Biography ellie burkey dancers

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Emilio "Buddha Stretch" Austin, Jr., best known for his hip hop crews Elite Force and Mop Top Music and Movement, teaches hip hop classes at Manhattan's Steps on Broadway. But he remembers when dance studios didn't offer any hip hop at all. Houston dancer Chris "Colcutz" Gamez and New York Culture Shock artistic director Ellie Burkey remember, too. Burkey used to freestyle with friends in the garage; Gamez got noticed performing at a street fair. Now Burkey teaches at Peridance and Gamez at his own studio in Houston, Urgeworks, which offers hip hop almost exclusively. Over the years, hip hop has moved inside, into the mainstream, and that transition has had a huge effect on studios, dancers, and the dance itself.

There are obvious benefits to the spotlight that music videos and movies have shone on hip hop: more educational resources, more versatile dancers, and more jobs. Studios that offer hip hop are likely to bring in more students--especially more boys--and more money.

"Learning weaving, popping, and locking is important for working dancers," Burkey says. "At auditions, they want dancers who are diverse, and dancers are getting smart. They're learning everything. They want a mo

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