If anyone has been following me along on my Halfstack journey, you may have read briefly about my adventure in dance. Since hanging up my performance jersey several years ago, I volunteered to help my friends out put on their annual showcase.
My participation in this has been paramount to who I was and what this company continues to mean to me. The showcase itself is somewhat of a finality to the company's performance year before their biannual auditions are held. And through these years I've seen people come and go and certainly leave their mark in the history of Hip Hop ConnXion. But what I love to see is the Chicago dance community come together to showcase raw talent from different parts of the city and sometimes abroad.
This year HHC hosted their 10th anniversary showcase at the Harold Washington Cultural Center in the Bronzeville neighborhood. This landmark has hosted a series of memorable performances, but it will be the first time that HHC has entertained this stage for a sold out show.
Hip Hop ConnXion is led by Suavé, the executive director who founded this dance company in 1999. His goal was always to deliver a message of unity and diversity, and the showcase is only the beginning. The midwest is often overlooked by larger cities with reputable talent such as L.A. and New York, and even with community, it is difficult for midwest natives to remain in their home cities with little opportunity if only big cities are recognized.
Suavé's aim has always been to have Chicago be recognized as an urban dance city to rival others in the country, but he believes that can only be achieved when the area is united. 17 years into the formation of Hip Hop ConnXion and there are still goals to be achieved, but by the vibrancy of the room and talent on the stage, this has become a tradition for dancers to participate in the showcase to some degree and the team always delivers. The HHC has branches that consist of teams from Michigan, Indiana, downtown Chicago, and the northwest suburbs of Chicago (including Wheeling and Aurora) that is referred to HQ. Other companies that participated in the showcase include: Urban Movement, Movement Revolution Dance Crew, M.A.D.D. Rhythms, CODA, Dance Force Elite, the intermediate HHC team - Hip Hop Force, Boom Crack!, Vicious, Culture Shock Chicago, The Puzzle League, Fusion, and Creation.
Chicago is facing a time of adversity. Dance may not solve problems, but one persons mission to spread positive messages with a tool such as dance, and witnessing the diversity on the stage, there is comfort in knowing that it is possible. To see more of Hip Hop ConnXion, visit their Facebook page or their website www.hiphopconnxion.com for more information on performances and auditions.
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