Jade’s Hip Hop Academy is a dynamic place where dancers showcase their love of hip hop, teach classes, compete in dance competitions and represent the world of dance in a positive light.
“It’s very unique. It’s one of the few dance studios in Canada to focus solely on hip hop and street dance,” Jade Jager Clark, owner and artistic director said.
Jager Clark, a self taught dancer began dancing, teaching and choreographing at the age of 14.
Hip Hop appealed to Jager Clark for its popularity and inspired her to relentlessly pursue excellence in her craft.
“I’ve always had a love for music and movements. I naturally gravitated towards hip hop because that was the popular music at the time. And being self taught really means that although you have a lot of support, there’s no guidance or mentorship in that way so I just always wanted to push myself to become better and better,” Jager Clark said.
Core principles that the Academy operates under are respect and family. Each student follows the school’s five C’s: commitment, completion, consistency, confidence and communication.
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“We got to communicate all of our stories and everything that we want people…really got to feel the vibe and energy that we’re bringing,” Jager Clark said.
Dancers between the ages of three and 20 are given the opportunity to pursue high quality training in authentic hip hop at the Academy, be it recreational or competitive.
“There’s about six different styles including popping, locking, breaking, crump and house. So, to be a street dancer, to be able to not only pick up choreography and be able to freestyle in all of that is a huge part of what we teach here,” Jager Clark said.
A dancer at the Academy tries to show the stereotypes surrounding hip hop by elaborating on its diverse history.
“It’s not just all from the streets. It has technique, it has a background to it and it started so long ago. It’s not just what we see in music videos. There’s so much more to it and I just hope that people still give it a chance to be more exposed of what true, authentic hip hop is,” Una Wabinski, dancer said.
One of Jade’s goals is to ensure that everyone who is passionate about dance is given the chance to do so.
“It’s very important to me that there are no financial barriers to someone pursuing their passion. My mom was a single parent, we couldn’t afford it. And I have seen that so many times, young people getting held back because of finances,” Jager Clark said.
By keeping costs to a minimum, Jager Clark rewards a solid work ethic and dedication with full or partial scholarship to ensure that everyone in the community has access to her classes.
“They are so talented. And they are so committed and they work so hard and one of the things that’s important for me is to be able to showcase that talent,” Jager Clark said.
Visit Jade’s Hip Hop Academy for more.
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