We are a non-competition studio that concentrates on catering to the industry dancer as well as the recreational dancer
TENIN's Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes official music video was recently released!
Tenin Baba Ndanani is a partner in the Michelle Obama National Let's Move campaign to inspire the youth to be more active in order to promote better health. Filmed in 2010 HSKT was shot and directed by Rock Davis, choreography by Eric Samson and starring Beat Club Crew and John Barrella of The FUNKtion Dance Complex
Beat Club's very own Hayley Bochner stars in a Verizon Commercial for the HTC Rezound. You're on a roll girl!
Synopsis: With NYC-based Toy Closet Films and dance choreographers NappyTabs, Verizon Wireless took to the streets, surprising customers and onlookers with a festive dance performance featuring Daisha's single "Top Blow" that began at the Verizon Wireless 34th Street location and came to an energetic dance finale at Herald Square.
On Nov. 1, 2011, Beat Club was very grateful to be able to perform at Jared Grimes event Run The Night and were happy to perform with and be inspired by all the amazing choreographers that took part in the show!
Below is Jared Grimes' description of the event:
New York City is packed with dancers seeking their big break, and the road to success is long and weary. Connections, callbacks and classes don't always equal work or money. But now dancers can get ahead of the game at RUN THE NIGHT! This NEW energetic competition is designed for aspiring dancers and choreographers and offers an opportunity to show industry judges their work. Whether it's Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap Dance, Contemporary, or Stepping-RUN THE NIGHT is sure to be a joyous experience with innovative acts, popular music, and loads of dance. Be ready to cheer for what inspires you the most and see which performance will "RUN THE NIGHT"!
Special Geust Performances by -
RHAPSODY JAMES and her MOTIVATING EXCELLENCE company
DANA FOGLIA
We welcome to our panel:
Josh Bergasse (NBC's "SMASH")
Fatima Wilson (BLOC AGENCY)
Rhapsody James (CHOREGRAPHER, BEYONCE, PUSSY CAT DOLLS..)
CLEAR TALENT GROUP AGENCY
Michelle Clemack (CAPEZIO)
Jason Samuels Smith (EMMY AWARD WINNER)
Thanks to all who joined the CNJBI students and guest Artists, as they put on an In Studio Performance at the Funktion Dance Complex. Guest Artists included dancers from, American Repertory Ballet, Boca Ballet Theater and Beat Club. A Portion of the proceeds went to the Lupus Foundation. For those interested there will be a reception afterwards at Stage House Tavern located in Somerset, NJ. Thanks to all who supported the students and who was part of such a good cause.
Located in the new and large facilities of The Funktion Dance Complex, CNJBI will offer students classes in Ballet Technique, Pas de Deux, Pointe, Men's Class, Variations(2-3 variations), and Character. Dancers will also become exposed to Modern/ Contemporary, Hip Hop, Ballet Conditioning, Jazz/ Street Jazz, and Pilates. Seminars will be offered in Performance Hair and Makeup, Injury Prevention, and Nutrition. Teachers will include experienced teachers, former professional dancers, and current dancers who dance or have previously danced with American Repertory Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. At the end of the program the dancers will be featured in an "IN STUDIO" performance. This will allow them to perform their variations and rep. for friends and family. " PRIVATE COACHING OPPORTUNITIES"
The Central New Jersey Ballet Intensive will not only offer dancers an opportunity to further their technique, it will also give them an chance to develop as an artist. When given one on one coaching, variations, and an understanding of different styles, students will gain confidence and become exposed to the tools needed to become a professional dancer. Many Student dancers lack opportunities to perform and be challenged. CNJBI will be an enjoyable and rewarding experience, where the atmosphere will inspire and prove that with hard work and determination, a dancer can grow considerably in a period of weeks.
