*SCDT presents:* ___ **HIP HOP FUNK CLASS (ages 5-8) ___ ​with Elaine Ortiz** ___ **Wednesdays, 4:00pm-5:00pm ___ at 33 Hawley Street, in A.P.E.'s WorkRoomTheater ( lower level )** ___ ___ Wednesday September 7- December 14, 2022 ___ **​** ___ Email infoscdt@gmail.com​ for more info! ___ **Hip-Hop- Funk Class** ___ Experience a high energy, exhilarating, community oriented space while gaining foundmentals in ___ hip hop. groove technique and more. In this class, dancers will learn about hip hop history and ___ its pioneers as well as develop an understanding of old school techniques, new school ___ techniques, groove, musicality and freestyle. **Elaine Ortiz** graduated from Springfield College, where they earned their B.A. in Dance. They ___ have worked with the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Monica Bill Barnes, Jason Aryeh, Sarah ___ Zehnder, Tara Murphy, Andrea Vazquez-Aguirre Kaufman, Alan Franco, Tatiana Desardouin, ___ and Darrell Grand Moultrie. There they developed technical skills in jazz, modern, ballet, ___ hip-hop, West African dance, and contact improvisation and participated in the touring Dance ___ Repertory Company as both a rehearsal assistant and company member. During their years at ___ Springfield, Ortiz placed choreography on their peers, one of the first entitled Comenzando. In ___ their final year working alongside fellow dancer Cynthia Duran, they developed a senior ___ showcase on social justice issues entitled Fuerza Y Resistencia. The themes explored included ___ ableism, gender, racism, and mental health. Moving forward, Ortiz seeks to challenge ___ pre-existing societal biases and narratives while creating spaces of solidarity.