My teaching philosophy motto is: “I am an artist first.” I use my artistry and professional performance experience as foundational tools in developing course material that is rigorous, relevant, and rooted in lived practice. The dance studio is a communal space where the ideas, experiences, and identities of each student are welcomed and respected. I encourage my students to take ownership of their learning, positioning them as co-creators in a shared process. I bring to the classroom the embodied knowledge I’ve accumulated through years of creative practice, scholarship, and performance, while also making room for students to draw from their own cultural backgrounds and lived experiences as we explore new techniques and freestyle forms together.

While some may regard hip hop dance education as disruptive or marginal in academia, I believe it is essential and culturally grounded in discipline, challenging dominant forms of knowledge production in higher dance education. Hip hop dance and performance function as a form of embodied ethnography that centers African diasporic knowledge systems and community wisdom. This decolonial practice disrupts Eurocentric dance education by sharing knowledge in cyphers, validating non-textual forms of intelligence through freestyle, and elevating marginalized voices by creating platforms for communities to theorize their own experiences through performance-based scholarship. By integrating hip hop’s interdisciplinary, community-rooted pedagogy into academic institutions, universities can move beyond extractive research models toward reciprocal relationships that honor embodied memory and experiential knowledge as intellectual practice. Ultimately, this challenges colonial legacies while enriching the academy’s capacity to understand complex social realities through multiple ways of knowing.

Hip hop offers a transformative pedagogy that fosters critical thinking, embodied scholarship, and inclusive community engagement. In both studio and classroom settings, I cultivate learning environments that center artistic experimentation and scholarly inquiry. My classes are intentionally coded with themes of survival, identity, and perseverance, shaped by the sociopolitical narratives that inform hip hop as both a global cultural movement and an academic practice.

My pedagogy begins with my lived experience as a movement practitioner shaped by the aesthetics of hip hop. Hip hop’s aesthetics, cultural markers, and traditions shape my instructional methods, where knowledge is transmitted through the body and amplified by the ways powerful bodies take up space communally, particularly within the cypher. Within this framework, my students learn not only from a cognitive approach but through an embodied process that honors ancestral knowledge, incorporates all hip hop street styles in choreographic structures, and nurtures modes of expression through freestyle.

By fostering an atmosphere of joy, encouragement, open dialogue, and transparency, I create a learning environment that motivates students to engage in problem-solving through movement and self-expression. This allows students to preserve and celebrate their individuality even as they work within choreographic parameters. While some students may find my courses demanding, many describe them as challenging but attainable. This a direct reflection of my intentional and scaffolded approach. I do not solely aim to cultivate professional dancers, but to empower students as critical thinkers, artists, and community builders. Through pedagogy rooted in cultural authenticity, resilience, and scholarly inquiry.

I prepare students to contribute meaningfully on stage, in classrooms, and within their communities. As I continue to evolve, I remain committed to embodying the values I teach, especially curiosity. My job is to train students to use their talents in service to themselves and others, in whatever field they choose to leave their mark.

Although I am still performing, touring, and working commercially, I make a great effort to support my students and their creative endeavors. I extend office hours, volunteer for student-led projects, and keep communication open despite my demanding schedule. I find fulfillment as an instructor when I see students tap into their own movement style. Creative discovery is limitless; dancers are lifelong investigators in their own artistic evolution.

When students understand their own movement, they do not mimic me but connect with a deeper, personal body awareness, empowering them to grow as artists. My journey as an educator has evolved through my own experiences and through observing other educators’ teaching styles and techniques. I recognize the importance of clear guidance and have embraced multiple methodologies to enhance my students’ academic journey. My commitment to creating an enriching and effective learning environment in the performing arts continues to drive my dedication to the art of dance education.

As a dance educator, I believe every great teacher must also remain a student. I am committed to continually expanding my knowledge in dance techniques, history, choreography, and kinesiology. This dedication to lifelong learning not only strengthens my development as an educator but also models a growth mindset for my students. I hope my passion for learning inspires them to nurture their own intellectual curiosity and creative investigation.