Variations performed in the " In Studio" performance will be captured by a professional videographer for viewing and future audition use. Sessions will also be available during the program for a professional Photographer to take headshots and dance photos. ( All materials will be available for purchase)
Week 1 of the Central NJ Ballet Intensive was a blast so far!! Check out the video to see what the kids have been up to! The kids loved special guest teacher Christie Partelow of Complexions! She's amazing!
Central New Jersey Ballet Intensive (August 8th- 26th) Sessions are available for 2 or 3 weeks. MON- FRI ( 9:30am- 3:00 pm) Ages 12 +
Click on the link above for our Facebook page for more info.
Located in the new and large facilities of The Funktion Dance Complex, CNJBI will offer students classes in Ballet Technique, Pas de Deux, Pointe, Men's Class, Variations(2-3 variations), and Character. Dancers will also become exposed to Modern/ Contemporary, Hip Hop, Ballet Conditioning, Jazz/ Street Jazz, and Pilates. Seminars will be offered in Performance Hair and Makeup, Injury Prevention, and Nutrition. Teachers will include experienced teachers, former professional dancers, and current dancers who dance or have previously danced with American Repertory Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. At the end of the program the dancers will be featured in a performance on a theater stage in Somerset. This will allow them to perform their variations and rep. for friends and family. " PRIVATE COACHING OPPORTUNITIES"
On Saturday, Aug 13, 2011 Beat Club split up into two teams and did well at both venues! Beat Club was also able to present a sneak peak of our new set for the upcoming season! In Piscataway, Beat Club performed for the community at the Dance Around The World event and spoke about the different styles that we do and why we dance. The kids did amazing and recieved a great response! Great job guys!
Beat Club also performed at World Dance Contest at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ. The group performed and won 1st place among groups from all up and down the east coast! Shout out to DV8 (from Virginia) and Unique Movementz (from Delaware).
After the performance while the judges met to diliberate, the Unique Movementz crew and Beat Club crew started a cipher in the back of the ballroom and entertained the audience while they waited for the results! Both crews represented well and showed the audience what we love to do!
Both events were a success and we are very proud of all who participated!!
The FUNKtion had a big weekend at the Pulse On Tour's Nationals 2011 in NYC! Congrats to Anthony D'Astoli on his win and to Beat Club Crew for performing as choreographer's pick in 2 cities (NJ and Boston) at the showcase!
Shout to Alex Susanto for performing in Dave Scott's piece, Amanda Caputo in Tessandra Chavez's piece, J'Loni Jones in Cris Judd's piece, Hayley Bochner in Desmond Richardson's piece, and Leanne Sinsky in Robert Hoffman's piece.
Congrats to our THIRD Pulse Protege in the ADV/PRO room in 7 months, Hayley Bochner Very proud of you all!
Also congrats for the standing ovation Courtney Goerge Meeka Kameoka, and the rest of the amazing dancers in Dana Foglia's, Thinking of You piece at the PULSE Gala!
Have a safe trip to LA J'Loni Jones and Hayley!!! Do your thing out there!!
THE FIRST ANNUAL FUNKTION VOGUE MINI-BALL
Date/Time: 7/24/11 1:00pm
Where: FUNKtion Dance Complex
Street: 4260 US HWY 1 Suite 6
Town: Monmouth Junction, NJ
After a year of training students in vogue at the FUNKtion, the studio held a Mini-Ball to give the students and anyone interested, a small taste of the what the NYC Vogue community is like.
125$ was awarded to the winner of the Mini-Ball: Nastasha!
3 judges from the NYC Vogue community including Martin Xtravaganza from the House of Xtravaganza.
In order to qualify for each category, participants must follow the rules of their category listed below.
CATEGORY: OLD WAY
* "Bring Old Way the Gold Way"
Participants must wear something Gold or Yellow.
** "Give me shade honey!"
In order to win you must limit or pin your opponent at least 3 times.
CATEGORY: DRAMATICS
* "Dramatic Girls are Plastic Girls"
Participants must wear something plastic.
