Full Circle received a grant award to help with the presentation of Innaviews as an ensemble and Rokafella was present to receive the award from Americo Casiano who is an iconic poet and officer at Bronx Council of the Arts. Once again we appreciate the support from our staff and artistic  team.

Full Circle performed for Kevin Powell’s BK Nation launch at Le Poisson Rouge along with the Soulfolk band to represent Hip-hop culture to its fullest.

Rokafella participated in Fresh Bold and So So Def Women’s History month panel discussion and performance day at the Schomberg Center in March organized by Martha Diaz.  The link of the discussion is below for you all to check out from the live feed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yiSKTG2plE

FC Soulsistas performed for the Momma’s Hip-hop Kitchen, Respect to the Queenz and for Sybarite’s Love is Love choreographer showcase.

Rokafella participated in the B Divine Women’s history event in Chicago’s Columbia College. Thank you to Sage Morgan Hubbard and her staff for an empowering event with an ATLS screening, Emcees and DJ and dancers! Shout out to Lady Champ.

Full Circle’s Shea and Flash joined Rokafella to dance at a sweet sixteen party in the Bronx and Kilo and Sole Junky won Break Buffet competition.

DJ Danny Nun~ez did a guest set at our Behind The Groove party in March as well as Stretch who did a set in April celebrating four Aries birthdays. BTG party will happen in May on the 28th! Thank you to IT-TV for covering our parties and to BROADWAY DANCE CENTER for coming on board as a sponsor supporting NYC’s only gathering where diverse styles of dance co exist in a spontaneous outpouring of call and respond.

Rokafella was the director of a program entitled Still Standing which boasted young talent from Hostos and NYC area and members of Full Circle along with post performance discussion by Kim Holmes. Kwikstep mixed the music and Amanda Adams Louis designed the Media. Hostos was celebrating its 45 year anniversary and this was the 8th edition of the series known as Young Roots curated by Jane Gabriels and Wally Edgecombe. Thank you to all the support staff.

Full Circle performed for the We Are Family foundation to help fund their youth programs. Kathy Sledge took time to take a photo with the dancers since she enjoyed the Hip-hop culture dance performance.  Thank you to Galinksy for organizing a vibrant program for the evening at the Bitter End.

Express Your Skills ended up feeling like a reunion of Full Circle Family with DJ Dp One on the turntables and our Venezuelan Speedy Angels cousins El Enano and Lil G with Rokafella. Thank you to Time Machine Squad, Kelly Popi Nata  DJ ADam Alex Cruz & Wife Lily and team for organizing another GREAT event to keep Hip-hop culture alive in Puerto Rico and congrats to Colombian Bboy Arex from Peligrosos Crew who won the 1 on 1 and to Bgirl Mantis for winning the Bgirl 1 on 1.

Shout to B  girl Reloaded in 2nd place.

May 17th Full Circle will present a full evening at BAAD-Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance including Flash’s one man show “Now and Then”, poetry, FC dance repertoire and Rokafella’s music with live musicians AND Kwikstep will DJ the after party.  For Ticket and directions click on www.bronxacademyofartsanddance.org 

We will be participating in the AIDSWALK on May 19th so if you would like to sponsor our team with a donation or want to join us that day please click on this link http://awny2013.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1052727&lis=0&kntae1052727=DFDB708CBE114A80A85E2CDC2611C8CE&team=5425408&tlteam=0 or go to the website and type in Full Circle Prod # 9317.

Thank you for all the support and guidance so many have offered to our team to keep our company, crew and students exposed to a solid combination of artistic process,  dance culture and business. The Door Teen center remains a three-day-a-week training spot for anyone age 14- 21. Register for membership in person at 555 Broome st; or call 212 941 9090.

Kwikstep will be heading to Breaking the Law event in Wisconsin as a judge and will travel to Italy to teach his unique fundamentals and style. All The Ladies Say will be screened in Manhattan in June. If you wish to donate your time, services or funds please contact us on this site.

Happy Re birth– Spring is in the air!

You can follow us on Twitter fullcirclesoul,

Facebook group pages– Full Circle Prod;  All The Ladies Say.

This weekend, Rokafella travels to Puerto Rico to offer a Saturday dance workshop and judge a 1 on 1 and a native island crew battle on Sunday which Flash, Sole Junky and Mantis will enter. “Express Your Skillz” is the name of the event in Caguas, P. R. happening on Sunday April 14th.

