_gotit @thereal_aries @jung.el @silence.tae and J. and Congrats to the winner @Noahlot_gotit ! Thank you to the DJs @djdpone and @Djks360.
Thank you to Jerome Robbins Dance Division,
Linda Murray,
Cassie May and the entire team! Photos by @multostars
Our Full Circle Bgirls Ground Intellect, Beasty, Tiffany and Thieanna rocked the stage at the Rock the Bells Concert August 12th with the Luminary Icon Sha Rock! Congrats to them and thank you to Sha Rock for spotlighting the Bgirls and the dance.
That week we also celebrated our Co-founder
Rokafella’s Birthday at
Studio 151! Thank you to
Shiro One for hooking us up with that location! And shout out to
DJ KS360 who was able to spin a Vinyl set that night for the Birthday celebrations! Also thank you to
Melissa Ulto for the photos!
Full Circle Bgirls were also invited to perform at Fordham University’s "Urban Plunge" back to school concert with
Grand Wizzard Theodore on the 25th! They offered a brief lecture demo to the students and then
Rokafella and
Beasty did a collabo remix with Rok performing some of her lyrics to Beasty’s Beatbox. Thank you to
Elena Martinez
at BX Music for having us! We look forward to future collaborations.
Congratulations to FC Souljah
Mantis who took the win at this years Redbull BC One North East Regionals for New York City at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Hall which qualified her to compete in the USA Nationals!
On the 17th,
Rokafella and
Kwikstep were invited to perform at City Lore and then speak at a Q&A on the topic of mentorship and how are music and dance traditions passed on through oral traditions.
Full Circle and Dynamic Rockers Collaborated this year for the Graffiti Hall of Fame Break Legacy 50. Hosts Kid Glyde, Rokafella and Kwikstep organized an OG vs Young G multi-generational showcase battle with Chino, Future, Fresh Frank, Ijola Fitts, Break Easy, Jiggz, Mantis, Drowzy, Pollo, and Indio. The exchange of moves and energy between the generations was unforgettable and it was beautiful to see the original styles from the OG’s as well as the young G’s paying homage to their elders on the dance floor. There was also a 1v1 all styles battle that was judged by the crowd. Congrats to Bboy Static who took first place and to Kokoro who took second place. Thank you to DJ Gabriel Furman who provided the music, the event organizer Sharif Profit (IG handle @Gotprofit) and the United Hip hop Vanguard. Thank you to Bboy Flonetik who captured the generations showcase battle. Shout out to all the competitors!
Behind the Groove also gathered super star dancers including Bgirl Brita from Chile who win Cypher queen and is proudly selling her Newly published Being a Bgirl book.
Thank you to GI Jane who invited a few Full Circle dancers to celebrate the Hip Hop dance legacy at the Jersey City Puerto Rican Parade and Festival with her Jersey City based crew and floor family NBK! The two crews have a deep Breakin history together that dates back to the late 90s.
Coming Up!
Sept 1st - Full Circle will be performing in collaboration with the Caribbean Soul Dancers at the New York International Salsa Congress
Sept 2nd - we will be celebrating the Fresh Kids 40th Anniversary Reunion party in Brooklyn
Sept 10th - we perform in Brooklyn at BRIC details tba
Sept 14th - is the NYPL Beatstreet panel discussion at 6pm
Sept 16th - is the Live taping of La Roka NYC's mini concert at Bronxlandia with a DJ KS360 abd musicians. RSVP link on Eventbrite tba.
Sept 27th - is the next Behind the Groove party.
August newsletter
What a way to start off July with a Citation award from the Office of the New York City public advocate, Congratulations to our founder Kwikstep, Violeta founder of KR3Ts, Alito founder of Fresh Kidz and Victor Glyde Alicea founder of Dynamic Rockers who received citations from public advocate Jumaane Williams July 13th for keeping the legacy of their Hip Hop dance crews vibrant and still making an impact today. Happy 50th anniversary to our Hip Hop dance family!
Big shout out to Beasty and Bboy Mini who performed a breakin’ demo in celebration of the award ceremony. Congrats to practitioners of all the elements who have been awarded by the city this year for the 50th.
Thank you to Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for all your hard work and for recognizing our hip hop leaders yesterday and beyond! We loved the Adidas suit! God bless you and your team, including Julissa Gonzalez.
Also thank you to Renee Foster from the Universal Hip Hop Museum for always showing love to the dance community and elements of Hip hop culture.
This year Ladies of hip hop founder
Michelle Byrd celebrated our co-founder
Rokafella, presenting her with the impact award at the
Ladies of Hip Hop battle. We want to congratulate her and thank Ladies of Hip Hop for spotlighting her this year on the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop. Congrats to Michelle on the revival of Ladies hip hop since it’s last celebration in 2019 and shout out to Bongo Roc who hosted the Bgirl battle and to the top 8 who repped for the floor sisters worldwide!
Kwikstep and Rokafella participated in the 36 Chambaz of Stylz workshop series at Peridance Studios each offering 3 classes and Kwikstep DJ’ed for the LayeRhythm party happening that same week. Congrats to Mop Top Universal for organizing a 2 week festival highlighting the culture and overlapping roots to the varying generations of street and club dance that span decades of Black excellence.
Kwikstep and DP One delivered yet another epic dance party with a Cypher King and Queen prize for the July edition of Behind The Groove! Thank you to Beasty and Cebo for hosting and helping to review and award the winners VJen and Drowzee! This was the first time Behind the Groove returned to Brooklyn’s own Bogart House since the pandemic and the ambiance was just like we remembered it but on another level with lounge chairs and tables!
Full Circle performed at the Landmark Festival on Sunday July 30th Presented by the boss lady Queen @kate_nyc_ in East Harlem. Rokafella, DJ KS 360 and Beasty performed as headliners with Full Circle dancers Character aka Fresh Frank, Spex Boogz, Mantis, Flonetik, MissCC, Erica and Monica.
Shiro One represented by doing live painting alongside other Graf Artist JS One. Rokafella and Shiro took turns managing their vendor table for @ShiRoka_nyc merchandise. Stay tuned for other chances to buy their designs coming up in August.
Bgirls GI Jane, Beasty, Tiffany and Theianna will dance with luminary Icon Sha Rock on August 5th for her Rock the Bells concert. We wish them luck and congratulate them for their presence in the Hip hop world. We also want to wish Flonetik and Mantis good luck on their upcoming RedBull Qualifiers.
Full Circle will partner with the Jerome Division of the NYPL to celebrate the launch of its Oral History Project on August 9th from 4p to 8p. You can RSVP at this link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-out-here-street-dance-oral-histories-hip-hop-culture-tickets-679533642417
and join us for the panel discussion at 4pm and then the Top 8 mixed styles dance contest at 6pm and jam with the Silent Disco version of Kwikstep’s BTG flavor with DP One. Rokafella will host along with Zone TDK.
August 14th is the date for ShiRoka to host a birthday party for Rokafella with DJ Kwikstep spinning Vinyl at Studio 151 where you can get freshly prepared Sushi and a full Bar while jamming to rare groove music! Located at 151 Loisaida Avenue in Manhattan. Stay tuned for more details on Instagram @ShiRoka_NYC
Rokafella and Kwikstep will present a short discussion about the Teacher Student aspect of Breakin’ at City Lore on August 17th at 7pm. Stay tuned for more info. City Lore has Rok’s items on exhibit as she gathered significant dance and music anchors along her journey/ascent to prominence in NYC including her dad’s guitar and her dance music equipment. Join them and celebrate the learning curve present in Hip hop dance. City Lore located at 56 East 1st Street.
August 19th there will be a Legacy Battle between OG’s and Young G’s at the Graffiti Hall of Fame plus a mixed style top 16 from 4pm until 7pm. Full Circle will collaborate with Dynamic Rockers to bring the dance element to the annual Graffiti event on 106th street and Park Ave at the schoolyard of Jackie Robinson High School.
August 20th Full Circle will celebrate the Puerto Rican festival in Jersey City with CUDA culture so stay tuned for more details on the CUDA Culture Instagram account. Also Stay tuned for the Behind the Groove party date to be announced soon!
We want to congratulate No Easy Props for their successful Bboy Summit in Los Angeles and 10K Movement for their successful Lords of the Land 3 event in Cleveland this month too! The Vanguard project team is happy to have supported both events with funding. We look forward to sharing media from both events once it is made available. CUDA culture will launch its archive series in August with an award for a local dancer who made an impact in the 80’s. Please stay tuned for media from that event that the Vanguard has also supported with funding. Thank you to the Ford Foundation once again for making so many national dance activities run even smoother and reach even higher heights this 2nd year.
#fullcirclesouljahs #Landmarkfestival #LaRokaNYC #BeastyBeatbox #DJKS360 #Hiphop50 #musicdanceart #Harlemworld #Bboy #BGirl #NYCdancers
July Events
Join @djks360 and @djdpone as they get you Behind the Groove on July 27th from 10pm till 3am at the @bogarthouse in Brooklyn!
All Underground House Dancers, Waackers, Voughers, Lockers , Poppers, Breakers, Rockers , Hustle Dancers and Freestyle Hip Hop Heads are Welcome!
See you all there!
You don't want to miss this festival on the 29th and 30th of July presented by @kate_nyc_ and this time we are in East Harlem to perform at 6pm on Sunday, July 30th. With original music by @djks360 with @jen_beasty88 on the beat box and @larokafella with @fullcirclesouljahs dancers like @characterakafrank, @spexboogz, @mantis_360, @bboyflonetik, @miss_cc720, and @prettybabezmoni!
Plus @shiro_one will be live painting alongside other Graf Artists. You can also purchase @shiroka_nyc merchandise on sale on both days.
Grab your tickets here!
July newsletter
Summer greetings to all! June was busy and full of Celebrations! We started off in Puerto Rico at the return of Time Machine Squad's Express your Skills after being on hiatus due to the pandemic. Shout out to Bboy house for taking the trip with some of the members of Furious Styles Crew (Kannon and Odin) to share knowledge and the aesthetics of the dance. Grand Wizzard Theodore also joined us, thank you for sharing your experience with the local Dj’s like DJ Predator and performing during this 50th anniversary year and Congrats to all the competitors!
One of our long-time dance crew members Beasty choreographed and performed a tribute piece to her late father for the Point CDC annual Fish Parade festival in the Bronx. Her son Jeremiah, cousin Angel and best friend Asalia aka Sweets performed alongside her depicting how her father taught her about Breaking and Beat boxing which she now embodies passing on his legacy. It was a high energy mashup of Breakbeat /House/ Puerto Rican pride classics like Que Bonita Bandera and Just Begun. We want to congratulate Beasty on her hard work and thank her for representing with Full Circle all these years.
Our Co-founders Kwikstep and Rokafella celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary on the same day of Beasty’s show and they got a chance to share and reminisce about their wedding reception which was held at The Point CDC. The Point has been supporting many generations of Full Circle dancers and our company work. Kwik and Rok met as street performers and have since continued to share their love of Hip hop together through Full Circle's dance based programming. We want to wish them Happy Anniversary and many more wonderful years together.
June is also the month we celebrated our founder, Kwikstep’s 55th birthday! It has been almost a year since the Nuyorican Poets Cafe has been the venue Kwikstep chose to host our monthly parties. The Nuyorican Poets cafe lent its historic vibes and energy to yet another Behind the Groove, this time doubling as a birthday celebration and also spotlighting Poppers with a top 8 1v1 battle featuring dancers Aries, DNA, Sly Wolf, Ice-O, Imox, Jon Lock, Genocide, and Kevin. Castro sat in the judges seat with Cebo hosting and hyping up the crowd. It was Genocide vs Kevin in the finals and Genocide took first place. Congratulations to him on the win! Shout to DJ DP One and Haitain Pat for always dedicating their time to setting up the sound equipment and creating the unforgettable atmosphere that is unique to Behind The Groove. NYC Popping legend and OG- Fresh Frank, was also in attendance at this Birthday party / Popping contest. Fresh Frank is also a guest on the upcoming and final episode of Season 2 of Kwik2Rok airing on June 29th on Bronxnet's Youtube channel. The second guest also appearing on the Kwik2Rok season finale is Graffiti Queen Toofly!
The Full Circle Soul Sistahs lit up the floor June 23rd for the Opening night at the Blue Gallery’s “Ladies First” art show curated by Leia Sands and Cose TDS. The show Highlighted New York Pioneer Female Aerosol Writers from late 1960’s-90’s. Scratch, Charmin65 and Shiro One had artwork displayed. DJ Flame from the legendary Mercedes Ladies was spinning for the event. Thank you to Leia Sands for inviting us to represent breaking. On the same date as the Bgirl dance demo, Kwikstep and Rokafella performed original songs by Rokafella at the Longwood Arts Gallery as part of its 60th anniversary festivities. We are so happy to have worked with the Bronx Council on the Arts to bring Rok's vocal flavor to the exhibition launch and another upcoming performance --details to follow! Congratulations to BCA on their new office on Tremont Ave!
Congratulations to Flonetik for hosting his first studio dance competition: “Straight to the Point”. Congrats to all who attended and helped out. You can check the updates on class schedule on Instagram @360FlowBreakin
Coming up
We are thrilled to receive funds support to keep our "Hip Hop Meets House" dance and music series bringing knowledge and recognition to our street and club dance community. This will be our 4th edition.
Stay tuned for details.
36 Chambaz of Stylz is an intensive of Street and Club dance workshops and activities from July 17-26th with some of the leaders of the multiple dance styles. Kwikstep and Rokafella will also offer classed. You can check out the class schedule here and register here.
Two events supported by the United Hip hop Vanguard project are the BBoy Summit July 13-15th in L.A. and
the Lords of the Land event in Ohio July 28th and 29th.
August 1st thru the 6th Kwikstep and Rokafella will present their anticipated duet in a line up with other Hip hop's dance masters at the Jacobs Pillow repping at the Summer Hip hop festival. You can get tickets here.
August 9th join us for a celebration of the first Street and Club dancers to have their stories included in the NYPL Oral History Project at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center. For more info, click here.
Happy 50th anniversary to our Hip hop family Worldwide!
Thank you to the Ford Foundation for supporting the work we do. Thank you to all who attend and help with our company events and activities.
JUNE newsletter
Kwikstep and Rokafella attended the BronxNet ribbon cutting for the new studios at La Central in the South Bronx!! Congratulations to BronxNet and Happy 30th Anniversary!! What a pivotal year to be on their team with their Kwik2Rok Hip hop variety show!! Shiro was also there for the ribbon cutting of their new BronxNet Studios.. She painted this inside design for C14 studio and even a portion of her designs shows up on their new Bronx Net NFT mint!
This month 2 Kwik2Rok episodes aired Ep 9 with Peaches and DXT and then Ep 10 with Shiro and Bboy Jiggz! It feels like a dream come true to feature people who have truly been dedicated to Hip hop Life. They make up a huge part of our community that holds space for authenticity. You can catch these episodes here Kwik2Rok: And You Don’t Stop! And Kwik2Rok: Staying Up It is an honor to shoot these interviews during the 50th of Hip hop culture!
The Dance Masters descended upon 6th avenue from 18th street to Tompkins Square park including our very own Full Circle affiliates, Hip hop Education Center, Bgirl Herstory group, CUDA Culture, Swift Characters, United Hip hop Vanguard and 360 Flow Breakin studio! It truly felt like the next 50 years are in great hands. Plus our FC dancers Tiffany, Mantis, Beasty, Flonetik and new dancer Sweets repped hard for the kick off dance demo and for the grandstand moments! We were all in the zone literally marching through the down pours and the pauses of the rain fall.
Thank you to DJ DP One for making the float sound equipment RAIN PROOF! The OG’s and Young G’s kept us all empowered to keep repping for the dance element of Hip hop culture! Shout to Future, Zone, Fast Feet Fontanez, Trixie, Fresh Frank and Michelle who helped us organize that day!! Thank you to Shiro who also repped with her Mimi bobble head, she always reps for the women in Graffiti/Hip hop! Big shout to RexJay from Puerto Rico and DJ Forrest Get Em Gump who traveled to be with us on the day we uplift the Legacy of Hip hop dance and looking at the next 50! The after party was ridiculous too! Celebrating the generations and styles of Hip Hop dance is part of this epic collaboration at the parade and even the after party! Thank you to Dister who designed our 50th tribute to Hip hop dance which adorned our float and T-Shirts! The Behind the Groove party was also a mix of dancers and styles with DP One and KS360 playing all night. We keep the fires burning for those who just want to dance to the music and feeling free from rounds or prizes.
The CUDA Filipino festival / Street Jam was another gathering of dancers of all generations from Jersey City. They helped to celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month with a Hip hop event. It was great to see the reunion of elders and young rising stars get down in traditional style as our ancestors did. Shout to Redi Roc, Sandman, Pinder, Kushan, Kata, J La Rok, Stephy, and of course G I Jane!! Thanks to the Ford Foundation's support of the United Hip hop Vanguard since that has helped to initiate CUDA culture's effort to archive the original OG’s who inspired dancers to dance back then and today in Jersey City. Soon video interviews will be accessible to students who are interested in their New Jersey Break legacy. We will stay tuned to see who they interview and how many are highlighted in the chronology of their scene. Shout to Jersey Bboys RichNyce and Emphasis who showed up and to Mighty Mike of the Master Mind Rockers in Brooklyn.
Upcoming Events in June
We are looking forward to participate in Puerto Rico for the Express your Skills 50th anniversary of Hip hop event happening during the 1st weekend of June. The United Hip hop Vanguard project has made it possible to bring the Legendary Grand Wizzard Theodore to the event. He will be received by all the DJ’s on the island as a true inspiration for that element. It is his first trip to the island EVER. Dance workshops, dance battles, performances and even a discussion about education and career paths will be offered during the 3-day event. We are excited to celebrate with them this year and to continue supporting even past 50th year milestone.
Kwikstep will celebrate his birthday with a Popping contest for the Behind the Groove on the 22nd at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. We will be marching with them on their float for the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
On the 23rd the Full Circle Girl Gang offer a dance demo for the ART+Hip hop al Female Aerosol exhibit Gallery opening at Blue Gallery 222 E 46th street.
One of our stellar core dancers Jennifer "Beasty" Acosta has a show on Saturday June 17th at Hunts Point Campus during the Fish Parade & Arts Festival starts at 2pm. This performance is a tribute to her late father who inspired her to dance and Beatbox.
The 5th Anniversary of MC Sha-Rok Day is on Saturday June 3rd from 2pm-7pm at Magenta Park on Gunhill Road in Bronx NY. Full Circle Bgirls who attended the All The Ladies Say screening made the connection to ShaRock and have pledged to support her.
Stay tuned for more events in the Summer. Please check out FB, IG and Twitter feeds for any last minute updates.
Let's make the next 50 Years of Hip Hop great!
CONGRATULATIONS to our Full Circle sisters who closed out the BAAD ASS WOMEN Festival! There were other performers in this concert, but these right here have rocked with us in the past and here they were independently leveling up! My camera not so good... but you get the idea that they really did their thing!! We are so proud to know you and cheer for you as you grow their IG’s are @jen_beasty88 @janice_tomlinson @lotusbombaf
Thank you
Pepatian for always helping artists get their DANCE dreams going!!
@pepatian_pepartsbx Thank you
@baadbronx for offering your platform to us through the years. Happy pre 25th anniversary to you all!!!
"Kwik 2 Rok" Season 2 Ep 1 will aired on April 6 and is on their YouTube channel Kwik2Rok: Leveling Up Our well respected guests are Charlie Doves and Bboy Pollo (pronounced 'poyo') really gave us quite a show!! "Leveling Up!!" Thank you to @creativesrebuildny and @bronxnettv for the enthusiasm and diligence with not only us but your superhero roster of artists and technical team!!
Our next episode was dedicated to the United Hip hop Vanguard collaborators. We had to feature the culture workers who make the local scenes in their communities thrive and build on futures now. Thank you to Bboy House, Asia Onea and the 10K Movement leaders Maddy Sam and Anastasia! Check it here and notice the NEW Intro Kwik2Rok Sequence!! Kwik2Rok: United Hip hop Vanguard
Kwikstep taught a
Roots and Culture Breakin workshop at
Harvard for the
7th Annual Can't Stop Hip hop conference. It was held at the Floorlordz Studio and attended by all ages. Rokafella participated in a
Elders Future Hip hop Education panel for the conference alongside Paul Willis, Toki Wright moderated by Byron Beaman.
Aysha Upchurch who is on faculty at Harvard really brought a good group of Activists, Educators, Poets, Dancers Rappers, and Artists together to inspire and be inspired as we look at the next 50.
The Behind the Groove party was another fusion of great music and dancers! Congrats to Bboy Paolo who launched his record label and released their first album “Dancing around Fire”. You can listen and purchase the album here.
The drummer composed the songs and performed their hits with the vocalist Lailin St Juste Live for all the attendees to enjoy! Then there was a Top 8 Bboy battle. Congrats to Valme who won and hugs to the other dancers Breeze, Mantis, Flonetik, Swazi, Eli and Pollo.