CATEGORY: VOGUE FEMME
* "Vogue Femme Like Back Then"
Participants must incorporate an older dance style to their vogue femme (ex. The charleston, the running man, etc) Whatever style you choose it must still look feminine.
CATEGORY: HAND PERFORMANCE
* "Give Them Hands Like Two Fans"
Participants must use as many circular motions as possible and exhibit creativity.
CATEGORY: RUNWAY (2 winners)
* "Bonjour Girls, Hello Boyz!"
Female participants are to walk European and Male participants are to walk American. Girls must wear a top with pockets and boys bring your shades. Girls bring your heels!
On July 23rd at 2pm Joanna Numata will be coming to the FUNKtion to do a special master class! After seeing her amazing work at the critically acclaimed and sold out shows Cy.clo.thy.mi.a and VATIC in NYC we know its going to be something you don't want to miss!
Click her picture to go to the Facebook Event page for more info and vids of some of Joanna's work/accomplishments!
Joanna Numata'’s love of dance lead her to train extensively in hip hop, ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and african. Her hard work and tenacity paid off when she was invited into Rhapsody James’s company. This opportunity allowed her to gain the experience and training she would need for the commercial dance world.
Joanna has had the privilege of working with such artists as Kanye West, Beyonce, Rihanna, Fergie, Black Eyed Peas, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Pharrel, Cassie and Dirty Money to name a few. She has also worked on the feature films, Step Up 3D, I am Legend, The Smurfs and Friends with Benefits (slated to be in theaters this summer). Some other credits include the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, "Fashion Rocks," "MTV VMA's," "SNL," "Law & Order,"“How to make it in America,” “Jimmy Fallon show,” Dr.Scholls national commercial, and industrials for L'Oreal, Nexxus, Nike, Adidas, Sobe Lifewater and Equinox.
She now wants to share her love of movement and musicality with the world, and give other young dancers the tools and opportunities they need in order to be successful in the dance industry. Although she is a new face in the world of choreography, she’s primed herself by teaching at Broadway Dance Center, Peridance and various studios all around the world .
30$ at the FUNKtion
25$ if you register in advance
https://www.facebook.com/FUNKtiondancecomplex
732-90-FUNK-1
A HUGE congrats goes out to The FUNKtion's own, Hayley Bochner, of the Beat Club Crew who was shown on the June 1st, 2011 episode of So You Think You Can Dance passing through the New York auditions and making it to Vegas!!! Hayley made it to the top 30 girls and was one of if not THE only Bgirl out of 60,000 auditions!
We are so very proud of you!! All your hard work this year is starting to pay off as this is yet another accomplishment for you to add to your list during your first year out of high school! You make us all proud and you are meant for great things!
This Memorial Day, the FUNKtion made our appearance at the Urban Arts Festival held at the State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ. Both of our performing crews, Beat Club and DV8 worked together and did a collaboration piece! It was a great day of family, friends, and positive vibes! Happy Memorial Day!
The FUNKtion's very own Beat Club Crew performed on May 13, 2011 at NYC's Terminal 5 night club! This was a very special event for us because it was a honor to perform on a stage that artists like the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Rusko, Sia, My Chemical Romance, and many more have performed on!
The event was for One Show Interactive and was an awards show where we saw representatives from Addias, LIVESTRONG, Sony, Xbox 360, Google, Yahoo, M&M/Mars, and many others! We even saw the guy from the Old Spice commercials!
"The One Club exists to champion and promote excellence in advertising and design in all its forms. It is the world's foremost non-profit organization devoted to elevating creative work in the industry. It seeks to celebrate the legacy of creative advertising and to use that legacy to inspire future generations. The One Club is the 'keeper of the flame' for advertising creatives. The One Show remains the pinnacle of achievement by providing a showcase of the world's best work, and by inviting collaboration among individuals that are actively developing outstanding work.