Kwikstep has collaborated with artistic and choreographic consultation and will be appearing in a tribute play entitled The Greatest- Muhammed Ali at the world famous Boxing Gym Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn on April 13 and 14th.

Kwikstep will also offer workshops and judge the Freestyle Session in Philadelphia, PA on April 20th. Full Circle crew will compete in the 3 vs 3. Good luck!!!

The NYC Aidswalk is on May 19th we hope you have already donated to our team Full Circle Prod -9317. www.aidswalk.net/newyork

Thank you for all your Support!

FCP Adm

Innaviews was a success at Pregones in the Bronx on Valentine’s Day. Thank you to Noel Rodriguez, Kim Holmes and Frantz for sharing the stage and to the team behind the scenes Damon White, Cmar, Christopher Edwards, Melissa Ulto, William Dubois and Nay Marie for being so supportive despite all the stress of putting on a show with so many elements. It was a true collaboration and we hope the standing ovation touched your hearts as well!

The Momma’s Hip-hop Concert was well attended (as usual) and full of talented young and adult female masters! For Full Circle Soulsistas ,this was our fifth concert and three original dancers GI Jane, Beasty and J La Rok were on stage with us again as well as newcomers to the Bgirl world! We were happy to rock to DJ Jasmin Solano sounds and to be the last act to share the fire! Below is the link.

http://youtu.be/s8u9YuuTVg0

Thank you to WHEDCO for donating space to Full Circle, and to the concert founders/organizers- Lah Tere and Kathleen Adams.  Please log onto www.mhhk.org to stay connected to their year round activities!

Rokafella visited Vassar College for M*Power’s Hip-hop Don’t Stop workshop series in Poughkeepsie on the 16th for an afternoon of youth training. They even had DJ Wisdom play great music for the two sessions.

Thank you Boogie TC and Mama T for organizing and inviting me to work with your future dance all stars! Rokafella returned to NYC charged up knowing they are doing great work up there.

Rokafella is directing the 2013 Young Roots performance of “Still Standing” – a show about the challenges and triumphs of NYC’s youth keeping up with the pace- on March 21 and 22nd at 7pm Hostos Community College–which is celebrating its 45th year anniversary at 7pm. Tickets are $15 , $7 for students with school ID. Go online for tickets at www.hostos.cuny.edu/culturearts and support this yearly program that helps develop young aspiring dancers, actors and poets to gain stage experience and grow their confidence.

Join us for another night of dancing to classic and new grooves laid down by DJ’s KS 360 DP One and DANNY NUNEZ!! Le Poisson Rouge 158 Bleeker St !0pm-4am.. $7 before midnite $10 after non alchoholic drinks and the best Chocolate when you walk in!

Rokafella will screen ALL THE LADIES SAY on March 15th at Columbia College in Chicago and join Lady Champ on the 16th for an all-styles event celebrating women and Hip-hop in Chi town. www.alltheladiessay.com for trailers, past blogs and photos.

April 5th La Roka–Rokafella– will perform for Kevin Powell’s fund raiser at Le Poisson Rouge and dancers from Full Circle will compete in an international 1 vs 1 in Puerto Rico’s EYS event on the 15th of April.

Bronx Council on the Arts awarded Full Circle with its Community Arts grant award through the New York State Council on the Arts in order to develop and present the ensemble version of INNAVIEWS at Pregones.  Thank you to the BCA staff, panel and to Americo Casiano -pictured above – for your efforts to nurture Bronx artist’s development for so many years!

Full Circle will participate in the NYC Aidswalk as team Full Circle Prod 9317 so if you want to sponsor or walk with us on May 19th. https://www.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=1052727&lis=1&kntae1052727=F0B9BE8DF5F7416B92A7768E7E32E242&team=5425408&tlteam=0

Thank you for your support so far and if you would like to donate your funds or services please contact us here!

Febraury heats up with a Kwikstep and Rokafella’s Valentine’s day show including performances by Kim Holmes, Noel Rodrigues and Frantz Jerome.

Our discount code is FULLCIRCLEDISC if you want to get $12 tickets. Pregones Theater has been there since the 70′s reppin’ Latino playwrights and culture. Bronx Council on the Arts funded this reincarnation of an original duet commissioned in 2007/2008 at DTW–now known as NYLA –written, choreographed and performed by Kwikstep and Rokafella. Thank you to April Silver with Akila Worksongs and to 5thGMedia for helping with our promotional campaigns for Innaviews. Thank you to Cmar and Melissa Ulto for helping us with project assistance and video archiving respectively.