Congrats to Mantis who placed 3rd/Bronze in the Breakin 4 Gold event which is a qualifier for the Olympic team for Paris 2024. We wish her good luck in Austin, Texas as she continues her journey to be on the USA National Team for Paris 2024. Shout to Bgirl Flyya who also traveled from Ohio to compete and learn about NYC birthplace history.
We are excited to be part of this year’s Dance Parade. Join your NYC dance family as different styles will be marching down 6th avenue on May 20th. @danceparadenyc Groups marching with us are @bgirl_herstory , @360flowbreaking , @cuda.culture , @Timemachinesquad and @BronxNetTV For parade route and info go to danceparade.org. Come thru and celebrate the legacy of Hip Hop Dance with the community after the parade and enjoy performances at the Dance Fest happening at Tompkins Sq Park and then the after party too!! Yes, Long day!!
Full Circle led the parade back in 2016 when Kwik and Rok were the Grand Marshals!
If you’d like to march with us, please DM us. Our float will pay tribute to the generations of Hip Hop dancers celebrating the 50th anniversary of that 1st party at 1520 Sedgewick back in 1973!!
The Flyer is designed by Mike S. / Photo by Thisisvan (Check out the flyer above)
We hope to travel to Puerto Rico to support the
Express Your Skills event on
June 3 and
4th 2023. This event has been a staple in the Breakin chronology of the island for over 30 years! Please stay tuned for more info.
50th hip hop Dance tribute
We are excited to be part of this year’s Dance Parade. Join your NYC dance family as different styles will be marching down 6th avenue on May 20th. @danceparadenyc
Groups marching with us are @bgirl_herstory , @360flowbreaking , @cuda.culture more to be announced.
For parade route and info go to danceparade.org
Come thru and celebrate the legacy of Hip Hop Dance with the community after the parade and enjoy performances at the Dance Fest happening at Tompkins Sq Park!!
Full Circle led the parade back in 2016 when Kwik and Rok were the Grand Marshals!
If you’d like to march with us, please DM us. Our float will pay tribute to the generations of Hip hop dancers celebrating the 50th anniversary of that 1st party at 1520 Sedgyewick back in 1973!!
march recap/ april NEWSLETTER
The latest Behind the Groove party was well attended and full of vibrant dance exchanges. This party had a focus on Waacking music / dance with Cebo as the host and Archie as the legendary judge and teacher. Archie’s showcase was unforgettable and his advice and love was felt with each bracket and pause. Shout to Bravo, Henry, Buddha Stretch, Steve Glavin, Loose Bruce, Spex, Fresh Frank, Damion from the House of Ebony and DJ Tino who also made their good vibes felt at the party. Thank you to Cara and to Princess Lockeroo who also added their Beauty, grace and power to the room! Congrats to the Top 8 for sharing their passion and creativity for the Waacking battle and for all the attendees!
Thank you DJ’s Dp One and DJ Ks360 and host Rokafella. Happy Birthday to Ze Motion and Rocka Jamez!! Next party is on April 27th see you there for the Breakin top 8 and an album release for a DJ / Bboy from Italy and his band!!
Kwikstep traveled to Cleveland Ohio to follow up with last year's Vanguard project and to help train young dancers for their upcoming competitions. Thank you to Sam from 10 K Movement for helping to be a bridge. We plan to go there for their annual Lords of the Land event at the end of July.
CONGRATULATIONS to our Full Circle sisters who closed out the
BAAD ASS WOMEN festival! There were other performers in this concert but these right here have rocked with us in the past and here they were independently leveling up! Janice who shared many stages with Full Circle in the past 5 years and Lotus who participated in Beauty Meets Beast in 2021 with Full Circle worked together to create a duet for this concert entitled “Are you having fun?” Beasty hosted her first ever concert at BAAD and also got to share a little bit of her Beatbox skills. We are so proud to know you and cheer for you as you grow.
Thank you Dr Jane Gabriels and Pepatian for always helping artists get their DANCE dreams going!! Their IG is @pepatian_pepartsbx
Thank you Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD) for offering your platform to us through the years. Happy pre 25th anniversary to you all!!! We are so proud of our Full Circle Dance Family moving in so many fruitful directions.
Kwik2Rok is back in the studio with two new artists
Graf master Doves and Bronx Bboy Pollo. The new episode will air on
April 6th at 8pm on BronxNetTV.org
Optimum Ch 67 and Fios 2133 or on the website by clicking
here.
Five more episodes are on the way so stay tuned for info on guests and on location event recording etc.
The
Women's History month screening of the "All the Ladles Say" documentary brought together generations, cities, and styles of classic Hip hop dance!
Aiko, who is featured in the film, brings her West Coast flavor and knowledge, and triple OG Pioneer Icon MC Sha Rock shared her insight from a time when Hip hop was still raw and emerging!
The panelists include Tiffany, Tara, and GI Jane moderated by the film producer / director Rokafella. The film editor was also present Melissa Ulto. Some post fotos are by @multostars
Thank you to La Bruja, who is an Emmy award winning Poet /MC, for welcoming us into the Nuyorican. The Nuyorican Poets Cafe is also celebrating 50 years of existence, so it was a powerful and layered celebration! Thank you to Full Circle Souljahs for help with the ongoing funding support! The United Hip hop Vanguard project will keep connecting dots and uplifting our dance community. Bgirl Herstory and Jersey City's Cuda Culture were also in the house and helped with promotions.
You can find out more info and how to screen this time capsule film at
http://alltheladiessay.com/
We also had a screening online for the Seattle Cypher Queenz with Lady Champ and Rokafella taking questions about the Bgirl lifestyle then and now. Thank you Miss May and The Good Foot Arts Collective for the support and leadership.
We are very excited to announce that Full Circle will participate in this year’s Dance Parade to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip hop Dance with a float shared with local Hip hop entities including CUDA Culture, Bgirl Herstory, 360 Flow Studio, Behind the Groove, Mop Top Universal Next Generation and MZK. Check back for more info and we hope to see you on May 20th. We plan to have the Hip hop Triple OG’s join us on the float and the active Breakers Poppers etc to march and represent the generations of Hip hop dance that make up the community of trail blazers in NYC and beyond! There will be a short performance at Tompkins Square park to add to the festivities!
Mantis is planning to compete at the North East Olympic Regional Breakin qualifier on April 22nd. We wish her love as she bring their talents to the world.
We would like to say that Full Circle
Stands With Survivors of sexual assault in the Hip hop community whether it happened decades ago or recently. We are collaborating with many crews and entities to keep inspiring the new generation to build better and to be mindful as we all find restorative ways to create healing and justice. It is not about antagonizing our community but encouraging ourselves to be vigilant and active. Being silent is no longer the way to operate yet we must also be sensitive to how our actions impact the survivors. This not easy but we are doing it and the community is ready to walk into a better future. Hip hop 50.
February may be a short month, but we made the most of it by producing a jam-packed lineup of three episodes. In episode 4, we sat down with Crash One and Rocka James to hear about their journeys and what has driven them to become the incredible artists they are today. Next, we caught up with Heat Rock, who showcased his artistic side and Breakin skills giving us a glimpse into his unique perspectives.
But the excitement didn't stop there. In episode 6, we were honored to have Grand Master Caz and DJ Boogie Blind, two highly skilled and talented artists. They joined us to share their stories and experiences. We also had the privilege of interviewing BGirls from Brazil, who brought their incredible skills, insights and motivation to our show.
We couldn't have done it without the support of CRNY and Bronx NET TV, as well as the Mid Atlantic Arts Fund, who help to keep artists feeling valued and respected for their time and contributions. Thank you for your support, and we can't wait for you to experience the latest episodes!
OG Bgirl Fabgirl recently organized an exciting trip to New York City for two dancers from her school, Drop Education. Their mission was to immerse themselves in the roots of Breakin and train in the birthplace. During a visit to NYC in November for the world finals of Red Bull, Fabigirl spoke with Rokafella about her plans and was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet with her every day during their trip.
Along with visiting landmark Hip Hop locations, Fabgirl and her team had the unique opportunity of training with Kwikstep for two sessions, and Bgirl Nay was even interviewed for the Kwik2Rok episode 6. Mariana documented the trip, capturing the essence of their journey and experiences, with the goal of creating a documentary about their trip.
The team also attended Behind the Groove and the meeting for the Breakers of NYC. Throughout their trip, they explored the connection between Capoeira, Tap, Lindy Hop, Jazz, and Salsa to Breakin. We hope they will return soon, bringing with them their motivation and passion, and continue to inspire our community.
You can follow their journey and stay updated on their future plans by following them on Instagram @dropeducation. Obrigado!
The Behind the Groove event with Cebo @cebonxgn and DP One @DJDPONE at the Nuyorican was a truly unforgettable gathering of music enthusiasts. We are grateful to Cebo for bringing his insightful commentary and comedic flair to the 1v1 top 8 house exhibition battle. As host and judge, he elevated the energy and added a powerful vibe to the event.
The Nuyorican Poets Cafe holds a special place in our hearts as it celebrates 50 years as a landmark for poetry and social commentary. We are proud to bring our dance events to this historic venue and are honored to be a part of its rich history.
Our next party is set for March 30th and promises to be just as exciting and memorable as the last. We would like to extend a special thank you to Vitamin D and Cara Tree for their assistance with promotions.
Follow @nuyoricanpoetscafe to stay up-to-date on future events and be a part of the celebration of this iconic venue.
We can't wait to see you there!
Kwikstep and Rokafella continued the work of the United Hip Hop Vanguard project by holding the first ever NYC state of Breakin meeting, “Breakin Bread”. The focus of the meeting was to analyze the current state of Breakin (Breakers) in New York City. The conversation covered various aspects of life as a Breaker in NYC such as the listing of practice sessions in the borough, creating better social spaces such as jams and dinners, participation and lack thereof by elders, pressures from the commercial world and the general need to unite. There were Breakers from various crews, different backgrounds and local areas including Jersey City ..all uniting to improve the future of NYC Hip Hop. The collective is making plans to meet again in April to continue to take steps and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip hop. Thank you to Roy who helped to set up our Tech/AV equipment and to all who attended and special thank you to the Ford Foundation. We are grateful that our board members Jane Gabriels and Forrest Knight Jr were in attendance.
The 2023 Element of Hip Hop Award ceremony, presented by Windows of Hip Hop, was a shining moment in Times Square, as the pioneers and trailblazers of the Hip Hop and local community were honored and celebrated. This year's esteemed honorees included Hip Hop legends DMC, DJ EASY A.D., DJ Enuff, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, and our very own co-founder, Bgirl Rokafella.
The awards ceremony, hosted by April Hernandez, was a memorable event, available for streaming on Bronxnet TV. Full Circle was mentioned as part of the work Rokafella has done to keep the Hip Hop culture thriving in its birthplace, New York City.
Kwikstep and Full Circle board member Shanequa Green were in attendance, witnessing the recognition of Rokafella's hard work and contributions to the Hip Hop community. As a dancer, she represents women and is a mentor, administrative facilitator, and an evolutionary force in Hip Hop.
We are happy to announce that OG MC Bgirl Sha Rock and legendary Popper, Aiko Shirakawa, from San Jose, CA will attend and be on hand for the screening of ALL THE LADIES Say documentary on March 17th at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe from 6-8:30pm. The documentary highlights the lives of iconic Bgirls active during the time span of 2006 and 2011. The film made its debut at Lincoln Center’s Dance on Camera film festival and is distributed by Third World Newsreel. This screening is made possible by the United Hip hop Vanguard project. You can check the IG @alltheladiessay for more details. We expect to announce another OG dancer if she confirms so stay tuned!! This event is proud to collaborate with @bgirl_herstory @nycbgirlsessions @cuda.culture @mommashiphopkitchen to celebrate Women’s History Month and Hip hop’s 50th Anniversary
Kwikstep will travel back to Cleveland, Ohio to do a follow up visit to 10K Movement and work with local Breakers of the new and pioneer generations there and reconnect with DJ and historian Forrest Get Em Gump! Please follow @10Kmovment and @unitedhiphopvanguard @djsk360 from March 15th til March 19th for updates on the workshops and activities made possible by support from the United Hip hop Vanguard project.
Thank you to Renee Foster, Buddha Stretch, Baba Israel, Michele Byrd Mcfee and the legendary Jackie Ms Funk Lopez for inviting us to be on your final VersaStyle dance tour activity at Cooper Union Great Hall on Feb 28th. It was insightful to see your company perform but to also be able to share the trajectory of FULL CIRCLE as a home town dance company/ crew and shed light on our predecessors too during the panel discussion!!! Thank you for your important community work in LOS ANGELES and for the love you showed us here in NYC! Congratulations on everything you are accomplishing daily!!!!
We would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to Rokafella and celebrate this award with all our Full Circle members, partners, and supporters. This is a collective victory for all who have been a part of our journey, and we are proud to be a part of such a vibrant and impactful community.
It is with great excitement that we announce the opening of 360 Flow Dance Studio, founded by Bboy Flonetik, a proud member of Full Circle Souljahs for over a decade. This studio is the realization of a long-held dream and the result of years of dedication and hard work.
Bboy Flonetik's has been breaking since2008 and been teaching since 2009. In 2015 he was given the opportunity to teach at the QueensDanceProject. This experience ignited a passion for sharing the art of Breaking and its impact on physical skills, critical thinking, creativity, artistry, confidence, and respect, leading him to establish 360Flow Breaking Studios.
360 Flow Dance Studio's goal is to educate the youth about the rich culture of Hip Hop through the art of Breaking. They believe that through this education, they can help students not only improve their physical abilities but also develop critical thinking skills, foster creativity, and enhance their confidence and respect for themselves and others.
We are thrilled to introduce you to 360 flow Dance Studio and invite you to join them on this exciting journey. You can go to their IG @360flowbreaking for more info.
Thank you to all who have helped to sustain Full Circle operations including Jane Gabriels, Forrest Knight Jr, Shanequa Green, Mike S, Yasha Morgan and Bgirl Mantis. Thank you to Sotomayor Center– Mr E Scott, Mr Jamal White, Ms Brenda Brown and Daisy at the front desk.
We are wholeheartedly celebrating Hip hop's 50th anniversary all year long and simultaneously enjoying Full Circle's 30+ anniversary with upcoming events and activities! We look forward to seeing you soon. Check the FC social media profiles for weekly updates.
Stay inspired.
January NEWSLETTER
Full Circle Souljah's celebrated the Chinese Lunar Year of the Rabbit in grand style with Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company. On January 21st, 2023, Full Circle Souljah's along with Erica Hiness and DJ Ks360 graced the stage at NJPAC in a moving tribute to the late Nai-Ni. The re-mount of "Dragon Cypher," a project Nai-Ni was working on before her passing, showcased the strength and unity of the Asian and African American communities through the art of hip-hop dance.
The event also debuted a new hip-hop fusion Lion Dance, "Lion in the City," a collaboration between Kwikstep, Rokafella, and Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company Director PeiJu Chien Pott. This captivating blend of cultural traditions and hip-hop left the audience in awe.
The premiere of "Lion in the City" was a highlight of the evening, showcasing the creativity and artistry of all involved. We are proud of our founders, Kwikstep and Rokafella, and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company for their dedication and passion.
It was a privilege to work with the talented dancers and staff of Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and we extend our heartfelt congratulations for another successful season.Full Circle Souljah's commitment to supporting and promoting hip-hop was evident and the combination of music, dance, and cultural heritage made for a truly memorable experience.
The KWIK2ROK series is a hit. It aired its third episode on BronxNet.TV featuring guests Melle Mel and DJ Flawless. Viewers were able to tune in and learn more about hip-hop from our founders and special guests.
The series kicked off at the end of 2022 and Premiered with a successful second episode in the beginning of 2023. our founders were joined by Full Circle company artists Buddha Stretch and DJ DP One. They were all captured in a picture at the taping of the episode, along with soul sister Uko Snowbunny who added her positive energy to the event.
This year, 2023, is proving to be an exciting year for hip hop as the genre celebrates its 50th anniversary—the KWIK2ROK series, available for viewing on BronxNet.TV and BronxNetTV's YouTube channel.
Don't miss out on any upcoming episodes of the KWIK2ROK series, where our founders will continue to educate and entertain viewers with their unique perspectives on hip-hop.
The release of the new music video teaser for "BEAUTY MEETS BEAST" was a major event in the music and dance communities. Music and dance have long been considered powerful forms of therapy, and the release of this new music video only served to reinforce that belief. With its powerful message and upbeat tempo, the single quickly became a hit among fans. The single was performed live for the first time at the Royal Collective 'bonnie and Clyde battle at Trans Pecos. The performance was even more special with the inclusion of talented dancers and choreography from Violeta Galagarza and her crew Kr3ts, who brought their skills and energy to the stage.
The atmosphere was electric as the crowd eagerly awaited the performance of this new hit track. When the music finally started, the dancers took over, mesmerizing the audience with their fluid movements and captivating performances. The collaboration between the dancers, choreographers, and the track was seamless, creating an unforgettable experience for all in attendance.
Overall, the performance of "BEAUTY MEETS BEAST" at the Royal Collective event was a resounding success, further solidifying the track's standout in music and dance. Thank you to everyone who has supported and participated in this exciting new project. The power of music and dance continues to bring people together and inspire positive change.
The Full Circle Dance Company successfully hosted the 2nd Bgirl Herstory Knowledge Drop at the Wondrous Studio of Breaking on Sunday, January 29th. Bgirl Mantis expertly hosted the event, which took place at Wounderous Studios.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn from guest Bgirls Trinity and N'tegrity from the United Outkast Crew as they shared their personal experiences in the breaking scene, including the history of how they started, the importance of sisterhood, their experiences in competitions, and the challenges they faced. The Q&A session was a highlight of the event, allowing attendees to ask questions and gain further insight into the world of breaking.
For those unable to attend in person, the event was also streamed live on Zoom and was accessible to a broader audience. The Zoom meeting was a great success, with many tuning in to learn from the experienced Bgirls.
Overall, the 2nd Bgirl Herstory Knowledge Drop was a huge success, with attendees inspired and empowered by the stories shared by Bgirl Trinity and Bgirl N'tegrity. The Full Circle Dance Company is already looking forward to its next event!
December NEWSLETTER
We want to take this time to share how busy our year was and how grateful we are for the commitment in action of our colleagues locally and nationally. The United Hip hop Vanguard was successful in its first incarnation of affirming local history and cultural value of not only Breakin but also turntablism and various styles of street dance. Shout to House, Sam, Asia, Speedy L, Wyno and Ian Flaws. We wish you all a very abundant and joy filled year of excitement and achievements. Click here to visit United Hiphop Vanguard Website.
Big Shout to Dance Parade for sharing their platform with us and giving us a space in their line up of dance activities for our Kwik2Rok USA Breakin Jam. We are always happy to collaborate with any movement or initiative that helps give a platform to the diverse dance community here in NYC!! Click here to visit website.
We hope to see Soapbox Presents again in 2023 and we wish you all the best and brightest opportunities to come to your team of organizers and artists!! Soapbox Instagram
We want to give a super shout out to our dance advocates at Dance NYC and NY4CA for keeping us all informed about important steps meetings grants applications and resources!! These organizations have helped Full Circle to stay afloat and operational during the pandemic. We also thank Pepatian Inc. for your efforts to promote our young dancers skills and talents in residencies and shows!
Our dancers and past students were able to compete at National qualifiers for Red Bull BC One and we keep rooting for our NYC based Breakin Community to make their mark because they are the future of that powerful and rooted legacy.
Some photos above are from our holiday end of the year gathering at the Oculus near the World Trade Center and from the final Behind The Groove party of the year at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe on December 22. Thank you to the phenomenal vocalist Instagram (Jeannie Sol)who really inspired and healed so many party attendees with her graceful and empowering vocals and songs! Thank you to La Bruja for always shining a light our way and keeping NYC poetry on the map!! Click here for more info.
Thank you to DJ DP One always repping excellence and walking into future with his community in his heart! This was a party for our hearts since we are going through so many challenges at this time of the year it is important to have the person to person energy exchange with good music and in the warmth of a legendary location! We would like to once again mention that this was our 30th year of being in action and show gratitude to our founder KWIKSTEP for being a visionary and a fearless leader re-igniting the cultural value of Breakin in NYC since the early 90’s. WE will carry the Brooklyn and NYC style / Legacy of floor rocking into the future.
2023 is the 50th Anniversary of HipHop so we are so excited to present, produce and participate in this milestone year of festivities in NYC and beyond. Thank you to all who have donated their time or funds to help us keep going. Shout to KR3Ts, Mop Top Universal and all our street dance peers that have weathered all the storms and are still standing strong here in the birthplace!
Please look out for the upcoming broadcast of “KWIK2ROK” on
BronxNet TV coming up in January. Air dates so far are tentative but looking like 8pm on
January 5th, 12, 19, 2023. You can watch on the website "Watch Live" tab and on
Cable Optimum Ch 67 and Fios 2133. After the broadcast, the episodes will remain accessible via Bronx Net's YouTube channel.
