BLACK CULTURE
AT HARBOUR
WHAT IS HDC DOING TO BETTER RESPECT BLACK CULTURE.
We were invited to a Dance Community Leaders meeting hosted by Nii (Prince) Engmann. The panel consisted of Venom (Ketch Di Vybz), Aj Megaman (Heavy Hittaz Crew), and Kevin Fraser (Immigrant Lessons). We were educated through their personal stories and experiences as to how we, as a community, have not been doing our part to appreciate and honour Black Culture. We learned so much and still have a far way to go. But we are committed to making these appropriate changes that are long overdue.
Our 2 biggest takeaways were: awareness and action. Immediately after the meeting, HDC staff who were in attendance made a plan of action to hold an internal discussion with the rest of our street-style staff to collaborate on how and what changes we will make. Nii Engmann has offered to come on board as our cultural consultant to help guide us in the right direction. We would love to make changes this very second, however, we want to make sure every decision we make is made with the thought and consideration of fellow black dancers in our community.
We at Harbour Dance Centre are committed to working collaboratively with our faculty and community to honour the rich foundations of Black culture alive in our classes. We recognize that this work is ongoing and not all changes will happen overnight.
We are taking immediate action in the following areas:
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Honouring true hip hop culture by ensuring all teachers who label their class ‘hip hop’ are educated and trained in hip hop history. We also encourage all our teachers to be active participants in the hip-hop community.
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Changing class names for specific teachers who offer a style that is not encompassed under the true DNA of hip hop. Class names will be reflective of their individual artistic offering.
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Removing the word “street” from class names and descriptions to better represent what is being offered in these classes.
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Updating class descriptions to reflect the authenticity of each style and the history behind them.
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Bringing in guest teachers with knowledge of Black culture to share with our students and teachers, to continue furthering our education.
IN celebration of black history month, harbour dance centre will be donating to THE OBSIDIAN BATTLE & JAM .
HDC X HDC
HARBOUR DANCE CENTRE
x
HISTORY OF DANCE
HARBOUR DANCE CENTRE x HISTORY OF DANCE
View our curated stories of prominent black artists, figures, and historical events that shaped how we dance and learn to dance today.
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![A man in a suit holding a bowler hat, smiling, balancing on one foot on a set of stairs, in a playful pose.]()
Bill Robinson (Bojangles)
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![A woman with dark, styled hair lying down, smiling, wearing a floral headdress, surrounded by large feathers.]()
Josephine Baker
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![A jazz band performing in a black-and-white photo, with musicians playing trumpet, drums, clarinet, and other instruments.]()
Jazz Origins
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![Black and white photo of a young man sitting in the foreground with a serious expression, with two other people in the background, one holding a drum and the other on a ladder. The scene appears to be a stage or performance setting.]()
Alvin Ailey
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![Black and white portrait of a man with his hair styled up, wearing a dark dress and a patterned scarf.]()
Master Juba
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![A group of people gathered around a table with various electronic equipment outdoors, with a fan and some wires visible, on what appears to be a sunny day in a park or recreation area.]()
Hip Hop Music
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![A woman in traditional Mexican attire, performing a vigorous dance move with her skirt swirling around her, smiling and looking joyful.]()
Janet Collins
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![A woman dressed in traditional African attire, wearing jewelry, sitting outdoors, holding a decorated drum, with trees blurred in the background.]()
Pearl Primus
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![Black and white photo of a shirtless man wearing traditional beaded jewelry and a headpiece, holding a staff, with a closed-eye expression.]()
Asadata Dafora “Ostrich”