Behind The Groove celebrated 3 years of getting the dance community of NYC a dance floor to feel free to espress itself! DP One’s birthday was great and Big Ben raised the roof. Thank you to Akim Funk Buddha & Princess Lockeroo, Violet (KR3t’s) Kim, Beastie, ItTV, Hip-hop Theater Festival, Peggy Choy, HDC, Cynthia Rose, Ron Renaissance, Tweetie, Michele Byrd, Peach, Ru, Ya Yha and all our dance all stars! See you on February 19th for the second party of  2013!

WANT TO SEE A DOCUMENTARY FEATURING TESTIMONIALS AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM WOMEN IN AMERICA..? PLEASE WATCH “MAKER’S” 3 HOUR SPECIAL ON PBS!! http://www.makers.com/ Please spread the word and tell your sisters, cousins, daughters, aunts, neighbors, co workers to tune in! It is pure inspiration!!!!!!

Continuing on that Girl Power vibe, for the fifth year in a row the ladies of Full Circle will rep for Momma’s Hip-hop Kitchen Women’s history month concert in the Bronx.

Last year Full Circle Soulsistah’s donned blue t shirts and wove together different styles of urban dance to the sounds of pioneering Hip-hop soul songstress Lisa Lisa and her “Can you feel the Beat” track.
This year they will rehearse at spaces offered by WHEDCO in the Bronx to put together their moves to the hip-hop classic MC Lyte’s “Paper Thin”. Please join them on March 2nd at Hostos Community College— for more info www.mhhk.org

Rokafella will be working with “Young Roots” youth performance series set for March 22nd.. audition on the 14th and 15th. Please stay tuned for more info about the creation process of the multi media (dance/poetry/projection) hour long performance piece created by the youth about transcending identity issues. The piece is entitled “Still Standing”

“All the Ladies Say” will be screened at Columbia College on March 15th then Rokafella will teach a dance workshop and Lady Champ will be there to host her own jam on the 16th.

Props to DP One who came in third at the Red Bull 3style DJ contest and to Jerry who came in 1st at BBoy Ultimatum.

Full Circle will travel to Puerto Rico’s International Bboy Contest “Express Your Skills” event held by Time Machine Squad on April 15th to compete on the 1 on 1 level and Bgirl Mantis will enter the Bgirl 1 on 1 in Caguas.

Kwikstep will help choreograph and perform a play offering a tribute to Mohammed Ali entitled “The Greatest” on April 14th at Gleason’s Gym.. More info to follow.

Kwikstep and Rokafella were selected to participate in NYU Hip-hop Education Center Fellows program helping to aid in the research of accurate Hip-hop dance folklore and technique for use in the creation of a curriculum for the classroom. Martha Diaz who has founded this center is working to place Hip-hop culture in classrooms nationally but with authentic contributions from the practioners.  Access to resources will help Rokafella  and Kwikstep with their own study and practice regarding company and personal projects.  Congrats!

Happy 30 anniversary to Ralph Mcdaniels’ Video Music Box show.

If you wish to donate your services or funds to the company please contact us here.

Thank you to Dance New Amsterdam and DANY Studios for fostering our company operations.

APAP showcases went smooth and we thank Jane Gabriels efforts through Pepatian to help Bronx artists and organizations to access resources and get visibility.

Full Circle has been awarded funds by the Bronx Council on the Arts to help present INNAVIEWS– the critically acclaimed dance theater duet created and performed by Kwikstep and Rokafella at Pregones Theater. Valentine’s Day is the one night only engagement for this psuedo biographical story about Kwik and Rok’s personal and professional encounters with media while maintaining their marriage. This version will include a poet–Frantz Jerome, two dancers and will be directed by Christopher Edwards.
For ticket and info log onto www.Pregones.org

We thank our board members for showing their support and enthusiasm after our first meeting of the year.  We thank our dancers and rising-star students who hang in there despite the grueling training routine they are soldiering through. Hip-hop history, Gymnastics, Social Justice, Choreography, dance instructor training and dance battle tactics are what make our programs unique as they are administered by two veteran NYC born and bred multi-faceted guru’s.