Check the Instagram and Facebook for daily updates.
We look forward to launching the Oral History Project Street Dance interviews done in collaboration with the New York Public Library in Spring 2023 so stay tuned for more info!
Full Circle will participate in the Lunar Year concert at NJPAC with the Nai Ni Chen dance company on January 21 and 22. Click here to buy tickets before they sell out.
Rest in Peace Nai Ni. We will do our Hip hop dance in your name!
Happy Holidays to all of our
dancers, supporters, peers, colleagues and our friends who continue to encourage us all to move forward!
PEACE.
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
We want to congratulate the Red Bull Team for organizing such a complete World Final event in NYC on November 12th. Congratulations to all the dancers and the winners of the various style contests including the main 1v1 Breakin event BBoy Victor and BGirl India!!
Thank you to Dancing Doug for planning a 2nd annual Breakin Hall of Fame on November 10th. It was great to receive an award recognizing our company’s efforts to preserve and embrace new generations of Hip hop dance legacy bearers!
Congratulations to Kwikstep and Rokafella for their accolades and contributions to the World Finals including consulting and sharing contacts for many aspects including Empire state of mind and Back in New York articles.
Thank you to Anna Glass from Dance Theater of Harlem who recommended Full Circle and Rokafella for the Hip hop dance fusion performance of
Stravinsky’s Firebird suite with the NY Philharmonic Orchestra at the newly inaugurated
David Geffen Hall. Our cast made up of
OG’s and Young G’s really embodied the essence of our NYC dance scene and helped to tell the story with a street twist. The audience was captivated by the moves and the emotional quality that each dancer brought to the stage. Congratulations to the phenomenal musicians and the amazing conductor
Christopher Lee plus the narrator
Justin. We look forward to working with them again in the future! Sending hugs to Gary, Amy and Doug Fitch for being so pleasant to work with on that journey to completion
Photo by @chrisleephotonyc
Kwikstep and Rokafella began to shoot their new TV series “Kwik2Rok” at Bronx Net supported by the Creatives Rebuild NY Statewide grant. Congratulations to the other 8 artists who will also be producing their own projects at Bronx Net as co recipients of this grant award. Their first guest was the legendary Grand Wizard Theodore and Violeta Galagarza. Stay tuned for the broadcast dates because many details are still in post-production. We have learned that TV is not like a theater piece or a song or a dance event/contest. Big shout to Michael Knabe, Juanita Lara, Sonyi Lopez, Walter Garaicoa and Bernardo Moronta for their efforts to keep all the puzzle pieces connected.
You can definitely check some of the interview of Kwik2Rok Variety Show by clicking here!
Kwikstep Rokafella Mantis and Flonetik traveled to
Miami for Art Basel and to attend the
USA Breakin National Finals at the Museum of Graffiti. Congratulations to
Bboy Nebs (1st place) and
Bboy Choky
(2nd Place) and to
Speedy Leggs and DJ Trails and DJ Sama! It was great to reconnect with
Bboy Forrest (Force) and
Bboy Frigo. Looking forward to more chances to visit Miami.
Special mention should be made of Rokafella’s Father who passed away on October 31st and left an absence that rippled through our Full Circle community since everyone saw him around or felt his presence through Rokafella’s routine. He will now be revered as our ancestor who brought island flavor to our Caribbean inspired Hip hop shows, parties and activism!
Vicente Garcia Garay - Rest in Paradise 4/20/1929 – 10/31/1922
Stay tuned for a Behind the Groove party coming up on December 22nd at the Legendary Nuyorican Poets Café with special vocal performance by the phenomenal Jeannie Sol. Music by DJ DP One and KS360! And yes it is still $5 cover. 21 and over. Beer and Wine sold at the Bar. [Please take a look at the flyer on top for more party information.]
In January some of the company dancers will perform with The Nai Ni Chen Dance Company at NJPAC to celebrate the Lunar Year—Dragon Cypher plus a new Hip hop Lion Dance. Rest in Peace to Nai Ni Chen.
We would like to thank you all for attending our events such as the
Dance Parade /
Kwik2Rok
/
USA Breakin outdoor event at Thompkins Square Park and
Thank you to all the United Hip hop Vanguard collaborators who organized events including
10K Movement /
Furious Styles /
Bboy Factory /
Bboy Summit /
Portland Hip Hop Week and USA Breakin. We hope to share their wisdom and best practices with our brothers and sisters at other locations that are doing their best to carry the legacy of Street dance and Breakin into the future. Thank you to
Dance NYC and to the Ford Foundation for your support of our very small dance company in 2022.
Next year is the 50th anniversary of Hip hop and we are feeling very proud of the gains our global family has made!! Our excitement is rivaled only by our motivation to pull up and bring our best to the world!
We wish everyone a Happy Holiday season and a healthy bold New Year!!!
Thank you to the
NY Philharmonic and to the collaborators of the United hip hop Vanguard for assisting with the efforts to uplift
local Breakin communities.
FULL CIRCLE PRODUCTION INC. FUNDRAISER
During this season of gift giving, please consider making a donation to Full Circle Souljahs, our Bronx based Hip hop dance company 3 decades in existence. Thank you for being visionary and supportive of a future in NYC dance! Next year is Hip hop's 50th anniversary and we plan to uplift the artists and the community once again! #givingtuesday #fullcircle30 #legacy
October brought cooler weather and even more chances to share the wealth of dance moves and dance history with our students and audiences.
Full Circle performed at the Jazzy Jay day on Oct 8th near Allerton Ave. and was the only group to feature dance styles. Thank you to Hip hop Blvd and Al Pisaro for the invitation and for celebrating local legends like DJ Jazzy Jay.
Full Circle also performed at the Crotona Park Stage Garden Rumba hosted by La Bruja on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The group also was the only dance group on the stellar line up of poets and musicians! Thank you to Pregones Theater and Puerto Rican Traveling Theater for always spotlighting local talent of all generations. The photos below are from the For The Love of it event hosted by The Good Foot Arts Collective in Seattle that invited Rokafella to judge and teach. Shout to Louie and May and team for organizing a great gathering.
Individually, members of our dance troupe help workshops like Mantis in Boston and Rokafella in Philadelphia. Rokafella traveled to Seattle to participate in the For the Love of it event hosted by The Good Foot Arts Collective and Cypher Queenz.
Kwik and Rok were featured in a Nike sneaker campaign and were also included in a Red Bull / Red bulletin feature article.
Kwik and Rok's Nike Sneaker Campaign
Kwikstep DJ’ed for Laye Rhythm dance event and is working on music for the Chinese Lunar Year Hip-Hop Lion Dance show for Nai Ni Chen Dance Company. He will also DJ for an open cypher for the Red Bull BC One event on November 11th. You can definitely check this link for more information and also you want to RSVP for the watch party.
Full Circle will perform with the NY Philharmonic Orchestra on November 12th combining Hip-Hop dance styles with a classic Stravinsky piece entitled Firebird telling the story with 6 dancers. You can get tickets for the 2PM family/ children’s concert at the link here.
The Halloween party was well attended and you can check out the pictures here and more to follow as photos become available. Thank you to DJ DP One, Haitian Pat and to all who helped set up and break down/clean up. Thank you to La Bruja and her Nuyorican Poets café team. We look forward to the next party scheduled for November 17th.
Enjoy some of the photos below which were from a show a year ago at the Feel Free Festival.
POWER COUPLE: KWIKSTEP AND ROKAFELLA
A Red Bulletin feature about our founders Kwikstep and Rokafella with Mantis and Flonetik. Shot at the Point CDC in front of TATSCRU artwork. See pictures below for more shots.
Click here to check out the feature:
UPCOMING HALLOWEEN PARTY
You know you want to jam with us for Halloween cuz we've been doing this for years now. Last Year Harlem, previous year The Bronx and the one before that was in Brooklyn and on and on.. we like Halloween and so do you!!
And if you get there early you can check out the poetry open mic and even their "Saw" inspired haunted house!! Just chill on the Lower East Side with your dance family!
$5 cover if you just coming to dance at the Behind The Groove party.
236 East 3rd st, btwn Ave B and C
DJs DP One and KS360
Nuyorican.com for more info.
Design by @viceysings
Pictures below was from our previous Halloween parties.
SEPTEMBER RECAP | OCTOBER EVENTS
Fall season brings a cool focused vibe and so far we have been intentional with our dancers as we look into 2023. We celebrate Mantis as she stepped up to national Red Bull Bgirl qualifiers and heads out to judge out-of-state Breakin events. We enjoyed heading back to our Bronx DoJo at Sotomayor. Frank, Frost and Rokafella performed at The Point CDC Riverside Park campus for their “TurnOut” festival series and taught short dance lessons for the attendees. Rokafella performed her “Beauty Meets Beast” song as well. Stay tuned for the music video!
Then the three dancers headed to the Fordham section of the Bronx to welcome Amal-a 12 foot puppet that has been touring countries making sure people do not forget the refugees of the world. Amal represents a 10 year old girl from Syria and all displaced children of the world. You check out their websites here.
“Kwik2Rok” episodes are still in production and we are anxiously waiting to celebrate the launch of the Bronx Net series funded by a CRNY/Mellon Foundation grant!!
Kwikstep was the DJ for the Mothership Vogue Ball at Marcus Garvey Park and at Lincoln Center’s Poetry event “Seen Sound Scribe” in the Atrium. He also brought his music mixes to the popular Laye Rhythm happening at Nublu in the Lower East Side.
Coming up in October are weekend performances and festivals.
October 8th Annual Jazzy Jay Festival Allerton Ave block party
October 15th Garden Stage Rumba Crotona Park Ampitheater
October 31st Halloween party at Nuyorican Poets Cafe – yes, Monday!
Mark your calendars to attend “Firebird” performance with the Philharmonic Orchestra
November 12th at 2 PM at the David Geffen Hall.
Our dance training sessions continue at Sotomayor Center in the Bronx but you have to make an appointment. You can
click here to begin to register. Kwik and Rok travel and the facility is not always open so there are calendar interruptions and adjustments to be aware of when attending training.
BEHIND THE GROOVE THROWACK
Throwback to a couple years ago when Behind the Groove--the party for dancers by dancers-- was up and running downtown NYC. Starting in 2009 as a way to bring dance culture back to NYC, Behind the Groove became the go-to for people who just wanted to jam to classic dance hits from mixed genres played by DJ KS360 and DP One.
Hosted by Rokafella, the party began at club Le Poisson Rouge and moved to various locations.
Join us September 29th at the Legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe and bring your dancing shoes!
**We are celebrating @fullcirclesouljahs 30th anniversary by sharing throwback posts to uplift the work, presence and the contributions of our dance community to the NYC dance history.
1. Natsuno, Hiro, Future, Kwikstep
2. DJ Big Ben
3. Tara, Twist, Bongo, Martha, Yaya and Rok
4.DJ KS360, DJ Enuff, DJ DP One
5. Ali, Stretch, Uko and hyped up crowd
6. Kwik Rok DP One
7. Mighty Mike MMR-- Rock dance
8. Vitamin D with Sara- Hustle
9. Bgirl Mona Lisa
10. Niara and Nubian Nene
11. Hakim
12. DJ DP One, KS360, Kenny Keytar Bear, Keith Wildchild
Join us and your NYC dance family on Sept 29th and rock to your favorite dance classics with @Djks360 and @djdpone you know how we do at the NuyoRican!!! Celebrating Fall and getting back to the jam!! $5 cover, 236 E 3rd street.
August recap | september events
On August 6th the Bgirl Knowledge Drop happened in Brooklyn with Rokafella and Bgirl Bongo Roc at Wondrous Studios for a round table discussion presented by Bgirl_herstory hosted by Bgirl Mantis.
Thank you
Flipz Ent for booking Full Circle for the
Rock the Bells concert. Despite the HEATWAVE hitting NYC, we did the thing!! Kwik and Rok reconnected with Z Trip so overall, It was a real gift and we look forward to more chances to roll with Bboy Flipz!
On August 11th Rokafella celebrated her birthday at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in addition to Hip hop’s 49th anniversary. Thank you to DJ DP One, La Bruja and all the attendees!
Thanks to Bgirl Lacuna and Bgirl Mantis for organizing the Breakin Workshop offered by Rokafella on August 16th at Wondrous Breakin Studio. It was well attended and they even did push ups! Round 2 is around the corner on Sept 20th. Stay tuned for more info to get in the lab and strengthen the weak points!
Kwikstep DJ’ed for the Dance Is Life party in Central Park and they began to shoot their first footage for the Kwik2Rok series for Bronx Net. It was exciting to work with a camera woman and the Assistant Director and to interview one of the co founders of the party – Abiel and some of the regulars! It was a Heatwave but music is the perfect medicine and Kwikstep was really playing the feel good songs!
Our resident Bgirl Mantis made her way through the preliminaries at the Red Bull NorthEast Cypher in Boston andmade it to the top 8! Congrats to her! It was great to reconnect with Breaker like Duxum and hang out with Legendary Popper/Dancer Shallow. The Floorlordz anniversary was the next day and Full Circle was in full effect rocking with MasterMind Rockers and even hanging out with Incredible Josh and his son.
Portland’s Hip hop week was our final stop on the 2022 Vanguard project and it really connected Grand Wizard Theodore, DP One, Kwikstep and Rokafella with the local Hip hop community. The “Wine and Chill” was a beautiful display of local talent and then the “Meeting of the minds” panel discussion brought us into the future with an attendee introducing the future of Hip hop as Web3 takes its place in our world. The Cypher Queens workshop was great mix of levels and even a local jewelry designer visited the studio. And then we found out that Kelsi, the owner of the Manifest Change dance studio chose to celebrate her Birthday with us.. Like all day since she was also a panelist earlier on Friday. Bgirl Naj the mirage had drove down from Seattle to help out with the workshop!!
Saturday flew by with all the Breakers doing their thing with DJ DP One and DJ KS360 spinning Breaks and Funk. Congrats to the winner of the USA Breakin regional qualifier was BBoy Details and the Wild card Bgirl Arzhena! Then the DJ OG One and Klyph began the local Portland Star Awards ceremony including out of town recipients including Big Wyno, Grand Wizard Theodore, Kwikstep and Rokafella. The final performer was Teezy So Dope who really tore the roof off!
Thank you to all the cities who hosted our Vanguard efforts to uplift local Breakin and other Street and Club styles so they can build a better dance career and community for the future.
Shout to our National United Hip hop Vanguard Culture workers: BBoy House, Asia One, Sammy Mac, Speedy Legs, Ian Flaws and Big Wyno!!! We hope to keep supporting each other and collaborate in 2023. Congrats on all you have achieved so far and let’s stay connected.
Thank you to the Ford Foundation, Fractured Atlas, our Board and Grant writer. Teamwork makes the dream work.
The Flyer for September Behind the Groove party at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe on the 29th, BTG is already up on this news. Check it out!
July Recap | August Events
Full Circle is in full gear with the Vanguard project activities soon wrapping up in August for the Skillfest event happening in Portland, Oregon. The Bboy Summit was a great reunion of new and old generations of Hip hop lovers and of course Breakers! Joe from the legendary FAT BEATS was in the park on Day 2 and Clark from Hawaii was also in attendance sharing his snap back HawaiiHipHop.com with the winners and the crowd! The ultimate circle is of course a big highlight since EZ Rock, Lil Cesar and BBoy Don represented their home town with joy and skills! Energetic, Flipz and out of towners threw down as well as our NYC ambassadors Kwikstep and Rokafella! We were all so happy to see the LA Boppers take to the stage and to have a moment of silence for Popping Taco RIP.
The Vanguard panel discussion was insightful because everyone on the panel had inspiring testimonials to share regarding mental health, how evolution helps to sustain longevity, much needed behavioral changes outside of the dance, negotiating with commercial entities and community strength building. Thank you to Asia One, Lori and Yaya for the support and event planning. Shout to DJ Mark Love and Skeme Richards who kept us all grooving. Grand Wizzard Theodore gave the crowd a powerful set!!! Congrats to Docious and Anty for their respective 1v1 bboy/bbgirl wins.. And shout to Cypher St8 for their 5 on 5 win! Shout to Battle Born Crew for their 2022 Bonnie and Clyde win! Shout to Bgirl Mantis and Bboy Flonetik for entering the 1v1 and Bonnie and Clyde battles.
Kwikstep and Rokafella offered classes during the 36 Chambaz of Stylz workshop series and connected with Elite Force who is also celebrating their 30th anniversary!! Kwikstep worked with Brooklyn Terri and Shan S for the combined Ground and Pound workshop focused on dance moves that work the floor. Rokafella worked with Kim Holmes and Hype Girl for a Friday night Ladies Rock workshop. She also offered a Rockin/Up Rockin workshop combined with Papo Luv and Samo to bring her style of Rockin to the students. This one of a kind festival happens in the Summer and brings House and Hip hop together for international students and local dancers at Peridance Studios. The panel discussion brought out ideas and stories of how most of the OG’s began locally and then found their way from their homes or neighborhoods to the more established places of dance including dance studios and clubs. Thank you to Elite Force for curating such a deep dive into Street and Club dance. Step Ya Game Up was also a fiery display of rising talent! Shout to Miss Jackie Funk, Staccato and The legendary Archie who were in the house!!
Bgirl Mantis was an invited competitor at Red Bull BC One City Cypher taking place at Philadelphia Cherry St Pier. It was a great line up and we will support her when she goes to the Boston Cypher. Shout out to Bgirl Pep C. Kwikstep reconnected with Bboy Valme who is an original Full Circle dancer.
UPCOMING EVENTS
On
August 6th Rokafella and Bongo Roc will participate in the first Knowledge Drop presented by Bgirl Herstory at Wondrous Studios in Brooklyn 1pm-2p. Moderated by Bgirl Mantis. You can go to IG @bgirl_herstory for the Zoom link on the day of in case you are not able to attend in person.
Kwikstep will DJ for Dance is Life happening at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park on August 8th 5pm til sunset! Check IG @danceislife
Behind The Groove returns for Rokafella’s Birthday party / Hip hop’s 49th Anniversary on
August 11th 7 PM to midnight at the Legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe 236 # 3rd Street- Manhattan $10 cover, cash bar. Cake and empanadas by Rossy’s Bakery–Support Local!! Go to
www.nuyorican,org for tickets
On August 16th Lacuna’s Bgirl Sessions will host Rokafella sharing Breakin techniques / vocabulary 8pm - 9pm
On August 25th The Vanguard will visit Skillfest in Portland, Oregon organized by Big Wyno including a panel discussion with locals plus workshop with Rokafella and Bgirl Mel with the Cypher Queens PDX. Full Circle will bring Grand Wizzard Theodore and DJ DP One to the Battle on the 27th. This is our final Vanguard event helping to uplift and motivate the Breakin/Hiphop culture workers to continue to build the future alongside of the commearcial lanes that saturate the airwaves / social media platforms in our community. Live mural art work, battles and an award ceremony is on the line up of events. Check for schedule details and location info www.unitedhiphopvanguard.com
Shout to Bboy House, SammyMac, Forrest Gump, Ian Flaws, Asia One, Speedy Legs and all who provide the cultural backbone and infrastructure that helps keep the underground vibrant.
Stay tuned for more events in the Fall. Please check out FB, IG and Twitter feeds for any last minute updates.
The SoapBox Presents Official Video on Youtube
We have our new video up on our official Youtube channel! Show some love!!
You can definitely check here for the video.
June Recap/Upcoming July Events
Congrats to Ian Flaws and his team celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Bboy Factory!
Our Denver Hip hop family was shining bright at Brother Jeff's community center for Day 1 of the weekend long celebration. The discussion was deep and long overdue. There is a sense of both "For us by us" and "it takes a village"in the community that has helped to keep the studio open and thriving. The discussion at Brother Jeff’s location helped to give insight to the history of Denver’s Hiphop and Breakin scene from back in the day to today. Thank you Asia One who helped to organize the panelists and thank you to all who attended, battled and supported! Lordz of Finesse was in the house with Dent, Fienz, Marz, DJ Chonz and Los!
Shoutout to the rising stars who battled including the Champs BGirl Sasha Fox, BBoy Stray Curt, Youth Breakin winner Charlie Fresh and Freestyle Enock! Everybody was standing tall and sharing good vibes right from the jump off on Friday to the workshops on Sunday! The OG Cypher was unique and historic. DJ’s Grand Wizzard Theodore, DJ A-L , DJ DP One and DJ KS360 really kept the weekend lit and groovin'!
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary to the BBoy Factory Family. We hope that the Vanguard will continue to build strong bridges with the community as time passes. Happy Birthday to Kwikstep who celebrated with his Denver family during the weekend of Anniversary events!