The One Club exists to educate and inspire students of the business, and benefit the next generation through scholarships, portfolio reviews and annual student exhibitions and competitions.
And finally, The One Club exists to inspire clients to seek the rewards that come with calculated risks and new ideas. As long as great ideas are allowed to take form, The One Club will continue to exist to encourage and promote them."
La Jon Dantzler's Master class was a hit! An amazing time was had by all! We can't wait to have La Jon come back again! A lot of new faces from Pulse and Monsters came by the studio! Thanks for jamming out with us you guys rocked!!!
Stay tuned for our next master class in June!
Continuing our Master Class series we have another amazing master class coming May 7th! Following SickStep's founder, Devon Marlink, Bboy Xpreshun, and Dana Foglia, we have Step Up 2's very own La Jon Dantzler!!
Born and raised in the South Bronx, La Jon aka “Lil Luda” aka “Smiles” grew up stepping and dancing in the streets. He began his career in a local after school program called Teens In Motion. While there he honed his skills in stepping and dancing. Furthermore, his lust for dancing led him to Broadway Dance Center. Once there he trained with such teachers as Bev Brown, Rhapsody James, and Brian “Footwork” Green. After working and training hard he audition for Rhapsody The Company and has been apart of the company since 2004. From then on he has been working hard and it has paid off. He has been blessed to work with suchchoreographers as Luther Brown, Dave Scott, ChuckMaldonado, Nu Styles, just to name a few.
His job credits include major movies such as "Stomp the Yard," "Step Up 2," "Step Up 3D," dancing for various artists, and performing with Rhapsody The Company.
Congrats to our very own Hayley Bochner for being signed to BlocNYC!
If you click on her picture to the right you can see she's up there with some pretty big names!
We are so very proud of you!! Hayley will be performing with Beat Club on the 13th at Terminal 5 in NYC and the Joyce in downtown NY (again with Beat Club) for a show for Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA). She will also be performing at Rhapsody James' Sirens After Dark on May 5th with Jamie & Co. We've been teaching Hayley since she was 12 and we couldn't be more proud of the spectacular dancer she's become!
Beat Club performed at Jared Griimes' RUN THE NIGHT showcase at BB Kings in NY on April 20th and was mentioned in Dance Magazine! Click the picture to the right to be taken to the article:
Can a Floor Give You Spiritual Energy? Ask Jared Grimes.
posted by Wendy Perron on Friday, Apr 22, 2011
"A surge of energy went through the crowd the moment Jared took the mike and vamped to the beat of his own voice. What a natural—as a dancer, as a host, as a voice for encouragement to younger dancers.
Wednesday night Jared held a special edition of his monthly Broadway Underground variety show at BB King Blues Club. This time he ran a competition called Run the Night that included tap, hip hop, modern and more. A panel of six industry judges, of which I was one, voted after each piece.
Jared wasn’t planning to dance himself, but he couldn’t help it. His terrific dancing—part Fosse, part Astaire, part Greg Hines—flow out of him every time he paced the floor. He talked about the floor, watched the floor, “warmed up” the floor for the next dancer. He made it seem like the floor itself was radiating energy. (To learn more about the fabulous Jared Grimes, see our cover story on him from 2007.)
The deserving winner, out of the 11 acts, was a pair of guys from Seattle in a number called Tap This. They were Josh Scribner, a very fluent tapper, and his student Vikas Arun, who has an appealingly eccentric personality. But what put them up a notch above the rest was the rhythms.
They started of soft, silky and slide-y and worked up to sharper rhythms, with unexpected holds that played with the music.
Another group also took my eye: the Beat Club, from Monmouth Junction, NJ. A rag-tag bunch of B-girls and B-boys, they made great formations in their first number. But in their second one, their true colors came out. They started kind of chaotic and built up to show true individuality—especially the girls.
