Youth Performance Companies (YPCs) are training programs for young dancers who love to be onstage. Joy of Motion offers nine companies, spanning freestyle, jazz, hip hop, and tap, for students in Grades 3-12. Companies meet twice weekly and perform around the DC region.
How to Join & Enroll
Please scroll down to “Schedule” to see a list of company training classes and rehearsals for 2018-19. Students who already have been accepted into a company should call their studio to enroll for the year (Studio Contacts). Payment plans are available.
Dancers who are interested in joining for the first time in 2018-19, as well as past dancers who were not able to re-audition last spring, should attend the auditions in August. A list of audition dates is below and online sign-ups are available here. Auditions are designed to be enjoyable dance classes, so no need prepare anything–or to be nervous!
Monday, August 27 @ Joy of Motion Friendship Heights
4:30 PM – HYPE Company & HypeFlow (hip hop and freestyle, Grades 6-12)
Tuesday, August 28 @ Joy of Motion | H Street
4:00 PM – Shades Company (ballet/jazz/hip hop, Grades 4-10)
Wednesday, August 29 @ Joy of Motion | Friendship Heights
5:00 PM – Rythmix (hip hop, Grades 3-7)
Wednesday, August 29 @ Joy of Motion | Bethesda
Jazz Corps and Jazz Factor (jazz, Grades 3-9)
Thursday, August 30 @ Joy of Motion | H Street
Vibe Tribe (hip hop, Grades 5-9)
Thursday, August 30 @ Joy of Motion | Friendship Heights
4:00 PM – Soles of Steel (tap, Grades 7-12)
5:00 PM – The Pulse (street jazz, Grades 9-12)
Hip Hop Companies
Rhythmix (Grades 3-7)
Company Director: Jasmine Andrews
Rhythmix is a company for budding dancers who show interest in performance at an early age. Rhythmix dancers train in an environment where each individual’s unique abilities are respected and cultivated, in addition to learning to dance as one strong unit. Through rehearsals and company training classes, Rhythmix company members learn and understand the history of hip hop culture and how we continue to mold and recreate it today. Choreography learned for performances not only serves as a fun and high-energy entertainment, but it also expands the members’ knowledge of hip hop culture. Company members learn both old- and new-school movement and perform choreography that can be shared with audiences of all ages.
Tuition and schedules to be announced with acceptance to company.
Vibe Tribe (Grades 5-9)
Company Director: Terah Minor-Jones
Vibe Tribe explores many techniques and sub-genres within hip hop, exploring the cultural origins and subtleties of this varied dance form. Through their performances, Vibe Tribe inspires youth in the community to view hip hop and other urban dance styles as a positive, creative way to understand each other and to express their authentic selves.
Tuition and schedules to be announced with acceptance to company.
HypeFlow (Grades 6-12)
Company Director: Jared Porter
HypeFlow dancers learn the quintessential hip hop skill of freestyling. With a mix of freestyle and choreographed movement, performances are action-packed and fun!
Tuition and schedules to be announced with acceptance to company.
Hype Company (Grades 8-12)
Company Director: Stephen Lyons II
HYPE Company offers dancers diverse hip hop training cultivated through exposure, education, and performance. HYPE Company members learn both old- and new-school movement while developing an appreciation for hip hop as a rich and growing art form. The dancers have the opportunity to work with other professional choreographers and perform at an array of noteworthy events, while developing their own individual voices as unique and talented dancers!
Tuition and schedules to be announced with acceptance to company.
Jazz Performance Companies
Jazz Corps (Grades 3-6)
Company Director: Samantha Greymont
Jazz Corps aims to help young dancers set a foundation of jazz technique and performance. The company is exposed to choreography in various genres of jazz dance including Broadway jazz, swing, classical jazz, pop, and more. In a nurturing environment, young dancers learn the expectations and hard work of company-level performance, setting the stage for them to dance throughout their lives.
Tuition and schedules to be announced with acceptance to company.
Jazz Factor (Grades 6-9)
Company Director: Kelly Kunst
Jazz Factor company members develop their technique and performance presentation skills as they grow into more mature dancers. This high energy company encapsulates the excitement of jazz hands!
Tuition and schedules to be announced with acceptance to company.
The Pulse Street Jazz Company (Grades 9-12)
Company Director: Maurice Johnson
In this exciting new company, students’ artistry and range will be challenged through street jazz. Embodying funk, jazz, and commercial hip-hop with cutting-edge choreography, this high-energy style deeply influences popular artists such as Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, and more.
Tuition and schedules to be announced with acceptance to company.
Multi-Style Companies
Shades Company (Grades 4-10)
Company Director: Krystal Odom
Shades is Joy of Motion Dance Center’s one and only interdisciplinary Youth Performance Company. A celebration of various styles of dance and the beautiful shades of each dancer, Shades focuses on ballet, jazz, and hip hop on a rotating schedule over the course of the year.
Tap Companies
Soles of Steel (Grades 9-12)
Company Director: Matina Phillips
Soles of Steel pushes the limits of tap! This explosive company continues to build upon rhythm tap skills in a range of styles and techniques by infusing traditional tap with contemporary choreography.