Please look out for fund raising efforts, upcoming women’s history month concerts, Kwikstep’s appearance in “The Greatest” a theater play honoring Mohammed Ali, All The Ladies Say screenings are in the works (possibly Chicago).  Thank you to Melissa Ulto for staying on fire with the project! Thank you to William Focus Dubois at 5thGM  for supporting us with graphic and web design services. Thank you to Advance Style Lab for the donation to All The Ladies Say.

Check out this clip of Rokafella at Yerba Buena Center for Arts in San Francisco working with DRB’s live musicians and dance partner named Lil Crabe for a segment of Marc Bamuthi’s Clas(sick) concert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkj4N2sQltk

If you would like to donate your services or funds please contact us for more information.

Kwik’s B day Bowling party

This is the last newsletter of the year and we have been focusing on all the progress our company and members have made.
The following fotos are a flash back to this years activities!

Our Halloween Party was cancelled due to the Hurricane that devastated much of NYC and the surrounding areas. Our prayers go out for full recovery to all who were affected by the storm.

Rokafella went to judge the We B Girlz finals at Battle of the Year in Montpellier–Congrats to Nagi and Nao who won and much love to all the finalist worldwide!

Kwikstep traveled to Rio to participate in REd Bull BC One finals.

Big shout to Alfred who won his first Bboy contest upstate.

Join us at LPR for Kevin Powell’s Fundraiser Sandy releif NYC coat drive Christmas party on Dec 7th.

Join us for our Behind the Groove party on the 11th which will celebrate the visit from Angolan dancers bringing their KUDURO dance To the NYC dance community.

The KUDURO dancers will be featured at our party along with other appearances at Hangtime, Cielo’s night club, Archie Burnett’s Voguing class and Kim Holmes’ dance class at Peridance/Capezio center. For info log onto:

www.oskuduristas.com 

Full Circle will do a short performance at the NYPL Riverside branch on Dec 11th at 4pm. Free for all kids and adults.

Thank you for a memorable year of performances, battles, birthdays, beach trips, picnics and workshops.

New faces and familiar ones have colored our days with intense energy and love.

We deeply THANK Aviva Davidson, Arthur and Charles at BAAD, Bill Bragin, DANY Studios, Idealist, our new board members, Bill Aguado, Danni Gee at Summerstage, LP21, the staff at LPR, Momma’s Hip-hop Kitchen, the Gay Center, The Door, ITTV, the New York Public Library, William Dubois, DP One, Elena Romero and Jane Gabriels… you have all kept this company afloat and pushing forward!

If you wish to donate your services or funds please contact us and let us know how to build a relationship with you.

Happy holidays and we wish you a prosperous 2013!!!

Thank you for a vibrant 2012!

Kwikstep traveled to France to perform with 3 Door members/Full Circle Souljahs at the Festival d’Ile De France! The Door is a teen center focusing on Academic and Artistic development with uplifting programming since the 70′s. 212 941 9090 is the number if you know a teen interested in registering for all programs including our 10 year staple- Breakdance/Popping.

Returning  from a successful series of Summer dance classes in the NY Public library system, Rokafella is continuing to offer beginners Hip-hop dance classes in October at the Westchester Branch at 2521 Glebe ave on the 10th, 17th and 24th at 4pm. She will also offer her intermediate level Breaking class as part of the Advance Style Lab on Friday Ocotber 12th group 1. check link for info. http://streetstylelab.com/itinerary

The Full Circle Soul Sistahs and Souljahs will accompany Rokafella as she performs her songs for Pepatian’s Fundraiser– Facebook link- https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151195902431136&set=a.10150756695251136.453354.667506135& type=1&theater

and on October 9th then at the Bronx Museum’s 40th Anniversary Gala. http://www.bronxmuseum.org/

Join us and support the developing artistry coming from the future all stars of NYC dance community.

Kwikstep and Rokafella are working with the Mixing Texts Collective on a new production entitled How To Break.

HOW TO BREAK tells the story of two hospitalized teenagers (a b-boy with sickle cell and a popper with leukemia) and their caregivers (a doctor, a folk singer, and a nurse with a beatboxing problem) trying to live while various body parts, including hearts, are breaking.Based on playwright Aaron Jafferis’ experience as writer-in-residence at a children’s hospital, HOW TO BREAK is a brand-new creation by the Mixing Texts Collective (playwright Aaron Jafferis, breaking pioneers Kwikstep + Rokafella, beatboxers Adam Matta + Yako 440, indie rocker Rebecca Hart, director Christopher Edwards) and a dynamite team of actors and designers. HOW TO BREAK will bring its sick self to NYC this October 18 – November 4 with HERE and the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, in association with Collective Consciousness Theatre. If you would like to make a donation to help raise funds for the production please click on this link for info.  http://igg.me/p/235713?a=1343811.