All the participants were completely committed to their movement and quite skilled. But no one compared to either Grimes himself or his special guests. These included the AmountBoyz in their fantastic break dancing. I would go pretty far to see them again. It also included an impromptu appearance from Bill Irwin, the great dancer/clown/actor—and a fellow judge that night. Jared called him onto the stage, and if I hadn’t heard their conversation beforehand, I would have thought their nifty interaction was carefully choreographed. Bill did a couple scrumptious body doodles, grabbed Jared’s hat, and then finally tossed it back—and Jared caught it with his head.
At the very end, Jared made a big improv circle and invited any game dancer to go solo in the center. I was amazed at how, even the ones who hadn’t particularly shone during the choreographed group pieces, when alone in the center danced up a brief little storm. (Blame it on the floor!) This included two of the Beat Club girls who, separately with total individual style, strutted their Don’t-mess-with-me stuff. One was only 16.
After all the solos, one of the barefoot girls crossed with a hip hop guy, amazing the audience with their on-the-spot chemistry.
And so it went. Everybody walked out bopping and smiling. That floor at BB King’s was generous to all of us!"
The FUNKtion Dance Complex is located in South Brunswick, NJ. The FUNKtion is a non-competition studio that concentrates on catering to the industry dancer as well as the recreational dancer. Classes will range from the beginner thru advanced from kids to adults. We specialize in teaching students the technique required to make an impact on the New York dance scene.
Our outlook is similar to that of college. If you pay good money for a college education, by the end of your senior year you should have been taught the knowledge you need in order to get a job if you wanted one. Our mentality is of a similar line of thought. If you are paying for dance education then you should be given the tools that are required to make it in the dance world IF you want to. If you are not looking for a career in dance then at least you have options if you ever desired to.
The FUNKtion offers classes that teach students a plethora of styles. We specialize in: Popping, B-boying (breaking), Locking, House, Waacking, Voguing, New Jack Swing (aka Hip Hop), Street Jazz (choreography classes), Contemporary, Jazz, Modern, Ballet, Tap, and are adding more classes as demand increases.
Our classes will also cater to the dancer who is looking for a NY style class without having to travel the distance or pay the extra costs. The open enrollment classes will be perfect for the 18+ student who don't have a place to study after graduation and for adults who want to continue their training on a drop in basis.
Dance is supposed to be empowering and fun so it is a requirement that the teachers stress positive reinforcement and good health.
Since we are a non-competition studio we instead go to dance conventions where our students can train under the industry's hottest choreographers. If the students are trying to make it in the industry then they should be exposed to what will be expected of them when they work with such choreographers.
We also value serving the community so we will be doing performances for charity events as to give back as much as we can. This also teaches students that there's value in the arts as they can heal, help, and inspire.
We will hold an annual showcase in June to show progression of dance students growth.
The FUNKtion Dance Complex is a 6,000 square foot space that houses 3 large studio rooms, a lobby, a study room, a cubby room for personal items, and men and women's bathrooms.
Christina Rak-Samson - Owner/Managing Director
Christina has been dancing for over 25 years performing and continuing her dance education in NY and NJ at Princeton Ballet (dance minor, Rider Univeristy), Rutgers University, Broadway Dance Center, Steps and New Dance Group. She has trained and studied Acting and Theatre as well as the various styles of dance including Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Lyrical Jazz, Modern and Street Jazz/ Funk. She loves to bring various fusions of styles to her classes and choreography. She has been teaching dance as well as choreographing throughout the Tri-State area for the past 15 years and is currently working with various recording artists including Jackie Cole from Meadowland. Christina has also appeared on several television commercials, print ads, and preformed in and choreographed numerous plays and productions. In her professional life, Christina has a degree in Psychology, and is committed to the overall health and well being of each individual, and strives to bring a positive approach to her teaching methods and style. In addition, she had the distinct honor of becoming Mrs.New Jersey America 2006-2007 where she competed for the title of Mrs. America that was nationally televised on WE. She traveled the state of NJ empowering young girls and women to have confidence and self-esteem while promoting her platform: Substance Abuse Awareness and Prevention where she was able to use her knowledge as a Prevention Specialist, as well as working for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Middlesex County (NCADD). Christina is also a co-founder of an Arts empowering Non-Profit,The Heart of the Arts Project, Inc. where the love and passion for the arts and empowerment go hand in hand.
