DCypher Dance celebrates five years on the cutting edge at Joy of Motion on July 9th

Over the past 40 years, hip hop music has expanded from being a curious form of urban self-expression borne in South Bronx housing projects to being the most intriguing and dominant brand of universal pop culture communication. Succeeding in remaining fresh in this atmosphere is a difficult task for everyone involved, with a rapidly diminishing rate of success in the face of global growth.  On July 9th, Washington, DC's Joy of Motion Dance Center presents the fifth Anniversary celebration of DCypher Dance, an innovative group of aytpical local dancers excelling in the face of a trending typical notion. The crew's Ascenscion: Phase 5 event is a landmark performance lauding the dedicated work of local artists, and worthy of your time and attention.

"The company serves a major role in the aims of Joy of Motion, they do a number of performances at schools, and are a significant part of our outreach. Being that they're a hip hop ensemble, they're very popular," states Douglas Yeuell, the Executive/Artistic Director of Joy of Motion. The notion of hip hop dance performance groups is not a novel concept, but DCypher is a standout. "There are many crews that perform hip hop routines, but we consistently try to bring something different, something special to the table" says DCypher's Artistic Director Natasha Hawkins. Hawkins has been with DCypher from the start, like most of the group, a classically trained dancer working in the professional world still in search of an outlet. "Five years ago, there were ten of us, now we have 20 dancers. The tryouts this year were really impressive, as we're attracting a greater number of increasingly talented performers." DCypher's exuberance comes from a love of expression through dance, one that often has the crew practicing late into the night at the Joy of Motion studio's Friendship Heights location. The passion has attracted a modicum of praise, with a recent trip to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's Culture Shock Showcase as the lone DC representative as the fruit of their dedicated labor.

July 9th's performance is expected to fulfill the high standards to which the performers typically hold themselves. Five choreographed dances will be showcased, with one being created Porche Anthony of the Beat Ya Feet Kings, the local dance crew featured on Season Four of MTV's massively popular America's Best Dance Crew. DCypher Artistic Director Hawkins excitedly noted, "We're so glad to have Porsche with us. We wanted to showcase her talents because of the opportunities she's had, and the lessons learned there that she can bring to DCypher, and make it a stronger crew" Also of note is "Chaseology." Choreographed by Neil Schwartz, Christina Nontanovan, Chris Law, Jared Jenkins and Nikki Gambhir,the performance "demonstrates what's great about DCypher," gushed an excited Hawkins. "There are portions that highlight the breakdancing, the poppers and lockers, everyone gets to shine and it shows off our diversity." In a prior performance, "Chaseology's" unique qualities were showcased as Hawkins notes that many found it intriguing that the women in DCypher "danced in dresses, while all of the other crews were in jeans and sweatpants." The expectation is for a phenomenal performance, but as Joy of Motion Artistic/Executive Director Yeuell reminded, "they are great dancers who excel at pushing all boundaries."

On July 9th, DCypher plans to ascend. DCypher's Natasha Hawkins says, "I wanted the name of this performance (Ascension - Phase 5) to speak to the growth and rise of DCypher. We are going to always go through phases of growth. There will be no climax, and no falling off, and we will always look forward to the future." DCypher is an inventive ensemble cast built in the spirit of hip hop. Tremendously gifted performers presenting shocking, and memorable performances was as much a part of hip hop's establishment as it is a part of hip hop's future. In DCypher upholding that expectation, it's only concievable to expect July 9th to be the kick off point for five more years of awe inspiring entertainment.

[Buy tickets to DCypher's performance on Saturday July 9 at the Atlas Theater on H Street HERE.]