Members of our National Hip hop dance Family assembled for the ProAm’s 25th anniversary in Miami on June 11th and 12th with a line up of performances and battles that kept everyone excited and hopeful about the future of Hip hop dance and Breakin. USA Breakin was in the building to help the provide an accurate presence of the competitive aspects of the genre. The United Hip hop Vanguard invited collaborators from Arizona and Ohio to share experience and thoughts about the trajectory of Breakin from back in the day alongside of BBoy Speedy Legs and Bboy Crumbs timelines to today’s present status with local rising star Bgirl Apollo who was invited by Path to Hip hop Inc to participate in the discussion. Shout to Bboy House and SammyMac who brought their experience in the panel discussion and in the cypha dancing when the time came for rockin! Shout to Aiko who traveled to Miami to support the anniversary.
Please check out United Hip Hop Vanguard for more info about the project upcoming events as well as previous activities.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Click here for the Zoom link on Saturday's discussion but please CHECK your Time Zone. The discussion begins at 12:30 PM PST / 3:30 PM EST.
In July, Kwikstep, Grand Wizzard Theodore and Rokafella will travel to Los Angeles for the Bboy Bgirl Summit during the weekend of July 16-17th. The Vanguard will collaborate with No Easy Props to help make the event insightful including the concerns and ideas that have come up for the future of Breakin and Hip hop during the the prior Cultural activations scheduled in 2022 with the help from grant funding made possible by The Ford Foundation. You can check out the Instagram @officialbboysummit for more info.
Full Circle will bring back the NYC dance lovers favorite party “Behind The Groove” in August. More info to follow. Check back here for flyer and performance info as well as the Instagram for Full Circle @fullcirclesouljahs. Also check our new YouTube Channel to check out the new video featuring Jennifer “Beasty” Acosta and the Momma’s Hip hop Kitchen Vol 11 performance.
Stay tuned for the 36 Chambaz of Stylez workshop festival happening at Peridance studios starting on July 18th to the 24th featuring Kwikstep and Rokafella offering separate classes. Check back for the 36th COS schedule. The Step Ya Game Up event will wrap up the workshop festival on the 24th.
Rokafella is looking forward to celebrating her birthday on the evening of August 11th at the world famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe so please mark your calendar and check back here for more details.
If you would like to help join our volunteer team, please hit us up here and we will gladly welcome you to our Full Circle support squad to help with promotions, event management, social media tasks and general operations. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at our upcoming activities.
Harlem Nights on June 30th
Check out the crew on June 30th Show! Can't wait to meet you there guys soon!! You can definitely check back here for more updates!
Upcoming June Events
We close the month of May with many memories and lots of gratitude for our dancers, partners, funders and our network helping to keep the local Hip hop dancers of all generations engaged and involved. 30 years ago we would not have imagined partnering with such a strong dance community.
In case y’all missed it! Check out Kwikstep and Rok for a Live Instagram Interview Video. Click
here to watch the video. Interview starts at 53:19. Also, we have drop a new video on our official Youtube Channel you can definitely watch it by clicking
here.
Thank you to all who participated in our
Kwik2Rok USA Breakin regional qualifier on May 21st, 2022 (16 All Star competitors) including Dancers Bgirl Mantis, BBoys - Flonetik, Kid Glyde, Mach Five, Malo, Uncle Will, Lokito, SmokePR, SuperJosh, Pop, Roflow, Super Herek, HeatRock, Wiz, Snow and Nebz, thank you to the judges (Bgirl Rokafella, Bboy Pollo and BBoy Jiggz and Bongo Roc),thank you to the 2 hosts Kwikstep and Danny Infamous who brought the history and the comedic energy to the competition and to the crowd at Tompkins Square Park. Thank you to our DJ DP One- the Blessing and mucho respect to the OG's who brought their wisdom DXT, The Twins, Chip, Sasa, Trixie and Peaches! Thank you to those who helped to organize, those who donated funds, the ones who brought Water/ Ice and even a Cooler from Target (Frank Concepcion Jr), thank you to Tomas and Vicky Smallz who helped lay the floor down and to Speedy D for helping with the USA Breakin Promo and banners. Thank you to Speedy Legs, DJ Sama and to Duane for the vision to bring this qualifier to NYC and partnering with Kwikstep and Rokafella on this historic event. Thank you to Box Avoided who captured moments on video! Thank you Float Master John for your talents not only as a phenomenal dancer and Hitter but also as a photographer! He captured many Kwik2Rok moments that appear in our slideshow.
You can definitely check the video of the event Kwik2Rok in our video section or by clicking here.
Shoutout to
Dance Parade NYC for the annual gathering of various NYC dance communities- 16 years of providing a platform for dancers to share their love for dance in NYC! Our founders were Grand Marshalls in 2016 and Full Circle was there to celebrate with the diverse NYC dance community back then and now. We look forward to next year!!
Shout to the United Hip hop Vanguard for keeping the Torch lit and connecting the dots from the fruit to the root.
Thank you to the DAS Audio team including DXT and to HDEC for the equipment set up too.
We experienced an FC reunion in Jersey City with CUDA Culture for planning the annual Santa Cruzan festival battle on Grove St. There was a time when Full Circle and NBK shared session locations in Jersey. Kwik and Rok stayed in NJ for a while so the practices were easy to get to and they all shared the same vision and family approach to training. It was great to see all the familiar faces and to support the new younger Breakers. Congrats to Cuda Culture and GI Jane for always organizing an annual jam for local dancers to participate. Shout to Bboy Bgirl Lifestyle- Rival’s program– that keeps Breakin alive in Jersey City. Shout to Bboy Rich Nyce from Newark who also represents the culture and community in NJ and continues to be involved in the events.
Shout to all the Breakers that competed. Congrats to BBoy Roflow adult 1v1 champ and to Quiet Storm and Bgirl Crazy for their 2v2 win! Shout to KBL – Kids Breakin League.
We opened our Spring with a quick hit em and quit performance on May 20th. Thank you to our dancers Frank Concepcion Jr-choreographer Bgirl Beasty Erica_hiness, @itsavadavis._ (kr3t)and @larokafella.
Bgirl Mantis is always there showing support and inspiring new generations of Bgirls with her resource. Thank you for recording our show. We know if you weren’t training for the Red Bull/USA Breakin competitions you would be right there with us rockin some routines and rockin your solo!!
Shout to Bboy Smoke who was in town to compete in the Kwik2Rok USA Breaking qualifier and showed up to support his FC Familia.
Thank you Rachel with Village Alliance for inviting us to perform in your dance program Creativity Cubed. We hope we can reconnect at a later date.
Shout to those who support the United Hiphop Vanguard to this day. It was sparked in 2020 with the need to address concerns about the future of Breakin and has since visited Cleveland and Arizona and Jersey City and soon to Miami and Denver in June. Stay tuned to the Instagram or the United Hip Hop Vanguard website by clicking
here.
Coming up we will participate in the RedBull Cypher on June 4th (good luck to our Bgirl Mantis) and will head to Miami’s Pro Am June 11th - 12th and also to Denver Colorado for the 10th anniversary of the Bboy Factory. We will participate in Coke La Rok’s talent showcase on June 30th and hope to bring Behind The Groove to that location in Harlem so stay tuned for more info.
The Soapbox Presents will also showcase some of our dancers on July 3rd so please keep your ears to the ground. NYC is slowly opening up and we are excited to bring you our best in dance and music. In July we also plan to travel to Los Angeles for the BBoy Summit July 16th/17th. Our 30th anniversary is so far taking shape and we are grateful and staying creative. Thank you for all your support so far and please stay healthy and check in with your elders and the local youth.
our Official Youtube Channel
We are so excited to finally launch our company Youtube channel and what better time than Spring of 2022 when we mark our 30th year in action in New York City!!
Each week we will share our community work videos whether it's a rehearsal video or a performance video from the "back in the day" past or "not too distant" past. We plan to feature interviews with our founders Kwikstep and Rokafella and the super roster of all star dancers and students that have graced our company through the years. So, please check out our Official Youtube Channel.
and join us as we celebrate and look back on a unique dance journey in New York City!! Full Circle - Born to Break!! #FullCircle30
upcoming may events
Dance Parade is bringing it back to the streets with a Breakin battle qualifier for USA Breakin organized by Kwikstep and Rokafella...Kwik2Rok! They were Grand Marshall's back in 2016 and marched with a full posse of Full Circle dancers and performed onstage at Tompkins Square Park.
We have much love and respect for organizations that are by the people for the people! For more details about the parade go to @danceparadenyc.
5.21.22 KWIK 2 ROK USA Breakin battle in New York City!
1v1 CO-ED Breakin Battle.
Purse: $500 + Top 16 Spot in the #USABreakin 2022 National Championships 12.4.22 in #Miami - includes flight + hotel accommodations!
Brought to you by @usabreakin @fullcirclesouljahs @unitedhiphopvanguard @proamdancedjexpo
Host & Organizers legendary breakers: @djks360 (Kwikstep) & @infmsfenz
Judges: IG handles– @jiggz1981 @bboypollo @larokafella
Venue: Tompkins Square Park on the ‘Family Stage’ the 16th annual @danceparadenyc in the birth place of Hip hop New York City!
Date: May 21, 2022
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Register today at: www.usabreakin.org
Flier Design Credits: @dee45_photography sound by @dasaudiousa
In April, Rokafella was invited by Bgirls Genesis and Joleen from the Flooristas Crew, Integrity and Louie and May to participate in a discussion about the strides the Breakin' community is making to create safe and inclusive spaces for all.
Also, launched was a new manual called No Excuses which is and can be used as a workbook or tool in school and group settings. Sections of the discussion can be found here. You can also check out Ntegrity’s Blog which offers resources for survivors of Sexual assault or harassment at https://www.ntegrityinmotion.com/blog even though April which is Sexual Assault awareness month is over, we are still working together to make new generations aware of ways this form of disrespect has affected our community and ways to prevent this type of behavior from being covered up or normalized.
USA Breakin is holding its national qualifiers leading up to the finals in December. Every Thursday there is a Live interview on Instagram with athletes/Breakers that are competing. Check out the interview with our floor sister Mantis on this link and get to know her better.
Mantis’ Interview link: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cc6q4LRp2IO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Stay tuned for Kwikstep’s interview coming up soon.
The Vanguard is taking a break from traveling this month but will head to Miami for the Pro Am DJ and Dance Expo June 11th and 12th at the Convention Center. Guests for the Miami Mix Tape Breakin panel are Beta, Speedy Legs, Lego, Sam/10K Movement, Bboy House/Furious Styles Crew and Path to Hip hop Inc. You can go to the website to check the schedule and to register here.
Grand Wizard Theodore will also do a DJ demo! Also in June, the Vanguard will be present to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of
The Bboy Factory in Denver, Colorado from the 24th to the 25th. Stay tuned to our new Youtube Channel for footage and clips of our journey as we celebrate our 30th Anniversary!! Thank you to Karl who is assisting with media content for the company!
Arizona Vanguard Event
Our company dancer Flonetik competed in the Big Apple Breakin For Gold event in Brooklyn and we wanted to give him a shout for repping us and NYC!
Kwikstep, Grand Wizard Theodore and Rokafella quickly felt the heat and connected with the local Hip hop Jedi Masters of Arizona!! Shout to OG DJ Juice and DJ Touch who drove from Tucson!! Thank you to all who attended the Fader Manners session featuring Grand Wizzard Theodore!
We want to show our gratitude to the entire Furious Styles team for planning and providing a line up of activities that brought together various styles of dance as well as generations of dancers and DJ's.
Our second Vanguard event was a success thanks to local venues Trill Hip hop Shop and The Jukebox Studios! We not only got to share and learn about their Hip hop legacy OG’s and Young G’s but also connected with local Graf legends and family. The generations were present and outspoken about where we’ve been and where we want to go. Thank you to (Instagram Handles) @Bboyhouse @odinseyecreations @djakshen @djreflekshin @sir_panico @chuckhuus @les735 @johnnycastrophotography and the entire team!! Thank you to The Ford Foundation and to the United Hip hop Vanguard. The two day event was uplifting and we send our good vibes their way so they all continue to support each other’s Hip hop journey. Thank you to all the dancers who competed and jammed out with us! Congrats to the champs AL and Fresco.
You can also check out https://www.furiousstylescrew.com for more info on their weekly programs and upcoming events.
As April comes to a close we hope you will join us on April 27th for a discussion about Sexual Assault Awareness on Facebook Live via the Flooristas page at 5:30 PM PST | 8:30 PM EST. Check the flyers below.
On April 30th Rokafella will be with Shiro selling their ShiRoka merchandise at the annual Femme Flava festival at The Point CDC from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, 940 Garrison Ave, Bx
Here are the upcoming events:
- May 21 Full Circle will host a Kwik2 Rok – Breakin battle for USA Breakin during the Dance Festival happening AFTER the parade at Tompkins Square park, NYC 545p-7pm. Free to the public.
- July 3rd small Funk performance for Soapbox Presents in Harlem.
- September 24th Full Circle will celebrate the launch of the NYPL Jerome Robbins Dance divisions' Oral History Project Hip hop dance interviews happening at Lincoln Center. We will fold Vanguard project into program line up as a NYC wrap up celebration.
Vanguard programs are on hiatus for May but pick up in June. Details soon to follow, please check back here or on the Vanguard website.
Our dancers and founders will begin to plan a celebration to mark the milestone 30th anniversary life span of Full Circle – 1992 - 2022. Please let us know if you would like to add your media, event planning and/or design skills to the committee that is presently taking shape.
Mantis and Flonetik's Wedding
We would like to extend our best wishes to our dancers who got married this past weekend Mantis and Flonetik.
We also wanted to say thank you for bringing the generations of Full Circle dancers together to celebrate at the reception. We miss you all and hope we can get another reunion happening later on in the year. (Full Circle 30th anniversary with our Full Circle family) Check back!
In the meantime,
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLYWEDS!!
We are excited to jam with Furious Styles Crew, our Hip hop family, in Arizona this week starting on Thursday evening.
Click here for schedule and promo.
Here's the Zoom link so you can tune into the important discussions.
Friday's Discussion Zoom Link at 10:15 PM EST | 7:15 PM PST
Saturday's Discussion Zoom Link at 7:15 PM EST | 4:15 PM PST
One of our long-time dance crew members Beasty choreographed and performed a tribute piece to her late father for the Point CDC annual Fish Parade festival in the Bronx. Her son Jeremiah, cousin Angel and best friend Asalia aka Sweets performed alongside her depicting how her father taught her about Breaking and Beat boxing which she now embodies passing on his legacy. It was a high energy mashup of Breakbeat /House/ Puerto Rican pride classics like Que Bonita Bandera and Just Begun. We want to congratulate Beasty on her hard work and thank her for representing with Full Circle all these years.
What a way to start off July with a Citation award from the Office of the New York City Public Advocate, Congratulations to our founder Kwikstep, Violeta founder of KR3Ts, Alito founder of Fresh Kidz and Victor Glyde Alicea founder of Dynamic Rockers who received citations from public advocate Jumaane Williams July 13th for keeping the legacy of their Hip Hop dance crews vibrant and still making an impact today. Happy 50th anniversary to our Hip Hop dance family!
FC Cleveland Vanguard and NYC Activities
Group shot of Torch Cypher Event Day 1
Kwik and Rok at the Universal Hip Hop Museum with Alien Ness, Martha Cooper, Michael Holman, Neguin and Mr. Wave
Mantis and Flonetik at the Red Bull NYC Exhibition Battle in Brooklyn with BBoys Rich NYCE, Jerm and Philly Breeze
Panel Discussion at Torch Cypher Day 2 | Rok with BGirl Destanation with her children at Buck Out Studios
DJ DP One on the Turntables at the Torch Cypher | Legendary Graf Writer Poke at the Red Lion Tattoo Barber Shop, Cleveland
March 11, 2022
Our first stop on this Vanguard project is already filled with affirmations. The Torch Cypher in Cleveland, Ohio brought so many people together from Ohio, Michigan, China, France, Lithuania, Chicago, Montreal and NYC plus dancers from Akron, Columbus, Cincinnati repped on the floor!
We were excited to bring Grand Wizard Theodore along with DJ DPOne to the event accompanying Kwik and Rok.
The DJ exhibition Battle between DJ Nu ERA and DJ ESO had us all vibin during the break between the semi finals. The DJ and Breakin workshops were well attended by students of varying skill levels.
10K gave Theodore a Lifetime achievement award and a Birthday cake shaped like a turntable at the Rowley Inn.
The discussions uplifted many of the original DJ and MCs. even a last minute addition to the panelists was a 68 year old Radio Personality who made moves for Hip hop back in the day and still has a radio show today… yup Silver B. You can Google him. The discussion also gave props to the youth for getting out there and carrying the legacy. We did request for Breakers to get to know original Breaks – the title and artists. Those bands back then made us move the way we do because the musicians were in the zone and inspired how Breakin took shape. The drummer and the dancer have an undeniable connection.
A heartwarming observation came from the OG MC CHill who said “Nobody wearing Gold throwing money at the cameras..this is Hip hop for real” He was sharing that on the mic with OG DJ Johhny O since they remembered when Hip hop had originally felt like this.
Congrats to the winner of the 1 vs 1 Hip hop Murky and to Breakin 1 vs 1 Bboy V Nice- Flowohio crew Akron.
Thank you to OG Bboys Brooks, DreLive and Kwikstep for judging and to Staccato, Lam and Rok for judging the Hip hop dance battle!
On the final day we visited the Red Lion Graffiti Tattoo Barber shop managed by legendary Grafitti writer Dayzwhun, Poke and graf family. They were getting their murals on since the WEATHER was unbelievably warm!! Shout to the weather gods.
Thank you to Maddy, Anastasia and SammyMac DJ Forrest Getem Gump for helping to plan a true generational dialogue through music and dance. Thank you to BGirl Destanation picture above with her children for designing the website of United Hip-Hop Vanguard.
Click here to visit the website. There are more pictures on the Full Circle IG and more pictures and video to follow.
Back home in NYC, Flonetik and Mantis participated in the Red Bull NYC exhibition battle to rep the Bronx (yes they live in Brooklyn and Flonetik is from Queens but they trained with Full Circle and we are Bronx based..so yeah… it works out) . Kwikstep invited select Bronx Breakers to participate in a team repping Bronx and Manhattan. They would battle against a Brooklyn/ Queens team. Unfortunately, Kwik wasn’t able to be present but he was able to watch the live streaming of the battle on Red Bull Youtube channel while he was in Cleveland. We are so proud of our crew/company dancers and hope we can open more doors for them to flourish beyond the training and the competition platform.
Kwikstep and Rokafella were invited to speak on a panel at the Universal Hip hop Museum entitled From the Bronx to the World about the many lanes Breakin has opened since its emergence in the 70s’80’s. We were in the presence of OG’s Trixie, Michael Holman, Alien Ness, Martha Cooper and Red Bull All Star Bboy Neguin.
Full Circle has sessions at Sotomayor Center on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7p to 9p but we still have
Next site is Phoenix, Arizona @furiousstylescrew! We see you all there!
February Event
Thank you to all who have jumped in to help plan their Cultural events related to the United Hip hop Vanguard project. Our first event is scheduled for March 4th and 5th in Cleveland Ohio with 10k Movement and DJ Get'em Gump Radio! More details soon to follow. Guests include DJ Johnny O, Grand Wizard Theodore, Dj DP One in addition to legendary B boys from the local scene. A live / virtual component will be announced soon as more details become more available.
Other cities and dates include:
April 8th and 9th in Phoenix, Arizona with Furious Styles Crew,
May 14th and 15th in Miami with Miami Light Project Bgirl Beta and PATH Inc
June 24th and 25th with the anniversary of B Boy Factory in Denver CO
July 15 and 16th with The BBoy Summit in Los Angeles
August 25th and 26th for the Hip hop Week with Rated Ill Records in Portland, OR Please mark your calendars and if you are in the area, please consider being a presence!!!
Our first Vanguard meeting is scheduled for February 24th at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST. The Zoom link will be posted on the Instagram Bio. We are excited to announce the plans and to check in with our national community.
Stay tuned for more info and flyers!
Thank you Drew with ENERGY crew and click here for the link in Kingston NY for the invite to participate in their Black History Month activities with our FC family Spex Kwikstep. Rokafella and special guest Grand Wizard Theodore. Thank you to Meredith, Mike and the whole crew with the set up and the dinner afterwards.
Our final Culture and Career workshop session will happen this Saturday February 19th at Sotomayor Phipps Center in the Bronx. Our facilitators have been excellent and well received. We hope to receive further funding to make more exchanges happen for young aspiring street and club dancers in New York City. We would like to thank the Tides foundation for the support at this time and Asia One for nominating us for this award. Photos and a short video will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
The NYPL (New York Public Library) will be working with Full Circle to plan a launch for the Oral History Project Hip-Hop Masters interviews this year. Please stay tuned for more info as they develop. Please check the Instagram or our Facebook fan page for daily updates!
Photos from participant's cellphone.