Eric Samson - Owner / Artistic Director
Eric Samson started dancing under the mentorship of Tom McKie and then went on to take classes in NY. He sought out classes to train in popping, locking, house, bboying, waacking, voguing, new jack swing, and commercial urban choreography. He studied with teachers that taught styles from the Hip Hop culture as well as from teachers that taught various styles that were relevant in the industry. He took classes at BDC, Peridance, Steps, and New Dance Group. To gain an understanding of some styles that weren't easily available at the time, Tom introduced him to some of the diverse communities (like Demerara's which housed Brian Green's house conference at the time) back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Understanding that the dance styles in the Hip Hop culture were different than the dance style that was largely (but not entirely) used in the industry, he looked to study classes that taught street jazz. He worked in Rhapsody James’ group and performed with her and Kevin Maher in 2001. In 2002 Eric moved to LA and trained at Millennium Studios and The Edge. While in California he sought out original locking pioneer Skeeter Rabbit to train in his classes. While in Studio City, Eric met Devon Marlink and was invited to his crew Way of Rhythm (WOR) which would eventually become SickStep (of America's Got Talent fame which would eventually move on to split off and become Quest Crew and Poreotix). Since then Eric found a passion for educating the next generation and focuses now on giving back what he has learned from his professional career and has been teaching for the past 10 years in NY, NJ as well as in California.
Eric created a crew called Beat Club which have been exposed to the pure styles of Hip Hop as well as the many industry styles today. Eric is credited for choreographing for Tenin's music video, HSKT which Beat Club was featured in.
Some of the crew's other accomplishments:
Hayley Bochner made top 30 in the SYTYCD auditions in Vegas.
Two Beat Club members featured in Step Up 3d music video "That Girl" by Laza.
Two Beat Club members featured in a music video "So Good" by Tina ft Fat Joe.
Two Beat Club members asked to shoot Amen-Ra's music video "Dance Floor"
Beat Club crew featured in a Bollywood artist, Trishna's music video. The crew also makes a guest appearance in the movie that the music video is for.
One of the crew is also a member of Jaime Jackson's Co. of Broadway Dance Center.
One dancer represented by BlocNYC
Beat Club won 1st Place in World Dance Contest at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ.
Beat Club filmed a scene for an upcoming film on the Williamsburg Bridge in NY.
The crew performed on the famous Terminal 5 stage in NYC for an awards show.
Featured dancers in Tenin's music video HSKT
PULSE On Tour awards:
Choreographer's Pick 2010 NJ Atlantic City 2010
Choreographer's Pick 2011 NJ Atlantic City 2011
Choreographer's Pick 2011 Boston, Mass 2011
THREE dancers are Pulse Proteges in the ADV/PRO room
Multiple dancers selected for Brian Friedman's Fashion Show piece in the following PULSE On Tour stops: NJ 2010, NJ 2011, Boston 2011
Multiple scholarships awards to crew members in all the PULSE stops including the 2010 PULSE Nationals in NYC.
Monster of Hip Hop awards:
Three crew members finalists in CLUB STYLZ showcase 3 years in a row.
Multiple scholarships awarded.
Two members awarded to go to LA for summer 2011
J'loni Jones awarded another trip to Florida for the Monsters Intensive and the Monsters Show.
Eric and Christy are looking to build a studio with a family oriented environment where they have put together a staff that has a profound respect for each other and appreciates each teacher's genre and style. We encourage functioning in a group that works towards the common goal of educating our students on the same page. We stress positivity, creativity, and working help students get past insecurities both inside the class and out. Our goal is to help each student strive to be their own individual best.