It’s that time again.. New York Dance and Performance Awards, The Bessies
Produced in partnership with Dance/NYC is happening on
Monday October 15, 2012
at the
Apollo Theater
253 West 125th Street
Doors open at 7 pm, ceremony begins promptly at 8 pm.
Drinks and food available for purchase at the theater.
Tickets $10, available at www.apollotheater.org and at the Apollo box office. To further support the Bessies, please choose the Bessie Supporter ticket for $20, online or at the Apollo box office. Join the Bessie Angels for priority seating and a pre-show benefit cocktail reception at the Studio Museum in Harlem beginning at 6 pm. Click here for details.  Everyone is invited to the free after-party following the ceremony at the Alhambra Ballroom, sponsored by Two Boots Pizza!

Last year Violeta Galagarza received the Special Achievement in Dance award!!

If you wish to attend the upcoming events please contact us here! If you wish to make a donation to help the company flowing please contact us here. AND if you wish to offer your Clerical, Managerial, or graphic design services please contact us here.

Facebook group page– Full Circle Prod Inc / All The Ladies Say/ Behind The Groove

Twitter– Full Circle Soul

June 30th was the date for the amazing dance concert at St Mary’s Park in the Bronx hosted by Rokafella. Performers included Kim Holmes, Ismael Otero, Milteri Tucker, Anthony Rodriguez, the Legendary House of Ninja, KR3T’s and the Bedstuy Veterans. Full Circle performed a new piece choreographed by Fresh Frank–just returning from a 20 year stay in JAPAN!! Welcome back to him and to Beastie and Tiffany (pictured above) who have returned to the stage!! Thank you to Danni Gee and staff for allowing us a night to present our underground family on stage! Big hug to Kiba for helping us with operations that afternoon..much appreciated support!

Dancing in the Streets held their annual Block party at Casita Maria and the weather was just gorgeous!! Frank Concepcion Jr collaborated on the choreography and music mix for this piece made shorter due to concert time constraints plus some of our main dancers were out of town. We thank Aviva Davidson and her Hip-hop Generation Next crew for the support. Thank you to Joe Conzo for his talents as a Super photographer!!

Big shout to Michele Byrd Mcphee for once again hosting her Ladies Of Hip-hop festival with master classes and performances to highlight women in dance! Our participation was a short but potent Bgirl piece with Rok, Tiffany now baptized as B girl ReLoaded, Odylle recently named B girl Mantis and Toko! We felt very honored to be the only breaking piece in the line up and well as women it felt empowering to bring this to a HIP-HOP dance genre concert! It is still difficult to draw in new students to this style of dance but when we make it look so effortless, some people may feel like they can do this too!

Peace.

Library classes continue.. 4pm Thursday classes begin August 2, 9, 16th at the Sedgwick branch located at 1701 University call 718 731 2074 Mr Sheldon Norman for info. A or 1 train to 181st street stations take bus bx 36 to 176th and Dr. Martin Luther king blvd.

and 3pm Tuesday classes are on August 7th and 14th at Inwood Branch on 4790 Broadway 212 942 2445 Ms Danita Nichols for info. A train to Dyckman st walk north on Dyckman.

“Behind the Groove” dance party (21 and over) is on August 14th for Ms Al Boogie’s “No 1″ Music video premiere and celebrate Rokafella’s birthday party!! 158 Bleeker St, $7 before midnite–$10 after.

Kwikstep will hold “Behind The Groove” dance party at Le Poisson Rouge on July 10th 158 Bleeker St.

He will bring “Behind The Groove” as a FREE party to Lincoln Center Out of Doors -LOOD- as he opens up for the CHIC concert on JULY 25th at 6pm-7pm and then after CHIC he will have another set at 9pm.

Full Circle dancers will compete at the 3rd annual El Barrio’s freshest 1 on 1 Breakin competition on July 21st at El Museo del Barrio 105th street and 5th avenue- Manhattan 6:30pm.