Pepatian will offer virtual and live showcases of other artists from the Bronx including La Bruja and Rokafella who will have a Throwback program and another program where they will host upcoming lyricists and dancers during the Hip hop Homelands showcase.
Full Circle Productions would like to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Ford Foundation to support the creation of the United Hip Hop Vanguard, a network of leaders and cultural workers who will host program activities that will support and reverse the past two decades of erasure within the national Breakin' (Breakdance) community. The network will assist in the regrowth of culture as it confronts the ongoing platforming of its competitive aspects that have left the historical and cultural qualities remaining invisible and obscured. The Vanguard will re-introduce the social exchange that happens organically at jams and evolve the call-and-response quality of Breakin' as an art form.
“This award will help us to bring to life the recommendations brought forth during our year of Vanguard meetings with concerned and passionate local leaders of the Breakin' community nationwide,” said Full Circle Productions co-founder Rokafella, recently named “one of the most iconic BGirls in Hip Hop history,” by Latina Magazine, click here for the article, alongside fellow co-founder and “trailblazing legend” Kwikstep.
Full Circle will work with the United Hip Hop Vanguard’s national members to foster dancers’ independence while intentionally centering Black voices behind the scenes, highlighting Black people and aesthetics in decision-making processes. The Vanguard will serve the national ecosystem of Breakin' culture workers, from the East to West Coasts, re-invigorating both DJs and dancers alike through an exchange of testimonials connecting intergenerational practitioners who have made pivotal contributions to the Hip Hop community. These conversations will offer a platform for a mutual exchange of trajectory and ideas, an exploration of the development and sustainability of an artist-led ecosystem, an understanding of the history of artists’ local scenes, and offer approaches for navigating commercial platforms while maintaining artistic integrity and protecting mental health.
This new model of workshop programming will support and invest in local educational and mentorship programming managed and led by local communities. Independent dancers will be able to offer professional development insight so that the younger generation can learn from their experiences and create sustainable careers. These workshops will offer support for every stage of planning, dancing, and archiving to help nurture a successful community of dancers who reach their full potential.
The first 2022 meeting of the United Hip Hop Vanguard will be:
February 25-27 in Cleveland, OH led by 10K Movement and DJ Forrest Get'em Gump.
Upcoming meetings will be in
Phoenix, AZ led by Bboy House and Furious Styles Crew;
Miami, FL;
Portland, OR led by Big Wyno; and
Los Angeles led by AsiaOne and No Easy Props Inc, CA, with dates and details to follow.
This is Full Circle’s second grant from the Ford Foundation. In 2006, they were awarded funding for a national project highlighting the participation and contribution of women in the Breakin world. Under the direction of Rokafella, who identified local BGirls (Female Breakers) in six cities across the country, Full Circle programmed uplifting women-centered dance performances, ranging from theater appearances to dance contests, all followed by discussion. These discussions helped spark dialogue about hidden issues facing women in the local and national Breakin scenes, as well as in other Hip Hop elements. A short film entitled All The Ladies Say, included in the Third World Newsreel catalogue in 2011, captured segments of the six-city tour and continued to impact the community after the travels were over. There has been a growth of women involved in the Breakin' scene since that time and presently there is more of a consensus about the need to respect the women in the scene.
United Hip Hop Vanguard is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization.
Pepatian has featured Bronx artists in the annual APAP conferences so theater and festival programmers can have access to local creatives who aren't always visible in the general roster of artists.
On January 14th at 6 PM, check out Kwikstep and Rokafella interviewed by Danni Gee about Full Circle company's dance theater trajectory and "Beauty Meets Beast"- the latest dance piece that premiered in the Fall of 2021 at BAAD and Little Island. You can log onto the Hostos.org website for attendance link. Flyers above designed by Pepatian and pictures of Beauty Meets Beast shot by NayMarie.
End of 2021
As 2021 comes to a close we would like to send you all holiday cheer and wishes for a prosperous new year! In the midst of a pandemic, our company was fortunate to premier a new piece, Beauty Meets Beast, work with Wallworks / ShiRoka for a fashion show, host a Behind the Groove party for Halloween, offer two virtual performances, participate in outdoor concerts and continue to offer weekly Break trainings at Sotomayor Center in the Bronx with limited attendance following COVID protocols. We would like to thank all of you who volunteered, helped with promotions, hosted and attended our activities! We look forward to working with Dance Rising, The Bboy Bgirl Lifestyle, Momma's Hip hop Kitchen, Pepatian Inc, Thelma Hill, The New Victory Theater, NiLu Harlem Gift Shop, The Soapbox Presents, DANCE NYC, Fractured Atlas and Rock and Write.
Special mention to those Angels supporting us with their donations--
Merian Soto, R. Muniz/Chulo Underwear, Khadijah Mcfadden,
Stephanie Vovou, Forrest Knight Jr, Michael Max Knabe,
Louise Brownsberger, Ophelia Hines, Cat Manturuk, Patti Morris,
Renita Morris, Sam Yee, Ricky Flores, Linda Kuo
Thank you to our Board Shaneequa Green, Forrest Knight Jr and special advisor Dr Jane Gabriels.
Thank you to our directors/co founders pictured below Gabriel Kwikstep Dionisio and Ana Rokafella Garcia doing most of the BTS work. Thank you to Olivia Palacios who provided promotion support / Beauty Meets Beast admin support and to Melissa Ulto working with the All the Ladies Say project.
Our condolences go out to the family and dance company of Nai Ni Chen who passed away unexpectedly while we were in the midst of developing a next level iteration of the fusion piece entitled Dragon Cypher (traditional Chinese dance and Hip hop dance piece) scheduled for NJPAC on February 2nd. We will make her dream happen that day and will bravely lift her legacy in 2022 and beyond! Rest in paradise.
Look out for news about next year's dance related projects because we are brewing some goodness.
Have a healthy and Happy Holiday season.
You know Puerto Ricans go 'til January 6th, Tres Reyes / 3 Kings!!
But we will connect before that!!!!
November Event
This year is almost coming to a close!! We are very proud that our co founder and company manager, Rokafella, is featured in the November issue of Dance Magazine along with Bgirl Sonny and Bgirl Babygirl offering insight about finding equity in the world of Breaking as women. Click here for the link.
Our BGirls repped on the runway for the Art in Fashion show at Wallworks in the Kreate Hub building in the Bronx. Pictured below are the models who hail from the Full Circle Soulsistas 2021 chapter- J La Rok, Mantis, Erica, Monica, Deana and Beasty. ShiRoka is a T-shirt collabo line created in 2017 by internationally known Grafitti writer Shiro and well respected BGirl Rokafella. You can follow their Instagram @ShiRoka_nyc.
Following the fashion show weekend, we held our 3rd edition of Hip-Hop Meets House took place thanks to the Bronx Council on the Arts also at Wallworks graffiti art gallery. Pictured above are Kwikstep and our flyer designer Vice in front of a mural painted by Scratch at Wallworks gallery! DJs DP One and KS360 played the club-bangers and dancers came through to break a sweat. Thank you to all who attended. The Holiday season is upon us and we will work on an end-of-the-year dance video and a final party to close this very challenging year. Stay tuned to our Instagram @fullcirclesouljahs for information.
Giving Tuesday is here and we have a campaign on Facebook, click this link if you would like to make a small donation to help us with overhead costs for next year.
If you prefer to donate directly to us via PayPal. Put @FCS360 or use our email fullcirclesoul@hotmail.com
We thank you in advance for your support.
Happy Holidays, share love and stay woke.
Our Halloween celebration in Harlem was fun and good for young and old. Thank you to The Soapbox Presents ( Marija and Mike etc) and the Nilu Harlem Gift Shop who provided a location after the rescheduling plus the awning to help with the little bit of rain that fell during the party.
Thank you to City Artist Corp NYFA as well. The 3 Dj's DP One, KS360 and Flawless kept us moving besides the kids that came thru for the candy and the dance floor! Thank you to the MC Demorne with High Frequency Records who rocked his two songs and kept everyone jamming. Thanks to Ava and Monica who danced with La Roka New York City as she performed One Dance Rock on! Check out here.
Halloween party phtos by Mario Lobo. Linoleum provided by The Soapbox Presents. Nilu Harlem Gift Shop is the hosting storefront.
Coming up in November join Rokafella and Shiro for their ShiRoka fashion showcase as part of ART IN FASHION show on November 13th from 6 PM to 8 PM with our dancers working as models and then on the 19th join us for our 3rd edition of Hip hop Meets / Vs House party with DP One and KS360. Both of these events will take place at the legendary Graffiti writer Crash One's gallery Wallworks located at Kreate Hub in the Bronx located at 15 Canal Pl. Flyer soon to be posted on our Instagram and Facebook pages!
We would like to thank the Bronx Council on the Arts and NYSCA for supporting this 3rd party to pay tribute to our House and Hip hop dance communities! NYC is reopening and we are ready!!
The research project done by Lauren Heller who is a champion Double Dutch Jumper from Florida was just launched as a website. It includes concept and objective for her research about Hip-Hop in particular Breakin' and other jumpers too. It features our Full Circle participation as Hip hop dance teachers and former jumpers. Please check the site for videos of the 4 day workshop that happened in July of this year.
Click here to check the website.
Thank you to Heat Rock, Kwikstep, Rokafella and ZeMotion! Full Circle extended family is a New York City network of powerful dancers.
If you haven't already heard, Rokafella was featured in the November issue of Dance Magazine along with BGirls Sunny and Babygirl. Click here to check the article.
Congratulations to all the BGirls worldwide!
In 2 weeks All The Ladies Say will release its two interviews with BGirls Ntegrity and Mantis and one with BGirl Peppa. So, stay tuned to the website here and it just so happens, it is November! Hip-Hop appreciation month!
Thank you all for the support and inspiration. Soon we will do a Giving Tuesday campaign on Facebook. Please look out for it and help out with whatever you can afford without affecting your own personal budget. Stay inspired and keep your health on the up. Respect to the dance ancestors whose contributions will never be forgotten.
October Event
We wrapped up September with excitement and a feeling of satisfaction since we premiered a new piece not only in Manhattan but uptown in the Boogie Down! "Beauty Meets Beast" - A new piece to feature the sisters in our community who continue to jam relentlessly despite some challenges they face as women. Thank you to all who supported this labor of love including our project assistant Olivia Palacios, our last minute tent and dressing room designer Appolonia Cruz, Vice our flyer designer who created two looks for our different performance locations despite having coped with a computer melt down, thank you to our photographer Nay Marie who has for years been our go-to expert and to our newest member of the team Crick Visuals for the film capture soon to be edited into a trailer/teaser. Lucky for us I was already rehearsing for a Salsa-Breakin show in Jersey when we ran into difficulties finding a rehearsal spot. We ended up working out of the Carribean Soul dance studio in Jersey City, so thank you to Ismael Otero, The Salsa Icon from Jersey!! We are grateful to Kwikstep who once again offered music mix services for the shows and thank you to our cast Violet, Kim, Uko, GI Jane, and Lotus from Los Angeles!!
We are fortunate to enjoy support from the Bronx Council on the Arts for years and to The Mertz Gilmore Foundation that has recently helped to make our dance projects come to life uplifting the hearts of our dancers during a very difficult time. Thank you to the CAC / NYFA team for helping artists keep going as New York City opens up! We are grateful to our local dance family that advocates and curates responsibly helping to give a platform to the people who may not always get to shine. Bronx Academy of Dance, Pepatian Inc, and- a new entity in our New York City landscape, Little Island whose 1st annual dance festival brought the house down under the curation/direction of Ayodele Cassel and Torya Beard.
We hope to keep dance alive in New York City (in particular Breakin' and all the Classic Hip hop dance styles / Street and Club dance styles) so, please know that we are grateful to you all when you show up at our events, you spread the word and you invite your peeps. We are all involved in the effort to thrive as a community and you are a part of our vibrant universe!!
NEXT UP
We are looking forward to performing at the Bronx "Feel Free Festival" on October 23rd located at Benedict Ave Between Metropolitan and Pugsley Avenues from Noon to 3 PM.
There will also be a Dance Rising activation across New York City on October 21st and October 23rd from 4 PM tp 6 PM Instagram @dancerisingnyc for more information.
On October 30th, we will be in Harlem on 120th street near Lenox Avenue to celebrate our outdoor Behind the Groove/Rock the Block Halloween party!
See you there and next month ShiRoka will participate in the Bronx Fashion Show "Art in Fashion" at Wallworks / Kreate Hub alongside other local Fashion Designers!
On November 19th, we will bring you our "Hip hop Meets House" party at Wall Works but this time it will be a "VersuS". So, which gets you more hype!? DJ DP One or DJ KS360, we shall see!!! Once again we are partnering with our neighbor Graffiti Legend and Elder, the inspirational Crash One, he opened his doors to us for our second HHMH in 2019. The first one was at the Bronx Museum of the Arts facilitated by Christine Licata.
Let's keep each other inspired. Peace.
You can reach out to us if you have questions about the event calendar or if you want to join our team. Click Contact Us and send us an email.
September Event
If you missed our premier this past weekend, you can catch the goodness at the Blaqtinx Festival this Sunday in the Bronx at BAAD/Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, but you have to RSVP by clicking here.
It is an outdoor performance, so weather permitting, we will see you outdoors for a powerful show and post show discussion.
To register for the free dance workshops on Monday the 27th, please RSVP by clicking here.
Below is a short gallery our performance in Manhattan. Thank you to all who attended and made us feel loved!!
Photos above of Uko, Kim Holmes, Lotus, Violeta, Rokafella and Kwikstep taken by NayMarie. Check out her website here.
Please join us on September 26th, 2021 at BAAD 5 PM. Free to the public! Thank you to the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, CAC / NYFA and to the Bronx Council on the Arts.
Encore performance of Beauty Meets Beast on Sept 26th at BAAD. Stay tuned for more info.
As Summer draws to a close we are happy to still have our bi-weekly training site available and rolling with us as the seasons change and the COVID protocols shift. Our trainings have been affected regarding attendance and frequency. Our directors / mentors caught COVID and had to quarantine, so June/ July schedules were not as robust as we intended. Our parties were postponed and Rokafella's classes were suspended. 36 Chambaz festival was a success and we congratulate all who attended and all the teachers including Kwikstep and Rokafella. New York City is still slowly opening up and there are many changes on the horizon.
However, Kwikstep still plans to DJ for the Michael Jackson tribute happening on August 29th at Coney Island and get tickets by clicking here. A small group of FC dancers will perform with the Nai Ni Chen in the "Dragon Cypher" at Lehigh Valley college in Pennsylvania on September 2nd.
Rokafella will premier a new dance piece (Beauty Meets Beast) on September 17th at Little Island's outdoor Dance festival and she will do her very own "Dream Solo" on September 19th as part of the "Don't Call it a Comeback" dance showcase. You can get tickets for either night by clicking here.
"Beauty meets Beast" will also participate in the "Blaqtinx" festival at BAAD on September 26th with a post-show Q&A and offer dance workshops on the following day.
Bboy Kid Break at the moment he was chosen as the champ by the judges at the national Break Free event Kids Breakin Battle. Congratulations!! Kid Break won a round trip ticket to go compete in the UK Kids Breakin' Battle next year!
We send lots of love and luck to our FC dancers and Breakin who go out and compete at the local and national Breakin competitions. Thank you for reppin' New York City. Stay safe and healthy.
Please stay tuned for more scheduling updates including details for an educational performance at the Apollo in October.
August Event
Kwikstep and Rokafella have been invited to participate in the annual 36 Chambaz of Stylz dance workshop series in August. They will teach together but also tag team with the other master teachers. The classes will be online so you can attend online.
Congratulations to Kid Break for winning the national Break Free Kids bracket in Texas! We can see that the training is starting to grow confidence and knowledge for him. We thank all the Full Circle dancers and affiliated floor family that have helped our little brother on his way. The pandemic has shifted much of our schedules and emotions but slowly we are getting back on track.
Full Circle will be performing at El Museo Del Barrio's Uptown Bounce on August 7th at 2pm for a 30 min time slot led by Rokafella.
On August 14th Full Circle will also participate in the Rumba series hosted by Pregones PRTT at 3pm in the Bronx at the Brook Avenue Garden. NYC is slowly opening up so we apologize for the lapse in event announcement but things have been shifting.. we apologize for the lack of flyers to help you orient yourself with the locations and other activities.
On August 29th Kwikstep will be DJing a tribute to Michael Jackson's music at the Coney Island Amphitheater you can check his IG @DJKS360 for more details.
Later on in September be on the look out for a concert with Rokafella/ La Roka and her music/ dancers at Little Island as well as a small excerpt of "Beauty meets Beast" project exploring the duality of women in Street and Club dance featuring Violets, Kim Holmes, Lotus and Uko!! For updates on her events you can check https://larokasoul.com/f/summer-daze
You can check the Instagram or the FC pages for weekly updates and promo information. Soon we will announce our upcoming Fall activities. You can still enjoy the video of our short dance piece https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFTmCgui-CM&t=2486s as part of The New Victory Theater Summer Dance Jamz (forward to 41:26 if you only have time to see our performance) and there is a LIVE activation on August 28th at noon at Little Island. https://newvictory.org/virtual-events/
Full Circle participated in Thelma Hill's Summer online dance concert in June as well as The New Victory Theater's Summer dance concert, the video to the latter dance piece is on the video page of this website. Rokafella performed with Ava for The Point's annual Fish Parade. Full Circle dancer Flonetik participated in the top 16 Red Bull BC one Cypher battle New York!! Kid Break won the national Break Free Kids battle.
Congratulations to our company founders/directors Kwikstep and Rokafella who are working with USA Breakin to help our dance culture thrive as it is presented as an Olympic sport. Congratulations to the others on the Legacy Committee lending their expertise and counsel to the national organization led by Breakers to develop a national team for Paris 2024.
You can check out their website here. This is the statement they put out.
Legacy Committee
We would like to thank our Legacy Committee for all their hard work and commitment. Here’s a statement from them explaining some of their goals and motivation:
The Legacy Advisors Committee has been established to preserve and present the cultural integrity of Hip-Hop and Breakin’ as the national American team is developed for participation in the Olympic games in the near future.
In addition, the committee will ensure that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) are engaged and empowered by policies and procedures put in place by USA Breakin’.
Recommendations brought forth by the members to the Board of Directors or other USA Breakin’ committees are community-centered and culturally relevant.
Members who are nominated and voted onto the committee help to plan and organize LAC-specific projects such as Hip-Hop / Breakin’ cultural education and a Breakin’ Hall of Fame as well as support other USA Breakin’ committee projects.
The LAC offers a diverse scope of expertise and service to the community while embracing collaboration and supporting transparency in all aspects of the organization. We look forward to working as part of the USA Breakin’ homegrown team of dancers making history for future generations to build on.
Presently, the members of the LAC are as follows:
Rokafella - Chair
Asia One - Co Chair
Kwikstep
Honey Rockwell
Dancin Doug
Michael Holman
Forrest Get em Gump
Speedy Legs will bring his event back for June 2021 in Miami, Florida raising visibility for underground DJ's and Breakers. To get more info please register here.
Warm weather has finally begun to make its presence though we are still bringing our jackets along until Summer is officially here. We want to send birthday wishes to one of our dancers who have been with us since 2001 Raymong Spex Abbiw's birthday and also to one of our youngest dancers Kid Break celebrating his 13th!!
The company worked with the New Victory Theater for a virtual Summer dance project that will offer classic NYC dance styles with a breath of new energy with dancers like Frost Lock, Erica, Mantis and RoFlow. Look out for the video here when it is released!!
The month of May will bring about the All The Ladies Say film project's return to forefront. Short interviews will be released about BGirls that have been involved with fundraisers and activities that will lead up to a part 2.
Check out the trailer here.
It has been a roller coaster ride to try and keep things going forward even as COVID suspended life for us all. Stay tuned and check out the website for updates on the actual short interviews coming up!! Get to know your floor sisters!
Youngest Company Member
One of our youngest company members, @bboystyleski, working on his muchmill combos. He’s come a long way since 2013 and still more magic on the horizon.⭐️#2DopeBrothers #Syrupkids #BboyRebels #BronxDojoFC
April 10, 2021
BBoy Flonetik has been a core member of Full Circle since 2010. Representing Queens, he is a well-rounded breaker that does performances, battles and teaches workshops! He’s a martial artist, bringing the Filipino flavor to our Full Circle family.
April 2, 2021
Spring is here and there is an optimistic vibration in the air. Our company has been on hiatus for exactly a year since the shutdown. We transitioned to outdoor programming in the Fall then finally found our way back to training twice a week with a limited number of attendees in the Winter.
Currently, we are working on two short dance pieces. One is a fusion piece with the Nai Ni Chen Chinese traditional and contemporary dance company entitled Dragon Cypher. Only three dancers from each company are allowed to rehearse and perform due to Covid limitations. The director / choreographers have begun working on creating a piece that will share common struggles with racism and the beauty of tradition found in Hip hop and Chinese cultures. Commissioned by LeHigh Valley University, this piece is being workshopped for a later evening length dance theater piece.