Chris Hale, currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center NYC, is Associate Director of :pushing progress and Director of the :pushing progress contemporary training program, which launched in the fall of 2009. Through his work with :pushing progress Chris and his partner Calen J. Kurka are at the helm of a revolution in the way we train in dance. Through incorporating anatomy and varied methodologies for sustainability and injury prevention they hope to bring a sophisticated level of information into the lives of every dancer who has the drive and passion to grow as an artist.
Professional credits include KTU's miracle on 34th Street where he performed with such recording artists as Mary J. Blige, Deborah Cox, Tamia, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Jackson. In 2002 he got the pleasure of performing with international singing sensation Anastasia at the FIFA World Cup Final Draw in Busan, Korea. Television credits include HBO's "Sex and the City" playing opposite Kim Catrall. He along with fellow instructor Calen Kurka, released an instructional video for the Live At BDC series entitled, “Floorwork, with Calen Kurka and Chris Hale”
Alexander Dutko received his pre-professional training on scholarship at the Nutmeg Conservatory, School of American Ballet, and the Universal Ballet Academy (formerly the Kirov Academy). He was among the top finalists at the 2003 Youth America Grand Prix's New York City Finals. In 2004 Alexander was one of 10 dancers invited to join the inaugural class of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. While at the school he was given the opportunity to dance in the 10th Anniversary Studio Company Gala at Lincoln Center, in the premiere of Jessica Lang's Veiled Calling. Upon graduating from the school Alexander accepted a position in Miami City Ballet, under the direction of Edward Villella, performing in such ballets as Balanchine's Prodigal Son, Symphony in C, Serenade, Western Symphony, and the Nutcracker, Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room, Paul Taylor's Funny Papers, and Edward Villella's Don Quixote and Giselle.
In the spring of 2007, Alexander choreographed his first ballet Venia for Miami City Ballet's "Our Show" Performance. In the fall of 2007 he became a member of Ballet Gamonet/ Maximum Dance Company in Miami, performing in new works by Jimmy Gamonet de los Heros and Jerry Opdenaker. Alexander is now a member of the American Repertory Ballet in Princeton, NJ under the direction of Douglas Martin. Throughout his professional career Alexander has choreographed pieces for Huntington Ballet Theatre and The Lynch School of Ballet. His works include: Motion Picture, Solus, Four Seasons, as well as a full length production of Don Quixote after Marius Petipa.
Alexander is excited to be joining the teachers at FUNKtion. Students will find his ballet class to be a fun and challenging workout. He will introduce students to the importance of technique, precise musicality, and overall artistry.
Juan Flores began his professional dancing career in 2001 when he attended Middlesex County College (MCC) in Edison, NJ where he did a double major in Psychology and Dance. While at MCC, he kept himself very active by joining the MCC Dance Ensemble. Although he learned several styles, the MCC dance program specialized in modern and contemporary dance. In 2002, he was given the opportunity to choreograph his first modern dance piece, which was a great success, and a year later he received his Associates. After graduating, Juan decided to focus on Psychology and is currently studying for his Master’s in Social Work. However, his love for dance was unsatiated so he attended Center for Modern Dance Education (CMDE) in Hackensack, NJ where he studied Hip-Hop and African Dance for three years under Roger Turner. As a result, in 2009, he was hired as the Hip-Hop aerobics instructor at the North Brunswick L.A. Fitness.
