Back by popular demand! Urban Movement Arts returns to the Free Library of Philadelphia to offer a series of dance classes. These are all 1 hour long classes for adult beginners. In the Fall, we're having Waacking, House, and Hip-Hop classes. Our second class is House with Dylan! Reserve your space using our Google Form!

About House: This vibrant dance style, a close relative to hip hop, was born out of the music revolution in Chicago during the post-disco era, giving birth to house music. House very quickly made its way into New York clubs and naturally down to Philly, where it has taken unique form. If you enjoy the idea of grooving to an up tempo beat, then you have to try house dance. The style is mostly known for its unique version of stylish and fancy footwork. Also it deliberately takes influence from jazz, Latin, African, funk and hip hop. It’s a great aerobic workout: if you enjoy going on a run or maybe even soccer, then you’ll enjoy house. We will teach you the foundation and basics.

About the Instructor: A lifelong student of embodied practices including dance, martial arts, singing, and percussion, Dylan Smythe (he/him) came to Philadelphia in 2013 to pursue an opportunity to teach Capoeira. In 2017, Lily Kind introduced him to the world of improvised performance, including David Zambrano's contemporary dance methods Passing Through and Flying Low. That same year, Kind's influence brought him to Urban Movement Arts, where he began studying Black American social dance forms including House and Waacking with Vince Johnson and Ricky "Glytch" Evans. After years of training and performing with the UMA community in works such as UMAmi and the WorkinOnIt series, Dylan began holding open training sessions, teaching classes, and dancing and DJing at various events around Philadelphia. He has travelled to New York City, Montreal and Amsterdam to train, battle, and immerse himself in the international House and Waacking communities. In addition to club and street dance styles, Dylan works as a performer, maker and deviser in the contemporary dance and theater scenes in Philadelphia.