The second piece is for The New Victory's Virtual Summer program, offering a diverse scope of dance styles performed by local dancers/dance groups. COVID has presented its challenges but we are so thrilled to be back to creating and featuring our young talented dancers. Please stay tuned and follow our Instagram page for daily updates.
Congratulations to Kid Break who traveled to the Break Open hosted in Texas in the kid's category. We are proud of his development and all our dancers.
Over the next few weeks we will be sharing clips from our training sessions, showcasing FC members. Shot by Forrest Knight. Stay tuned!
We thank all of you who have supported and stayed in touch with us through our social media platforms. We know it is a challenging time and we keep all of our Hip-Hop dance community in our prayers. We support the movement to eliminate anti-AAPI hate and pray that our community can heal and resolve the sexual misconduct that plagues our scene. Standards for rehabilitation and reparative justice need to be put in place. We hope leadership can step up and create a better Breakin' / Hip-Hop dance community.
All Black Lives Matter.
Rockin' with Rival
Bboy Bgirl Lifestyle: WE MAKE IT HAPPEN EPISODE 4
Short Film series
In this episode we catch up with Bboys & Bgirls coming together during a changing time in our lives to gather and share in dance. Performed by: Rokafella @bgirlrokafella, @djks360, @roflowlsc, Rocism, Rival, @mantis_360, @bboyflonetik, Kid Break, Style Ski, Prevail, Pollo, Ramo
Music: @megalodon_jon
Filmed and Edited: Henry Rival Vijande
The purpose of this film series is to highlight, what we Bboys and Bgirls continue to persevere while enduring the current environment of what we are going through with this COVID-19 global pandemic. Displaying just one of the many realities we as Bboys and Bgirls go through to pursue our own vision of a Bboy Bgirl Lifestyle.
In this episode, we are witnessing the driving force of continuation and preservation of our dance community through the dance of: Breaking, Breakin, Bboying, Bgirling, Rocking, Going off, aka Breakdancing.
For more info visit
here.
Facebook: Henry Rival Vijande
Click here for the Facebook.
Instagram: Rockinwithrival
Instagram : BboyBgirlLifestyle
Twitter: Rockinwithrival
happy women's history month
Throwing it back to when we celebrated at the 10th Annual Momma’s Hip Hop Kitchen! Check out Rokafella and her students: Chloe, Abigail, Carmen, Kayla; also, FC Soul Sistahs: Niara, Halley and Mantis and DJ Chela! . We shared the stage with some amazing talent!
Celebrating black history month
Throwing it back to when we celebrated at the 10th Annual Momma’s Hip Hop Kitchen! Check out Rokafella and her students: Chloe, Abigail, Carmen, Kayla; also, FC Soul Sistahs: Niara, Halley and Mantis and DJ Chela! . We shared the stage with some amazing talent!
February 17, 2021
Check out our group circa 2013 at DANY studios for our Sunday dojo training session with guest Bboy Kujo! Looking forward to more.
February 11, 2021
Check out these throwback photos featuring our resident Latin percussion master, Angel Ruben Rodriguez! He played with us from 1999 to about 2010.
The picture of Kwikstep and Angel was taken during the Retumba LaRoka show at BAAD, the original location and the next photo was of their rehearsal.
The group shot was taken after the Museo Del Barrio Super Sabado show!
February 3, 2021
Looking back at @danceparadenyc in the summer of 2016! Kwikstep and Rokafella were named Grand Marshalls. Full Circle Souljahs performed with new and old members: Kid Break and Marcski, Spirit, Noel Rodriguez, Frost Lock, Bboy Shea Butta, Cmar, Ali and Chauncey; and welcomed dance family members: Christina Cruz, Peaches, Rebecca Imaizumi and our board member @matokagreen! It was an incredible experience.
January 28, 2021
Throwback to our performance in October 2019 at the Bronx Museum’s BxMA Ball, featured in Vogue Magazine. This was our latest collab before the pandemic. Our relationship with Bronx Museum began in 2005 when we held our first Bgirl panel!
“After dinner, the party kids dispersed throughout the museum for a series of performances. A DJ set by artists Stefan Ruiz and José Parlá was accompanied by break-dancers B-Girl Rokafella and the Full Circle Souljahs in the Chalfant exhibition.” Lo.
In case you missed our Bronx Women in Hip hop Showcase from @baadbronx hosted by yours truly (@bgirlrokafella). Click the button below to access the video! Beast and Rokafella are FP company members repping their talents! *Please note: there is explicit language in some of the artist’s music"
Big hug to La Bruja (@labrujanyc), Mala Reignz (@malareignz), P Star (@misspriscillastar), Shaneekqua (@empress_neekqua) and Beasty (@jen_beasty88), we all did our thing! It is almost an hour long. ENJOY!
#BAADBronx
Our dancers are slowly returning to their dance training at Sotomayor. The company is still on hiatus. Please follow our Instagram and Facebook pages for weekly updates. Soon we will be releasing an episode interview for All the Ladies Say BGirl docuseries on the website.
Please stay tuned and stay healthy in 2021!
The BGirl Collective - Intervention
We at Full Circle stand and support the survivors of Sexual Harassment in our Street and Club Dance scene.
The BGirl Collective aims at bringing awareness to our scene and community to create positive change, accountability and justice for the survivors of abuse. We are in solidarity with those that have faced these traumas and we stand together to ensure this abuse is no longer tolerated or perpetuated.
This will be our first PSA video highlighting INTERVENTION and the need for it to happen starting now. Our collective will continue to create messages/videos centered around making our scene safe. We are really in this together. Please share and pass along.
@annski_bgirl1797 ∙ @Vkysmallz ∙ @red_lappa ∙ @ninamarie_marchione ∙ @s.h.o.r.t.y.r.o.c.k ∙ @mantis_360 ∙ @Kathleen_mk_perry ∙ @Rock_ill ∙ @mo_laan ∙ @asia1nep ∙ @_p.Love._ ∙ @daata505 ∙ @natane_v ∙ @amb_rocfreshcrew ∙ @bgirlrokafella
Edited by @liann.kaye
Music by @djks360
happy holidays!
december 16, 2020
Check out our FREE online event with the New York Public Library of Performing Arts, “Full Circle: From the Streets to the Stage” next Monday, December 21st at 5:30 PM.
Event Description: Kwikstep and Rokafella, along with former Full Circle members Jennifer "Beasty" Acosta, Tiffany "Infini T" Craddock, and Richard "Rocism" Mercado, come together for this virtual conversation,interspersed with video clips from the Library's archives and moderated by Dance Division Assistant Curator Tanisha Jones.
Our dance company has been going strong since 1996 as a non profit and this year has been quite challenging for all in the dance field. We'd like to say thank you to those that have supported us so far and to those of you who will consider making a donation today.
Click the button to donate on PayPal or use our email: fullcirclesoul@hotmail.com.
If you can not make a donation to our company, please support our dancers who have multi-faceted creative expressions they offer to the world. Our dancers are expert performers, teachers and choreographers, feel free to reach out for your dance needs in addition to:
- Music by Kwikstep (@DJKS360)
- Canvases by Tomas (@tomasmanon)
- Christmas Earrings by Mantis (@mantis_360)
- Breakin classes by Flonetik (@bboyflonetik)
- Hair braiding by Beasty (@Jen_Beasty88)
- Sketches by Spex (@spexboogz)
- Tshirt/ Hoodie Collabo by Rokafella and Shiro (@shiroka_nyc)
Pictured above is an ad featuring our Full Circle founders and Florida and Chicago affiliate Breakers back in 1998 shot on the Coney Island Boardwalk. This photo appeared in the VIBE and the Source magazines providing visibility to the dance as well as affording us all an entry on all our resumes as models. Chicago Bboys Smoke, Phil and a very young Flea Rock from Florida appear in this ad with Kwik and Rok for PURE PLAYAZ - a Men's Hip hop fashion line.
October provided some good Fall weather, so our outdoor Saturday Behind the Groove parties went smoothly at the Boogie Down Grind Cafe in Hunts Point. Battles, Hustle moments and good drinks / food delighted our party goers, many of which hailed from Brooklyn, Queens and even a Golden Wonder Woman from New Jersey! The Karaoke on the side added the perfect touch too!!
We would like to thank our DJ's-- DJ KS360 and DJ DP One for always providing the musical inspiration for the floorwork or the partner work or the Electric Slide. Some photos in the party slide show are by photographer @GZfotografias on Instagram.
We welcome Olivia Palacios to our promotion team and we hope she will enjoy her time on board as we expect to grow our reach in the near future. Her assistance helps our directors focus on fund raising aspects and dance activity planning/production. Chances are if you are contacting us on Instagram, it is she who will reply and help with your inquiries.
We are facing a possible second wave of COVID in NYC, so our activities are potentially on hold at the moment, though the holidays are almost here. We encourage you to ramp up your nutritional regimen to include ample Vitamin C, Turmeric, Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Black Seed Oil and Elderberry and follow guideline for social distancing etc. Please stay tuned for any last minute virtual events that may pop up. We are trying to keep operations going despite the challenges. You can still take virtual dance class from our dance company members, so please support them and reach out to us here or on our Instagram/Facebook accounts. We will get through this together!
Above is a gallery of party goers for our previous October and November outdoor parties. Also, check out our dancers who offer dance classes, please spread the word or sign up. Support Local artists, stay fit and funky!
October Event
Join us on Saturday 10/14/20 at 2 PM for our final discussion focusing on healing and preventing Sexual Harassment in our Street and Club dance community. Moderated and spearheaded by Lady Krow from the Funk Lords Crew in Atlanta, this gathering will center on the Krump scene and include two other female dancers of different styles and a therapist. Thank you to the Mertz Gilmore Foundation for supporting this move to address and heal our community.
Saturday evening join Kwikstep and his Behind the Groove party goers for an outdoor incarnation of jamming to the funkiest and hard hitting beats at the Boogie Down Grind Cafe 866 Hunts Point Ave from 7 PM to 11 PM.
You can check out the United Hip hop Vanguard IG account for upcoming meeting dates. @unitedhiphopvanguard
Stay safe and healthy.
Please plan to vote. You can vote early. You can vote on the day of but, please plan to vote.
All Black Lives Matter.
Join Kwikstep and guests on October 11thas they create an online male centered safe space to discuss manhood and battle culture that has affected the dance scene as a whole and as individuals.
Registration is required by clicking here.
Thank you to the Bronx Council on the Arts for funding support.
Please invite your brothers, uncles, nephews and your male friends who participate in street and club dance.
September event
We want to thank The Soapbox Presents for inviting us to participate in their Bronx Series showcasing artists of Afro descendant heritage on Sept 12th! photo above from the Boogie Down Grind Cafe with artwork by TATS Cru!
We have some company activities coming up including:
The All The Ladies Say film streaming via Third World Newsreel anytime on Friday Sept 18th with an interview at 6 PM EST that can be seen on the All the Ladies Say Facebook group page Live here.
Saturday we will have a cast reunion at 2pm EST. Zoom link to be announced shortly. Please check the Facebook group page for info! The new website is live and will soon be completed www.alltheladiessay.com!
Friday Sept 25th we will return to the Boogie Down Grind Cafe for a line up of female artists and entrepreneurs entitled Celebrate She with dancers, poets and Boss-ladies helping to empower and inspire our local sisters to keep striving for their future! Hosted by Sincerity Lyrics and Rokafella with Music by DJ Vky Smallz from 8 PM to 10 PM. Dance performance by Dreams in Motion choreographed by Leah.
September 26th at 3pm we will have our third discussion regarding Sexual Harassment in the Street Dance Scene with a focus on Bgirls and with a male therapist attending as well. Please get in touch with @lady_krow_ on Instagram if you have questions.
This is the Registration ink information by clicking here.
Oct 11th Kwikstep has organized BATTLE CRY a safe space discussion centered on Manhood and Battling for male Street and Club dancers only. Please stay tuned as details are still developing for this important discussion that will help heal and empower our brothers as they continue their dance journeys beyond 2020. Stay tuned for link info.
Thank you to the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, The Bronx Council on the Arts and to Third World Newsreel for your continued dedication to our community!!!
We join the world in mourning as we process the loss of Chadwick Boseman who was a real super hero in life championing for people of color on and off stage. We will carry his memory in all our activities and honor the work he put into portraying Black Panther. Rest in paradise. We also mourn the loss of John Lewis and will continue to work to uplift our voices as we cry out for justice in particular for those lost to police brutality.
BLACK LIVES MATTER!
Full circle appeared in Bronxnet TV's tribute to Hip-Hop's 47th Anniversary on August 11th with dancers Beasty, Deana, Shaneekqua and Guest Christina Cruz from Hip-Hop theory and a separate segment with Styleski and Kid Break. Thank you to Michael Knabe for reaching out.
And just like that another month flew past with a few notable moments including Rokafella's birthday social distant party at DJ-ed by Kwikstep doc and Peewee Washington Square Park during Kings of NY usual Saturday outdoor dance parties. (Parties which will continue into September.) Thank you to all who attended and shared love! Thank you to Ru for your commitment.
Third world newsreel will stream All The Ladies Say all day on September 18th and hold an interview with the director, the editor and two featured dancers from the film at 6 PM. Then on Saturday, September 19th join in on a film reunion with all the BGirls that appeared in the film at 2 PM via zoom. Stay tuned to the ATLS Instagram and the ATLS Facebook Group Page for evite and links. New website is almost ready for launch!
The second panel discussion regarding sexual harassment in the street dance scene was insightful, the panelists, including Therapist Tanisha Christie, centered on generational trauma and once again helpful prevention and defense strategies. Thank you to Beaudeau Karel for your assistance with the zoom webinar management.
We look forward to our third one on September 26th at 2 PM which will be primarily made up of BGirls along with other styles. Please check Rokafella's Instagram link tree for your zoom attendance link as the day approaches. We want to acknowledge support from the Mertz Gilmore foundation to keep this support group going into October. Thank you Lady Krow for your leadership, call to action and your concern for your sisters in street dance. You can follow her on Instagram @lady_krow_
Kwikstep has begun teaching at Queens College (you can still register) and Rokafella will begin at Peridance Global Studies program shortly.
Rokafella is planning a Friday evening to celebrate female local poets, dancers and Hip-Hop artists at the Boogie down Grind Cafe in Hunts Point. Stay tuned for more info on Rokafella's Instagram @bgirlrokafella
You can follow Spex for his weekly dance classes’ @spexboogz.
Look out for a Bronx Council on the Arts discussion produced by Kwikstep entitled battle cry about manhood in Hip-Hop dance scheduled for October 4th at 2 PM.
Full Circle has begun to use virtual platforms to help the community grow and heal through discussions and having honest debates about where breakin’ is at in relation to the present state of racial, financial and behavioral analysis. An effort sparked by Rok, Kwik and Asia One is taking shape as the United Hip Hop Vanguard to help re-center Black and Brown (Bipoc) voices as well as celebrate women in Hip-Hop dance. We are at a point that will define if our culture succeds or remains a product for consumption. Thank you for your support. Please stay in the loop by following the movement on Instagram @unitedhiphopvanguard.
If you would like to support our company, you can contact us to offer media or outreach assistance or you can make a small donation that will go towards our overhead expenses including two websites here and by clicking here. As well as our zoom discussion moderators and featured guests.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Stay healthy and inspired.
active on the undergound
Atomik, Rok Ramo Kwikstep Forrest | Spex 7.31.20
Summer is here and bringing heat in addition to its very unique 2020 challenges. We are still on hiatus though you can check out Spex, Rokafella and Flonetik's Instagram for info on their online classes. Kwikstep still goes live on his Instagram so please check in at 6 PM Monday | Wednesday | Friday.
Kwikstep and Rokafella are supporting other efforts to keep dance going such as attending rounds of Flamez in Union Square Park and the Kings of NY's dance party on Saturdays at Washington Square Park.
The second sexual harassment in the street dance scene is coming up on the 22nd after a very successful first one that included a cross genre, multi ethnic and multi-generational gathering. Thank you to Lady Krow and all the panelists and especially to Brinda Guha who managed the zoom webinar and Therapist Ebony Russell for their support and knowledge. The Therapist Tanisha Christie will be present for this segment and the zoom manager will be Beaudau Karel Banks. This flyer was designed by Hannah Sidra. Here is the link for you to attend. You must register first and log on before 2:15 PM or you won't be allowed to tune in after the discussion begins. https://zoom.us/webinar/register/wn_on3it3qstruvxvcb-0svkw
A national effort to bring culture back to the breakin’ scene is starting to motivate many dancers to reflect on how to return to the natural aspects of our dance expression and its roots. In the month of June and July meetings were held to connect leaders and peers nationally to express feelings about blackness and the erasing of culture in our dance world. There is a desire to regrow our connection to the other elements and to our local economy as well as build towards the future as our young dancers become more skilled in the business of dance. More info to come about this united Hip-Hop vanguard.
Look out for an All the Ladies Say documentary reunion and live screening/watch party in mid-September as well as a gathering of our dance brothers to discuss the two sides of battling, healthy competition/destructive energy funded by the Bronx Council on the Arts.
We hope you continue to maintain your nutritional regimen and stay active physically. If you go outside, please observe social distancing and wear your mask when you are inside a pubic venue. However, “please go outside as often as you can and reconnect to nature as much as you can." - Rokafella, co-founder of FCP.
We still have overhead expenses like two websites (FCS and ATLS) and one storage unit.
If you can make a donation to our Paypal, it would greatly help our organization to thrive. At this time, many dance based companies/studios face the challenge of how to remain open and how to offer performances/events. We are fortunate to have the ability to have outdoor activities since we have a street dance foundation but if we are not generating income, we may need to shut down as the weather gets cold. Dancing in our apartments will become stale and our community may need to recover from lack of person to person interaction.
You can search on Paypal for @fcs360 or
fullcirclesoul@hotmail.com to make your donation.
Thank you again. Our Instagram is @fullcirclesouljahs and we have a Facebook Fan Page under the same name. Please follow us and stay tuned as we keep the fires burning.
Here is the link to a performance in 2011. Kindly click here.
Our culture was born out of crisis and has thrived almost 50 years despite all the obstacles encountered. We intend to stay inspired and empowered by our elder's resilience and knowledge.
Peace!
Full Circle has, always, since its birth, believed that there is racial inequality in America and has brought visibility to how it has affected our community. Art is the best way to spark conversation and to educate audiences.
Hip-Hop emerged as a post civil rights movement to reinvigorate young black and brown people in their quest for respect and love. The classic dance forms and the other fundamental elements of Hip-Hop culture testify to the intelligence and resilience of a people that have encountered racism and are coping with generational trauma.
We fold our political commentary in our theater pieces since 1999 ("Bullet Proof" at The Painted Bride) to 2018 ("Boxed In" at DanSpace) and in our local workshops and peer-to-peer dialogues.
Change must happen on all levels including the Hip hop dance community, we must take an honest look at how we enable racial inequality as we teach, perform and organize events. We would like to thank organizations such as KR3T's, BAAD and Pepatian who have helped us through the years as well as the Bronx Council on the Arts. We will continue to offer uplifting programming that highlights our urban super stars and super heroes!
The murder of George Floyd by four police officers must be tried in court and JUSTICE must prevail. We add our voices to the widespread outcry for the investigation of brutality by police officers on the Black and Brown communities across the nation.
BLACK LIVES MATTER!
Women's history month show 2012 (FCSS)
Thank you to all who have been checking in to see how our dancers are coping with this sudden health crisis. We are all healthy and taking precautions to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy.
All of our activities are on hold and most of our sessions are transitioning to online platforms. Performances are post-poned until further notice.
Kwikstep is going live on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays at 6p EST via Instagram to keep the Behind The Groove vibe going and feature some dancers.
Our company members who teach are also going to begin offering online classes and we will let you know how to gain access.
In honor of Women's History Month you can check out this video of an all girl FC Soulsister performance presented by The Gay Center back in 2012 made up of dance company members, students from the Door and local NYC B Girl and House dance community friends!
Click here to watch the video.
We will keep you updated as we move forward despite the social distance measures in place at this time. We ask that you stay healthy by exercising daily and boost your immune system with your dietary choices.
Thank you again for your support and keep checking the Instagram / Facebook / Twitter accounts for more recent posts.
If you would like to make a donation to keep our artistic mission going, you can go to Paypal and search for fullcirclesoul@hotmail.com. We appreciate your support especially at this very challenging time.
We will get through this since we have witnessed the emergence of Hip-Hop despite many difficulties as a global phenomenon and still manage to uplift the masses and it will continue to do that at this time. So will we!
Happy black history month
Thank you to all who attended our Valentine's Day Behind The Groove party with special guest Barbara Tucker. She raised the roof with her powerful vocals and her inspiring message to keep believing in yourself.
The NY Fashion week pre party was a success showcasing Shiro and Cesar Valentino along with ShiRoka exclusive designs. Make up by @beatbybonnie, hair by Sayo hair and photos by Ali-- Arc Cinemedia. Thank you to the models and the VIP who attended the meet and greet! Thank you to Joto Sake for the refreshments!