The same year that Juan began his college career at MCC is when he began to find his way into the gay club scene. It was at Club Deep in the Soho section of Manhattan that he had the honor to witness his first vogue battle between Javier Ninja and Brandon Xtravaganza. Vogue or voguing is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s. The gay club atmosphere allowed him to meet and befriend several members of the House of Ninja, Xtravaganza, and Westwood. However, his most inspiring moment was when he was introduced to the late and great Willie Ninja. Due to the knowledge he was attaining from Modern and Contemporary dance, Juan was able to appreciate the technique and control that Willie exhibited in his art. For the next few years he practiced the art of vogue in the clubs and on the streets of Greenwich Village in the company of many great voguers. As he evolved, he adopted the alias J.C. Illuminatii representing his voguing alter ego. Eventually he was able to pass on his knowledge to others who were able to join such houses as Xtravaganza, Tsunami, and Westwood. From Old way to Dramatics, today he is part of the Funktion Dance staff continuing to share his knowledge of vogue with an emphasis on technique and appreciation for the art.
Courtney Goerge has been trained in styles such as contemporary, jazz. lyrical, ballet, street jazz and hip hop. Upon graduating high school she continued her studies at The Ailey School in the Independent Study Program and then become an Intern at Broadway Dance Center. From there Courtney found her passion and focus to be contemporary and street jazz. She recently was chosen to be a mentee under teacher/choreographer Dana Foglia. Through this Courtney has had the opportunities to perform all over NYC including shows such as Rhapsody James' Sirens After Dark and The Peridance Faculty Showcase and Carnival to name a few. She recently performed in the sold out show Cy.clo.thy.mi.a that was choreographed by Dana Foglia, La Jon Dantzler, and Joanna Numata. She was one of the dancers in Dana's recent choreography reel. Last March Courtney performed as one of the featured dancers in Dana Foglia's sold out show VATIC.
She also was a dancer in the music video "This Girl" by Laza Morgan which can be heard on the Step Up 3D soundtrack. She continues to study in NYC at Broadway Dance Center and The Peridance Studios.
Class Description: class focuses on proper technique such as core strength and alignment as well as organic expression through the body. Class will emphasize the lines and shapes made through the body while being able to show dynamic movement and musicality. Students will dance to all types of music. Class will start with a warm up which will incorporate conditioning and strengthening, then move into a combination. Class will incorporate movements from styles such as contemporary, jazz and street jazz. The class environment is welcoming and fun but is also stresses hard work and focus.
Shani “Virgo” Alston is a native of New Jersey and has traveled across the country multiple times to teach and choreograph Hip-Hop between Los Angeles and Bermuda! She has received her BFA in Jazz Performance from the University of the Arts and have gained Choreography and Outstanding Jazz Performance Awards from the university. Throughout her twenty years of dance training, some of Virgo’s techniques include Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern/Contemporary, African, and Acrobatics, but she discovered her passion for Hip-Hop at the age of six. From there, she collaborated with many mentors and choreographers which led her to making appearances on the CBS Early Morning Show, BET’s The Center, and feature films “Family Album“ and “My Idiot Brother“. In 2009, Virgo appeared in the May/June issue of PhillyFit Magazine in regards to how dancing can keep you fit. Virgo also appeared in the 2006 March issue of popular dance magazine “Dance Spirit” regarding her audition and receipt of the Star-Ledger Scholarship. After college, Virgo immediately went out to network and started becoming a choreographer for multiple recording artists and dance shows. Recently, Virgo has collaborated with Zman Films as Associate Producer and Choreographer for the hit, new show “Hip-Hop High: The Musical”, which is making a debut at NYC Fringe Festival right now! Amongst everything, she will also be preparing for her country-wide tour traveling to different states teaching Hip-Hop master classes and workshops.
When Virgo is not choreographing, you can catch her teaching some Hip-Hop classes throughout the Tri-State Area. She likes to make her classes fun and because of her bubbly & welcoming personality, she has exceptional class sizes. Virgo is very experienced as a Hip-Hop dancer as well as a teacher and have been given great praise for her choreography and teaching abilities. She has received nothing but great reviews from students, teachers, parents, and other choreographers. Read up more about Virgo’s style of choreography, videos, and more at her website: www.GetVirgo.net.
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