Hunting Park: Black Diamond Dance Troupe Prepares Girls For Healthy Futures Through Dance and Mentoring
Hip-Hop music played loudly at the Hunting Park Recreation Center, where a group of young girls smiled with joy as they began preparation for their next performance. The Black Diamond Dance Troupe was founded two years ago by Camisha Moyer, Shana Bowman and Kishna Jeantine, who serve as the dance coaches for the troupe. The […]
Powelton Village: Arts Community Leader Passes The Torch After 20 Years Of Service
After 20 years with the Community Education Center in West Philadelphia, Theresa Shockley is ready to hand over the reins as Executive Director. Prior to Shockley’s time at CEC, she was a student at the Ohio State University Dance Department. After college, Shockley became a founding member of the Urban Bush Women dance company, touring around the country […]
Northwest: Mount Airy Learning Tree Branching Out to Create Stronger Community
Mount Airy Learning Tree (MALT) is a community-based nonprofit organization that has been bringing together members of the Northwest Philadelphia community for more than 35 years. Founded in 1980 by Barbara Bloom, MALT looks to enrich the lives of community members by offering a wide range of courses in an informal learning environment on particular […]
Passyunk Square: KYL/D Director Uses Dance as a Means of Self-Discovery
“One, two, three, two, two, three and go!” Kun-Yang Lin said as he stood in front of his ensemble of professional dancers at CHI Movement Arts Center (CHI MAC) and gave notes during rehearsal of a restaged piece, “ONE/Immortal Game.” The dancers portrayed human sized chess pieces and moved in a grid-like pattern to emulate a chess […]
Spring Garden: Young Choreographer Explores Human Interaction Through Dance and Photography
Through a blend of two distinctive artistic disciplines, 23-year-old Camille Gamble seeks to illustrate the significance of everyday human interaction that many folks often take for granted. The recent Temple University graduate calls her concept, The InterACTion Project, which utilizes dance and photography as a means of connecting people to the kind of personal interaction […]
Arts and Entertainment: Five Dance Studios in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is thriving with dance. Stroll down the Avenue of the Arts and you will pass by a dozen art venues, theaters and dance studios. Are you inspired by street dancers outside of Wawa, or want to learn a new style of dance? If you are interested in taking a dance class, check out these five studios in […]
Politics: Councilwoman Brown Shows Service and Activism in the Community
It was shortly after 11 o’clock on a brisk Friday morning in North Philadelphia. Folks at the Martin Luther King Jr. Senior Center at the corner of 21st Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue were carefully listening to safety tips from city officials at the center’s annual Senior Citizen Expo. Front-and-center stood Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, […]
Fishtown: All-Female Collective Dances With Eye Toward Election
On Election Day, femme. collective will cast a vote for president that is sprinkled with lady power. Femme. collective is a Fishtown-based, all-female group of dancers and artists who support feminism. The core group, of less than a dozen women, holds frequent meetings to talk about their productions in collective founder Loren McFalls’ home. This has […]
Queen Village: PACK Students Put A Twist On Classic Theater Productions
The Performance Arts Center for Kids inspires students one lesson at a time with a unique combination of dance and theater classes. PACK owner and director Jessica Noel teaches students more than just choreography. She creates a safe and encouraging atmosphere, reminding students that this is their “artistic home base.” While the company mostly caters to children, the space welcomes […]
Brewerytown: Yoga & Movement Sanctuary Brings A New Kind of Fitness to Girard
In April, Brewerytown residents welcomed the Yoga & Movement Sanctuary on 2623 W. Girard Ave. with curiosity and eagerness. It’s co-owners, Emile Sorger and Noah Julian, had both been teaching yoga at various studios in the city for years before a developer at MM Partners LLC gave them the opportunity to open their own. Julian explained what […]