We look forward to March for two street dance theater solos from attendees of our workshops at Gibney Dance Studios. Deana and Serrinity will debut their new pieces at the 13th annual Momma's Hip hop Kitchen taking place at Hostos Community College on March 7th. Thank you again to the Mertz Gilmore Foundation for the funding to support the development of street dancers as they delve into Theatrical storytelling.
We wanted to thank CHULO MENS Underwear for making a donation to Full Circle as part of their NYFW fashion benefit on February 8th. Rokafella has been a participant of CHULO fashion shows with Deana and Janice in the past. This year Rokafella hit their runway showcasing her dance and as a model for Bodysuitsme.
Please support KINGS of NY event happening on Feb 29th and Momma's Hip hop Kitchen on March 8th.
Our next Behind The Groove will celebrate the birth of the inventor of the scratch-- GRAND WIZARD THEODORE on March 12th with DJ DP One and DJ KS360. Join us in Brooklyn!
If you would like to support our company with a donation or media service or as a volunteer, please contact us.
We are working on setting up a public Breaking practice session in a gym in the Bronx. We hope by Summertime this will become a reality.
Thank you for your great vibes and Happy Black History Month. Check out the photos below.
February Event
Join us on February 13th for our Valentine's Day Behind the Groove party in Brooklyn with special guest Barbara Tucker singing her hits. DJ DP One and Kwikstep/KS360 will play the dance hits hosted by Rokafella. Prior to the party we are having a VIP reception to showcase designers Shiro/Shiroka and Cesar Valentino and some of their exclusive pieces.
We are honored to be a recipient of dance/NYC’s Dance Advancement Fund, made possible by the generous support of the Ford Foundation. The purpose of the fund is to address the inequitable distribution of resources in the dance field and advance resilience by supporting dance makers with annual budgets between $25,000 and $1 million. Each recipient receives 2-year general support awards of $5-$15k annually.
Learn more by clicking here.
Check our Instagram @fullcirclesouljahs and Twitter @fullcirclesoul for updates on our company events activities and shows.
Please support Hip-Hop culture.
Kwikstep is DJ-ing at this year's kings of New York on February 29th please invite your friends and family.
Also coming up is the annual women in Hip-Hop at Hostos Community College, Momma's Hip-Hop Kitchen concert on March 7th.
Check flyers below.
Join us on January 20th for our first dance performance in the Crotona section of the Bronx Repping for our Phipps partners in honor of the legacy of reverend Martin Luther King Jr.
Photos of the first Behind the Groove of 2020 soon to follow. Thank you to our sponsors Longview, Rock and Write and our individual FC Donors/Angels.
Thank you to our guests DJ Jazzy Jay, Melle Mel, BGirl Logistix and Popper J Styles.
Happy birthday to our resident DJ and Floor brother DJ DP One and thank you to our producer Kwikstep/DJ KS360.
Our photographers Nay Marie, Cmar and Mario Lobo were back in the house capturing the vibes and dancers including legacy breakers from Supreme Beings and X Fens who took the challenge to re-enact the battle scene that took place in the beat street movie and then brought us all to another realm!!
Jiggz and Danny infamous called on NYC's young legendary breakers who rep for the people and for the culture.
Look out for our Valentine's Day/NYFW BTG happening on February 13th at the Bogart House. The diva of House Barbara Tucker will perform her classic hits at midnight. $15 after 10:30 PM and ladies free before 10:30 PM. Red and white suggested dress code.
Thank you for your support Full Circle this far. Stay tuned for more photos and event listings on our Instagram and Facebook profiles.
We wish our company founder Kwikstep a safe and eventful trip to Switzerland for the Au De La Prejuces event late January!!
Rokafella begins teaching at the new school, NJPAC and PS 36 for the spring semesters.
We continue to offer dance training at Sotomayor Center and look forward to upcoming showcases and educational presentations in spring.
Happy 2020!!!!!
November Recap
'Tis the season! It's around the corner so, we would like to wish you a heartwarming holiday from our immediate and extended dance family! Also, join us as we celebrate DP One's birthday with a throwback to the Roxy's beat street days dancing to beats played by special guest DJ Jazzy Jeff. Supreme Beings and X Fenz will re-enact the battle scene happening at the Bogart House 230 Bogart St. Brooklyn.
Looking back in November, Rokafella got the chance to take a break from New York City's winter weather and was invited to judge in Martinique for Caraip-Hop. Thank you to David Milome for inviting Rok and also for continuing to cultivate Hip-Hop culture for your scene with this annual event.
Rokafella was also invited to be a part of a Hip-Hop cohort meeting at the Performing Arts Library in Lincoln Center with Michael Holman, Toni Blackman, Nsangou Njikam and Darian Dauchan.
We transitioned out of November with a celebration of dance life at behind the groove as we hit a ten year milestone. Thank you to all the dancers, musicians, DJ’s and photographers who have blessed our party since 2009.
The start of December brought Rokafella to Delaware to host for Juste Debout with Brave Monk.
As we celebrate these holidays and bring in the new year we take a look back on a year of dance triumphs. Our dance crew and company have been growing and leveling up all throughout 2019.
Full Circle ventured into the fashion world with the Hardrocks for the Shiroka line at the Fashion Boogie.
Mantis judged several local breaking competitions and was invited to the Redbull Nationals.
Flonetik was invited to the Philly Redbull cypher as he is now reaching a level of visibility in the breaking scene.
The crew represented breaking at “Beyond The Streets NYC Opening”.
Rokafella was invited to represent women in Hip-Hop on a panel for the viewing of HBO series “Warrior.”
This year Full Circle launched an Instagram please follow the retro-future profile @fullcirclesouljahs Twitter is also the same handle.
Thank you to everyone who supported by donating, attended, participated and returned the love all last year.
We are enjoying a winter break and will pick up training and upcoming activities soon. Please stay in touch so you can enjoy our passionate cast and crew as they rock on into the new year.
You can catch Kwikstep spinning for a very special Behind The Groove on January 9th, more on that soon!
Stay tuned to the Facebook Full Circle Group/Fan Page for daily updates including holiday party activities and/or shows.
If you wish to donate your services or funds support to the keep the company going please hit the Contact Us tab and let’s build.
Thank you all for your good vibes!
Thank you to Whedco and Sotomayor Center in the Bronx for the space donation and to our community and friends for the encouragement.
Thank you to our Bronx Network of organizations such as the Point CDC, Wallworks, The Bronx Museum, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Bronx River Arts Center, Pepatian and New Settlement for all the work you do to empower our community!!
Ten Year Milestone
We are celebrating a ten year milestone for our dance party that was sparked as a response to the changing nightlife atmosphere in NYC that was not accommodating for the dance community to engage each other like in the Hey Day of NYC's clubs.
Kwikstep jumped at a chance to host a night at Le Poissoin Rouge back in 2009 to bring an open format of music empassing dance genres like 90's Rap, Funk, Motown, Dancehall, House, Salsa, Breaks and today's dance hits with DJ DP One and live musicians, a throwback to Giant Step and House Nation Parties etc.
Local dancers and those visiting us from abroad blessed our dance floors with their passion and creativity. Artists such as Strafe, Homeboy Sandman and others jammed on stage as well as All Star competitors lit up the circles as the decade flew by bringing us to Lincoln Center and Time Square among other locations.
We will post up photos from the beginning of a yearlong celebration of talent and high vibes.
Thank you to DJ DP One, Kwikstep, Rokafella, Mario Lobo, Will Focus and Nay Marie, Keith Middleton, Ron Renaissance, Haitian Pat, IT-TV, Full Circle Souljahs and all the dancers, live paint artists, musicians and donors who made the memories so vibrant.
Rest In Peace to Kid Dynamo who rocked his locking hustle / salsa / funk and of course his roller-skate skills, to Slexx who rocked the floor and his hustle skills, to headspin Jesus who brought his moves / laughter and his drumming to the flow and to shake who gave us much inspiration on the dance floor.
We resurrect the ancestors with tradition and now you will be in the midst as we proceed to give what they need!
October Event
Fall is starting to cool things off but we're still on fire! Check out some of these upcoming October events:
October 19th, Full Circle will be performing at the Bronx Museum for Family Day.
October 22nd, Rokafella will perform her dance hit "One Dance" at BAAD's 20th Anniversary / Gala in Manhattan.
October 26th, Kwikstep will be DJing at the party known as "Home" in Brooklyn.
October 30th, Full Circle will be hosting a Halloween edition behind the Groove Masquerade Ball at 230 Bogart Street so come in your costume ready to dance!
Looking back on September highlights. Rokafella, Deana and Janice modeled for Chulo underwear New York Fashion Week Show raising funds for El Maestro Boxing Gym.
Photos above.
Beasty also modeled for New York Fashion Week, performing for the Puma X Jahnkoy collaboration at F.I.T. and was featured in Bogue Magazine online!
Kwikstep, Peaches, and Rokafella collaborated for a comedy show at the Bronx Heritage Center.
Rokafella was invited to give a free class for the 6th Annual Boogie on the Boulevard Festival.
Rok and Kwik made dance cameos in Synacure's Music Video "Who We Are Now" starring the last poets! It premiered at the Urban World Film Festival
We hosted our 2nd "Hip-Hop Meets House" jam at Wallworks Gallery, owned by legendary graffiti writer Crash One. The vibe was intense and vibrant as alternating Hip-Hop and House mixes sparked cyphers throughout the evening. Screening of clips honoring house and Hip-Hop dance icons such as Willi Ninja, Voodoo Ray, Marjory as well as Philadelphia's Club Dance Ambassador Dinita Clark who travelled with her husband and dance partner to share their passion with the NYC community. We followed up by presenting our Full Circle "On Fire" Award to Peaches Rodriguez, a living legend who continues to represent this original dance and give back to our community 30+ years later. Following the award ceremony was an exhibition 2 on 2 mixed team battle judged by Cricket, Caleaf and Rokafella. you can watch clips of the battle by clicking the links below:
To wrap up the night Jennifer 'Beasty' Acosta lit up the floor with a choreographed piece that featured BBoy Macho and the FC Hardrocks. You can watch her show by
clicking here.
We would like to first give a thank you to the artist in residence at Wallworks, Bio / Tats Cru whose artwork brought the environment to life at Hip-Hop Meets House 2! Thank you to Bronx Council on the Arts for the Arts Fund Award. Thank you to Rok and Write (Raw) Kris Yin for the sponsorship and presence in the circles. Thank you to Longview sponsorship.
Thank you to Shaneequa Green for the last minute assistance with the Epson screen. Thank you Yvette for sharing the Voodoo Ray film clip, his legacy lives on through you and his dance family.
Thank you to Full Circle Souljahs for the set up and break down and run of show assistance! Thank you to Kyle who replaced Dinita in the battles. Thank you to DP One for the sound equipment and for the knowledge of music he always bring!!
Thank you Kelly Peters for bringing your Brickhouse Studio Dance family to this gathering. Thank you finally to the Gods and Godesses who showed up as true elders and carriers of the torch for this NYC Dance Tribe, Mickey with Nxt Lvl / Femme Fatale BX Dancers, our Sisters in Graf, Shiro, Jai Green Caps, Jenny Scratch and so many beautiful spirits in that gallery!
Huge thank you to Kwikstep for putting this thing together and being brave. You have the vision and that original spark. Thank you for bringing us along on this magic carpet ride!
Hip-Hop Meets House 2 was a success because of all of you! You are all royalty and partners in this culture. Hold on to the vibe from Saturday. See y’all out there again soon!
Please stay tuned to Facebook of Full Circle Group/Fan Page for daily updates. We recently launched a Full Circle Instagram, please follow the retro-future page @fullcirclesouljahs Twitter is also the same.
If you wish to donate your services or funds support to the keep the company going please hit the Contact Us tab and let’s build.
Thank you all for your good vibes!
Thank you to Whedco and Sotomayor Center in the Bronx for the space donation and to our community and friends for the encouragement.
Thank you to our Bronx Network of organizations such as the Point CDC, Wallworks, The Bronx Museum, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Bronx River Arts Center, Pepatian and New Settlement for all the work you do to empower our community!!
August and September Events
This summer is coming to a close and if you are looking to get back to class and learn Hip-Hop from a Legendary NYC Native check out Kwiksteps class at Brooklyn Zoo. His schedule has changed and he will now be teaching there every Thursday from 6 – 7 PM.
August 28th, Kwikstep also resumed his class at Queens College.
September 7th at 2 PM, Mantis will be performing at "The Drum Boogie Festival" in Andy Lee field, Woodstock, NY with Anthony “Invertebrate” Rodriguez for the beat box house. You can get tickets on event by clicking here.
Also on September 7th, Rokafella and Janice and Deana will model for Chulo underwear in the Spring Fashion Week Show / Fundraiser at El Maestro in the Bronx. Contact us for more info.
September 12th, Kwikstep and Rokafella will perform as part of the Bronx Music Heritage Center's comedy night featuring Peaches Rodrigues.
September 17th at 3 PM, Rokafella will teach a free outdoor dance workshop at the Bronx Museum's Boogie on the Boulevard Festival.
September 28th at 5 PM – 11 PM, we will be having our 2nd “Hip-Hop Meets House” at Wall works in the Bronx owned by the iconic graffiti artist Crash One. Join us for performances, tributes, exhibition battles, and good music that will bridge both Hip-Hop and house worlds for a powerful evening and bring generations of dancers together. There is a $5 space donation. The event is sponsored by the Bronx Council on the Arts and Full Circle Prod Inc.
Some highlights of August include Flonetik and Mantis in Miami for “Famest” for the Flipside Kings Anniversary. Flonetik made it to the Top 32 and Mantis won the Title of Cypher Queen.
Rokafella’s Birthday celebration was a beautiful one as we partied at the Delancey for the Wildstyle vs Beat Street Theme Collage Party. You can see photos from that night in the album above. Thank you to savior for letting us celebrate Hip-Hop and Rokafella who has made an impact to so many in the Hip-Hop community.
August 17th, Rokafella and Shiro’s clothing line “Shiroka” was featured in the Point CDC’s “Fashion Boogie” Fashion event along with other Bronx Fashion Designers and Graffiti Artists such as Crash One, BG183 and Anjlnyc. Thank you to producers Jai Green Caps and Crystal Gomez for having us!
Click the link below to watch Rokafella and Shiro on the Runway with Full Circle Sisters Janice, Beasty, Deana, and Mantis as well as Rokafella's student, BGirl Gabby and Bronx Public Figure and Old School M.C. Ms. G (Barbara Gibson).
You can see photos in the album above of Rokafella, Kwikstep and the Crew at “A Rebel Minded Festival," and the Graffiti Hall of Fame Festival of Music and Art.
August 17th, we also attended a screening of "Churros" at the HBO Latino Film Festiva. There was a panel discussion after the screening where Kwikstep was asked to speak along with writers of the film, Bruce Smolinoff and Emilie Mcdonald. You can see photos of these moments in the photo album above.
August 24th, Beasty performed at the Afropunk Brooklyn after party with Ze Motion. Check her out beat boxing by
clicking here.
August 31st, Mantis competed and won the invite only BGirl Top 16 at “Prime Time Breaks” in New Jersey, a jam hosted by Retro Flow Crew. You can watch her final battle by
clicking here.
We had many exciting moments this month but they also come with some sad news. R.I.P to BBoy Problem Child from Problems Crew of Connecticut who passed this august. He inspired and influenced many dancers and will be missed. We would also like to wish a speedy recovery to BBoy Slex (Manny) from the Bronx Boys (TBB) who is currently in the hospital.
Please stay tuned to Facebook of Full Circle Group/Fan Page for daily updates.
If you wish to donate your services or funds support to the keep the company going please hit the Contact Us tab and let’s build.
Thank you all for your good vibes.
Thank you to Whedco and Sotomayor Center in the Bronx for the space donation and to our community and friends for the encouragement.
Thank you to our Bronx Network of organizations such as the Point CDC, Wallworks, The Bronx Museum, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Bronx River Arts Center Pepatian and New Settlement for all the work you do to empower our community!!
As we savor the last Month of Summer, make sure to add these upcoming events to your calendar.
August 9th & 10th, Mantis and Flonetik fly to Miami to compete at the Flipside Kings Anniversary Event "Fam Fest".
August 10th, Beasty will be performing in Project X's "Yerrrr Issa Festival" at ID Studio in the Bronx from 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM. For more info visit their event page by
clicking here.
August 13th, we celebrate Rokafella's Birthday at the Collage Party at the Delancey from 7 PM – 2 AM. You find the flyer in the photo album above.
August 17th, the short film “Churros”, choreographed by Kwikstep and Rokafella will be screened at HBO’s New York Latino Film Festival at 10 PM in Times Square.
For more info visit the Churros Facebook Page by clicking here.
For tickets,
click here.
August 17th, Rokafella and Shiro's collaboration T-shirt line "Shiroka" will be featured in the Fashion Boogie Show alongside other Bronx based fashion designers from 4 – 8 PM at the Point CDC.
August 18th, Rokafella will be performing at “A Rebel Minded” Music Festival. You can find some of her music on Spotify by clicking here.
September 28th, look out for our 2nd "Hip-Hop meets House" at Wallworks in the Bronx. Details regarding participants will be announced soon.
This past July, La Roka performed her new single “Rock on” at “Step Ya Game Up" with Hardrocks, Jennifer ‘Beasty’ Acosta and Deana. Beasty wrapped up the performance with a beatboxing set which led to a cypher. You can watch footage of the performances and the cypher in the links below:
We would like to thank Buddah Stretch for giving Rokafella and Beasty the spotlight to showcase their vocal and beatboxing talents! Also, for your commitment to this dance community!
July 27th, Rokafella and Kwikstep were invited to "True School Block Party" in Milwaukee to judge the 2 v 2 breaking contest alongside BBoy Mijo from Motion Disorders Crew. Thank you to True School for having Rokafella curate their youth performance on the history of Hip-Hop and making sure the passion for Hip-Hop is passed on to the next generation. We would also like to give a shout out to all the Dancers, Graffiti Writers, MC’s and Vendors who contributed to the culmination of such an amazing event!
True School is an organization that uses Urban Arts as a tool to engage youth in Social Justice, Humanities Education, Community Service and Civic Engagement.
To learn more about them you can visit their website by clicking here.
August 3rd & 4th, Rokafella judged and performed for Queenz of Hip-Hop 10 year Anniversary in Denver, Colorado. Thank you to Deandre Carroll with the Funkinetic project for sponsoring her participation at Queenz of Hip-Hop. Photos coming soon!
Please stay tuned to Facebook of Full Circle Group/Fan Page for daily updates.
If you wish to donate your services or funds support to the keep the company going please hit the Contact Us tab and let’s build.
Thank you all for your good vibes.
Thank you to Whedco and Sotomayor Center in the Bronx for the space donation and to our community and friends for the encouragement.
Thank you to our Bronx Network of organizations such as the Point CDC, Wallworks, The Bronx Museum, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Bronx River Arts Center Pepatian and New Settlement for all the work you do to empower our community!!
Rock on!
July is flying by so make sure you catch us at some of these upcoming events, every Wednesday starting July 10th Mantis and Flonetik are hosting an open practice in Brooklyn from 7 - 9:45pm at 114 Taylor Street El Puente Independence Community Center. You can stay updated on these sessions by following Mantis and Flonetik on Instagram @funkymantis and @bboyflonetik.
July 13th, Rokafella will be honored at the 10th Anniversary of Ladies of Hip-Hop Festival Showcase in New York City. If you are interested in attending or getting more info, kindly
click here.
July 21st, Buddah Stretch hosts “Step Ya Game Up” an Annual Street Dance Competition which includes Locking, Popping, House, Top-Rock, Waacking and Hip-Hop categories.
You can find more info here.
July 26 - 28th, Mantis will attend the BBoy Summit in Los Angeles organized by Legendary BGirl Asia One.
July 27th, Rokafella and Kwikstep will fly out to Milwaukee to work for the True School Block Party Event.
August 17th, Rokafella and Shiro will be hosting a Fashion Show for their clothing line "Shiroka" at the Point CDC with live performances by the Hardrocks.
August 18th, Rokafella will also be performing at “A Rebel Minded” Music Festival. You can find some of her music on Spotify by
clicking here.
The Bronx Council on the Arts awarded Full Circle “The Arts Fund” so please look out for our 2nd Hip-Hop meets House coming up in the early Fall.
Last month, Full Circle was invited to perform for “Beyond The Streets NYC” a Graffiti Show sponsored by Adidas which featured Graphic Artwork by many different graffiti writers.
The short film “Churros” that Full Circle was featured in will be presented at the HBO Latino Film Festival in August and we look forward to attending!
Kwikstep’s birthday celebration at Toca Tuesday on June 25th was a success. Thank you to Tony Touch and everyone who came to celebrate with us and show love! We also celebrated Flonetik’s birthday on July 7th. You can view photos of the festivities in the album above.
July 5th, Kid Break showcased at Roundz of Flame 2 v 2 with Taya, a young and talented lite feet dancer and they took the win. You can watch some of the footage by clicking here.
July 6th, Flonetik was invited to judge “Hyprid Theory” a 2 v 2 BBoy/BGirl competition at Wondrous Dance Studio. Kid Break and entered and won first place with partner BBoy Pollo. Congratulations to them both!
Please stay tuned to Facebook Full Circle Group | Fan Page for daily updates.
If you wish to donate your services or funds support to the keep the company going please hit the Contact Us tab and let’s build.
Thank you all for your good vibes.
Thank you to Whedco and Sotomayor Center in the Bronx for the space donation and to our community and friends for the encouragement.
Thank you to our Bronx Network of Organizations such as the Point CDC, The Bronx Museum, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Bronx River Arts Center Pepatian and new settlement for all the work you do to empower our community!!
Rock on!
Summers are always busy for the company and here are few upcoming events.
We invite you to join us on June 25th at Bar 13 where we will be celebrating Kwikstep’s Birthday!! He will be a Guest DJ that night. In July, Mantis will attend/compete at the BBoy Summit in Los Angeles organized by Legendary BGirl Asia One.
Rokafella will be honored at the 10th Anniversary of Ladies of Hip-Hop and will also fly to work in Milwaukee for the True School Block Party event July 27th.
The Bronx Council on the Arts awarded Full Circle “The Arts Fund” so please look out for our 2nd Hip-Hop meets house coming up in the early Fall.
In August, the crew will be flying to Miami to attend F.A.M. Fest.
We want to congratulate Supreme Beings, a legacy crew from the borough of Queens for carrying the Torch for Breakin 20 years strong!
Last year, Full Circle was proud to be invited to appear in the production of a short film entitled “Churros” by Bruce Smolanoff and his wife Emilie Mcdonald. We are excited to announce that it already has won several awards.
Flonetik and Mantis will be attending Massive Monkeys 20th Anniversary we wish them luck and safe travels!
April and May were eventful for the crew and company. Rokafella and Kwikstep were invited to Judge and DJ at Express Your Skillz in Puerto Rico. Time Machine Squad (the crew that organizes Express Your Skillz) also celebrated their 30th Year Crew Anniversary, we want to congratulate them!
April 27th, Flonetik and Mantis were invited out to Toronto for the UDEF sponsored Rock Harder Bonnie and Clyde Battle. In early May, Rokafella, Beasty and Mantis performing at the Launch of Veronica Beard Athletic wear collection at the Bandier Store in the East Village.
Kid Break and Styleski were invited to compete at Rock the Box in Washington D.C. Kid Break and BBoy Matteo were finalists in the 2 v 2 (12) and under bracket and Styleski took 3rd place in the 1 v 1 (13) - 18 bracket. We are very proud of them!
Rokafella and the Hardrocks performed for the Annual Women’s Empowerment Fem Flava in the Bronx and Beasty performed her Beatbox Show at the Apollo Theater.
May 11th, Flonetik represented Full Circle as an invited competitor in the Philadelphia Redbull qualifier and later that month Kwikstep and Mantis were flown out to the Redbull National Finals in Houston where Mantis participated in the Top 16 National BGirl Battle.
Kwikstep and Rokafella were interviewed in the Kinfolk Series Shot in Brooklyn at Frantic Studios.
Below are video links to footage of these events:
Kwikstep and Rokafella's interview at Frantic Studios
Please stay tuned to the Facebook Full Circle Group | Fan Page for daily updates.
If you wish to donate your services or funds support to the keep the company going please hit the Contact Us tab and let’s build.
Thank you all for your good vibes.
Thank you to Whedco and Sotomayor Center in the Bronx for the space donation and to our community and friends for the encouragement.
Thank you to our Bronx Network of Organizations such as the Point CDC, The Bronx Museum, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Bronx River Arts Center Pepatian and new settlement for all the work you do to empower our community!!
Rock on!
Join us at the Bronx Music Heritage Center as we wrap up Women's History Month with a mini concert of women from the Bronx as they take to the stage and rep their passion for Hip-Hop.
March 30th, 8 PM for $10 presented by Pepatian. Congratulations to Janice and Beasty (Full Circle Hardrocks)!
Behind The Groove (BTG) is back!!
After a highly anticipated return, our dance family enjoyed the relaunch of the BTG party at a club. Due to many factors beyond our control, BTG had stepped away from the club scene. We offered its musical power at places like Central Park Summerstage and the Heart of Time Square. But, we are back and this time Chelsea Music Hall is the go to location since many places have closed down.
We paid tribute to the Legendary Kool DJ Red Alert with portraits by the artists and we had a wonderful vocalist Suzann Christine offer a performance. Our resident photographer Mario Lobo was joined by Melissa Ulto and their respective albums are posted up on the BTG Facebook event page. We are excited to continue making plans for the next one with a new promo team so please stay tuned. Congratulations!
Our co-founders received Individual Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Kings of New York event team, who also made a comeback on February 2nd with a packed house for their Historic Dance Competition which included Popping, Breaking and House Competitions and the Heart Warming Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to Rokafella who represented Hip-Hop and Full Circle at the Dance New York City Symposium as a featured panelist at the opening key note address which is archived on the Dancenyc Facebook page. After the discussion, Kwikstep played for the reception and got everyone on their feet doing a sidestep and even a bus stop!!
Full circle is on hiatus at this time as the Spring/Summer calendar begins to take shape. Check our Twitter or Facebook Fan Page for any last minute updates. See you all very soon.
We hope you will consider joining our family on the Island of Puerto Rico on April 27th for the 30th Anniversary of Time Machine Squad. Express your skills 2019. Flyer is below.
Happy 2019!!
We have to recognize how amazing 2018 was including all the parties, battles, performances, Kwikstep's 50th Birthday Bash, boat rides, theater shows and concerts that happened in the short span of 12 months!
Thank you to everyone who supported by donating, attended, participated and returned the love all last year.
We are enjoying a winter break and will pick up training and upcoming activities soon. Please stay in touch so you can enjoy our passionate cast and crew as they rock on into the New Year.
You can catch Kwikstep spinning a Vinyl on January 20th.
Thank you again and again!
Here is the link to the Times Square behind the Groove Montage edited by Yakfilms.
Also, Rokafella at Shiro's solo Artshow launch at Wall Works with the FC Hardrocks.
INTRODUCING THE FC HARDROCKS 2018
It began July 2017 with a performance booking for Momma's Hip-Hop Kitchen. Then, Rokafella had a small performance at BAAD for the Blaqtinx Festival. It became solid in October at the point during the dance sessions when these dancers became very consistent with their popping and breaking training every Tuesday; not only were they making progress with their training but also eager to learn about history and the New York City aesthetics of street dance. Then, they really leveled up for boxed in which was theater and very different than straight up dance choreography - this was dance which would accompany a dramatic storyline.
Full Circle is proud to announce its new chapter of all women all style dancers the FC Hardrocks.
Performances now include the 2018, New York City Dance Parade, Tap City, Boxed In and Coney Island Breakers reunion opening for the Queen of Freestyle Shannon!
Thank you Deana, Janice, Sharmaine, Shaneekqua and the return of Beasty!! You are now holding the torch for our crew as the Women of Hard Rock and Soul.
Stay tuned for more appearances!
Check out this video in Brooklyn in the rain and on the concrete!! Click here
Also, their appearance at Tap City as the climax in this interview about Rokafella for Fresh New Yorkers. Click here
See you all very soon!
Photo by Float Master John, Fresh New Yorkers Video by Shaunte and Coney Island video by Friends of Beasty.
DanSpace May 17th - 19th, 2018
In Residency at DanSpace in Spring, "BOXED IN" is Full Circle's Latest Hip-Hop Dance Theater piece directed and written by Kwikstep and Rokafella with contributions from the present cast for choreography.
Inspired by a short piece performed at Central Park Summerstage in 2007 then later revamped in 2009, Kwik and Rok fleshed out the concept as an evening length piece with the contributions of world renowned Classic Concert Pianist Cristina Altamura. It was then entitled "Outside the Bachx" for Kennedy Center's Family Theater in 2015 with support from the Jerome Foundation and a CUNY Dance Initiative Space Award in addition to Bronx Council of the Arts Fund Award.
Now in 2018 Full Circle added new cast members and new repertoire. The company will now perform a redux which reflects the dilemma some artists feel when their dreams, sometimes, entrap them into a category or a box.
Follow 5 artists and friends who try to find their way out of stifling parameters in order to satisfy their purpose with Ballet, Concert Piano, DJing, Breaking and Beatbox and Poetry.
Join us at DanSpace with the following phenomenal artists whose bios are below.
This performance is dedicated to the memory of our dance peers, relatives and ancestors who paved the way.
REST IN PEACE.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (MUSIC CREDITS): Mawtalis Remix, Rachmaninov Etude - Tableaux Op.33 No. 4 in D Minor, Chopin Walts in Ab Op. 69, Juju Orchestra - Bossa Nova Remix, Chris Brown - Fallin, Sade-Pearls, Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk, Vivian Green - Work, Jennifer Hudson - It's your world, Run DMC - Peter Piper, J LL COOL J -Jiggling Baby, Alicia Keys - In Common, Wu Tan - C.R.E.A.M Sharmelles As Long As I've Got You, Beyonce - Crazy Love, Shi Lites - Are You My Woman, Bach Partita No. 2 in C Minor Fugue, Mobb Deep - Survival of the Fittest/Shook Ones RIP Prodigy, Karizma - Work it Out, James Brown - Give it up turn it Loose.
Thank you to our good friends Jamee and Michael Shleiffer and to the new school university deans of the dance department for offering a week of rehearsal space to our company.
Thank you to Randi at the indie fund for the fog machine on loan.
Thank you to DJ DP One for the turntable equipment transport and support with this and many FC/BTG Events.
Deep heartfelt thank you to our production staff Lille D and Carol Mullin.
Thank you to Judy Hussie Taylor for giving us a stage to share our talents and our story.
Thank you to the entire team at DanSpace for helping us and so many artists shine so bright. New York City is lucky to have you as a dance beacon.
BOXED IN CASTS
Jennifer Acosta
Jennifer Acosta was born and raised in the Bronx, New York in Soundview Houses with her family. Jennifer was born with a passion for dance and has been dancing since the early age of 3. Professionally dancing since the age of 13 till present, her signature style consists of blending old school and new style dance trends. She is proficient in many styles including Hip Hop, Break dancing, Street Jazz,Contemporary, Salsa, and West African. Jennifer trained, performed, and worked with several premier NYC based dance companies including Full Circle Souljahs (Rokafella and Kwik Step),Rhythm City (Alonzo Williams) and Kr3ts(Violeta Galagarza). She performed with major recording artists such as Jim Jones(Stevenson H.S.) and Ludacris(2010 BET Rip the Runway). She has been featured in college festivals, music videos, street performances, and corporate events. Jennifer has taught dance classes/ workshops to students of all ages and all levels of dance experience including the Apollo Arts Ed programs. She has been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post and Starett City Bk, and other NYC newspapers. She balances her career with motherhood seamlessly while inspiring other young dancers to focus on the positive aspects of life.
Follow her on Instagram @jen_beasty88
Michael Bond
Michael Bond started playing piano when he was 4 years old. By the time he was 6, he was playing in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in NYC. After competing classically for 7 years, he began studying jazz. He was mentored by artists Stanley Cowell, Jim Ridl, Orrin Evans, and Mike LeDonne. Michael was a special recipient of both the Excellence in Jazz Performance Award and the Arthur G. Humphrey Award for Music Education while attending Rutgers University. He graduated with a Bachelor's of Music Degree in both Jazz Performance and Music Education in 2012.
Since then, the young pianist has continued to develop a growing audience in both the NYC music scene and around the world. Michael has had the privilege of sharing the stage with many notable artists including: the Captain Black Big Band, Conrad Herwig, Todd Bashore, Joe Ford, Tim Warfield, Josh Evans, David Gibson, Curtis Lundy, Duane Eubanks, Bruce Williams, Joe Magnarelli, Mark Gross and many others.
He has performed at the Central Jersey Jazz Festival, the Canadian Music Festival in Toronto, and the NYC Winter Jazz Festival. Michael will be featured on Jean Chaumont's upcoming record "The Beauty of Differences" which will be released in the Summer of 2018 featuring Grammy Nominated artists Ike Sturm, Rudy Royston, and Sam Sadigursky. Michael is a Community Advisory Board Member for WBGO 88.3.
Janice Tomlinson
was born and raised in the Bronx, New York and graduated from CUNY Hunter College with a baccalaureate degree in Biology and Dance. She has a dance background in Hip-hop, West African, Jazz, Contemporary, modern, and Ballet and has performed in many renowned theatres such as the United Palace Theatre, The Ailey Citigroup Theater, Symphony Space, The Kaye Playhouse, and Off-Broadway at The Pearl Theatre Company.
More notably, Janice has trained and performed abroad in Spain and Switzerland. While she dances and choreographs, she can also be found teaching classes at Ballet Hispánico and working in a laboratory in Manhattan.
Follow her journey on Instagram @janice_tomlinson
Originally from California, Gene Shinozaki moved to Boston, MA, where he attended Berklee College of Music, majoring in drumming. After Dropping out of Berklee, he found an interview of Reeps One on Beatbox Battle TV, which inspired him to dedicate his life to beatbox. He then immediately started busking to make money and turn this dream into a reality. Within two years, Gene began performing at popular venues and even starred in the Season Finale on Fox's hit television show "So You Think You Can Dance" (Season 10). In 2013, Gene entered his first beatbox battle, which would eventually lead him to become one of the most renown battlers in the world. Since the 2014 American Beatbox Championships, Gene has made it at least to semifinals in every battle. And in 2015, he won the Grand Beatbox Battles, held in Switzerland, making him the first American to take the title. Gene is currently one of the core members of the Brooklyn-based group, The Beatbox House. Gene has since moved to NYC to be closer to his crew.
Instagram @gvsbeatbox
Odylle "mantis" Beder
is a native of Brooklyn and a core member of Full Circle Souljahs. She started her dance journey studying Ballet for 10 years at Ballet Tech and later with Urban Ballet Theater. She began Breaking when she was 21 and after 4 years of learning from different Breakers she met Rokafella and Kwikstep in 2012 and began training with them. Since then she has won, the 2016 Freestyle Session Florida B-girl 1v1, was the two time winner of Queen B-girl 1v1 and was also a finalist in the 2017 IBE 1v1 B-girl battle. She has performed at prestigious venues such as Joyce Theater, Central Park Summer Stage, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. When she isn't competing or performing she teaches dance to young children at various dance schools and after school programs in NYC.
Instagram @funkymantis
Raymond "Spex" Abbiw
His career took off and he appeared in music videos with such artists as Mariah Carey, Joe, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and more. Spex also toured internationally in Japan and France. He made his off-broadway debut in the 2002 Full Circle Productions' production, Soular Power'd at New York's New Victory theater. He continues as a member of the Full Circle Dance Company touring throughout the U.S. and abroad including the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Spex continues to teach and perform nationally and internationally and is most happy about having his dream come true.
Instagram and Twitter @spexboogz
John "Flonetik" Vinuya
is a Filipino-American dancer raised in Queens, New York and a core member of Full Circle Souljahs. He began his dance journey in 2008 as an assistant dance instructor in an afterschool program for Anthony Colon, who also taught him Martial arts in 2009. In 2011 he met Kwikstep and Rokafella who taught at a recreational center and became a Full Circle company member in 2012. After several years of training and developing his style, it led him to win several competitions such as Caraip-hop NYC qualifier in 2016, Get Fresh Vol. 2 in 2017, Universal Breaking League NY Qualifier in 2018. He also performed in several prestigious theaters such as The New Victory Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Kennedy Theater and Lincoln Center. When he's not competing and/or performing he teaches at various dance studios and afterschool programs.
Instagram @bboyflonetik
"Born in the Dominican Republic, Gabriel "EMPHASIS" Alvarez's passion for the arts started at an early age. In 2005, at the age of fifteen, he discovered breakdancing, the discipline that inspired him to pursue a career in dance. His love for learning and furthering his understanding of this art form led him to the discovery of the different styles like contemporary, house dance, ballet, commercial hip-hop and various partnering and latin styles. Gabriel currently works both commercially and theatrically, and has not only toured nationally and internationally with various groups, productions and artists, but has also taken part in a wide range of music videos, commercials, TV appearances, and won several dance competition titles"
Instagram @gabriel_emphasis
Shaneekqua Woodham
is a professional dancer born and raised in New York City. She began dancing at the age of 12 and has continued
training ever since. She received her Associates in Liberal Arts & Dance Certificate at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT and has receieved her Bachelors in Dance at
Hunter College. She is also a part of the Carmel Lorie Dance Company (Artistic Director Carmel Lorie), Aeturnus Dance Company (Artistic Director Clara Auguste) and has been featured in many videos
and live performances. She hopes to work with many different artists and have lifelong career inspiring others through dance.
Deana Richline
is an eighteen year old aspiring dancer, teacher, and choreographer born and raised in Harlem, New York. She has trained with choreographer (Ana *Rokafella* Garcia) and choreographer (Rhapsody). Slowly building her career, she has already performed at Six Flags Fright Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors with Momma's Hip hop kitchen Double Dutch Tribute, the Children’s Museum of the Arts and the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance. Deana is pursuing a Dance Major at Lehman College while working as a dance team coach at her former high school. After this engagement she will perform with the FC Hardrocks for the American Tap Dance Foundation's Tap City show at the Duke Theater on July 11th 2018.
Instagram @Deeonstage
was born and raised in Atlanta, Ga. She started dancing at the age of 15 at Triple 7 Dance Studio in
Snellville, Ga under studio owner, Tamara Whitehead. She studied and is still currently studying hip hop, jazz, ballet, tap,modern, and contemporary. She danced there until she graduated high school.
She currently attends The New School in New York City where she is double majoring in Psychology and Dance. There she met “Rokafella” and is currently training with her and Full Circle at The Point.
She has performed in the 2018 Dance Parade with and is a member of Full Circle Souljahs all-style all-girl group The Hardrocks. Her next performance is with the American Tap Dance Foundation on July
11th. When she isn’t performing, she is teaching dance after school programs in NYC.
Instagram __sharmaineee
Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio
Bessie Award winning Gabriel Kwikstep Dionisio began dancing at age 8. Kwikstep was on his way to becoming a prolific Breaker (Break Dancer) by the age of 17 and was immersed in Hip hop culture and its elements. He has toured internationally with dance companies, The US State Department, judged various BBoy competitions for Red Bull and has appeared in and choreographed several Hip hop theater productions including "Syncing Ink" at the Flea Theater. He appears in the Netflix Series "The Get Down" and will receive a National Dance Teacher Award from ADF in June 2018. He co founded Full Circle Prod Inc with his wife Rokafella to maintain his vision of Hip hop as a storytelling platform. As a drummer, avid music lover and DJ, he created the Behind The Groove Dance party to provide a space for dancers and artists to get together in NYC paying homage to the club life of the 70/80/90's. He opened for Nile Rodgers and Chic at Lincoln Center Out of Doors and headlined a dance concert at Central Park Summerstage where he re introduced Ladies of SKYY to the NYC dance community. His dance affiliations are Brookyn's Fresh Kids, United Street Artists, Rhythm Technicians, GhettOriginal, Lords of Finesse, Disciples of Funk, Time Machine Squad and he is a Hip hop dance Professor at Queens College.
Instagram @DJK360 | Soundcloud DJKS360 | www.kwikstep360.com
Ana "Rokafella" Garcia
Bronx Bgirl Ana Rokafella Garcia began street performing with the Breeze Team Transformers as a teen and made her presence felt in the NYC clubs in the late 80's. She co founded Full Circle Prod Inc with husband Kwikstep in 1996 and began to add poetry and vocals to the company's dance engagements. She produced and directed a documentary about the Bgirl lifestyle entitled "All The Ladies Say" distributed by Third World Newsreel. She produced events at the Bronx Museum, worked with the Smithsonian for their Young Ambassador program, traveled with the US State Department as well as choreographed for the Flea Theater and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She has appeared in film, music videos and commercials and now proudly teaches at The New School as a Hip hop dance professor. She is hired to judge international dance contests (recently at La Belle Hip hop festival in Belgium), offers kids dance classes at Peridance Studios, NJPAC, and at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance. Rokafella is an artist in residence at The American Tap Dance Foundation, works with Pepatian Hip hop academy and is a member of Puerto Rico's legacy Breakin crew- Time Machine Squad, Momma's Hip hop Kitchen, Brooklyn's Fresh Kids and is a member of the Legendary House of Ninja. In 2017 she launched a T shirt line "ShiRoka" with Japanese Graffiti writer Shiro in addition to her Fat Lace Earring designs.
Instagram @bgirlrokafella | www.larokasoul.com