Guelph Youth Dance is excited to offer TWO Hip Hop Crews for the 2026–2027 season!
Since 2006, Guelph Youth Dance (GYD) has offered dancers opportunities to develop their skills, explore their creativity, and perform in the community.
While GYD has offered dancers in our recreational program the opportunity to audition for our Apprentice, Young Company and GYD Company since 2008, we had not yet created a similar training and performance pathway for the other dance styles we offer.
How the GYD Hip Hop Crews Began
In 2024, we expanded opportunities to hip hop, creating a new pathway for dedicated hip hop dancers to train, collaborate, and perform.
With two crews now in action, our hip hop program continues to grow!
That began to change when Rebecca May joined our teaching team in 2023. Her passion for hip hop and her ability to connect with dancers helped fuel growing interest in the style.
“Our Hip Hop Crews are built on the foundational principles of bounce, rock, slide, party moves, and dancing with soul. Through hip hop’s roots in self-expression, dancers learn teamwork, creativity, resilience, and the confidence to push beyond their comfort zones as they come together to create a piece that celebrates both individual voice and collective connection in a high energy dance” Rebecca May
With so much enthusiasm building among our dancers, we decided it was time to try something new. In May 2024, we held our first auditions for the GYD Hip Hop Crew!
Our inaugural crew brought together 10 dancers, ages 12 and up, for the 2024–2025 season. What began as a new opportunity for a small group of dedicated dancers has since grown into two crews, welcoming dancers at different stages of their development.
A huge thank you to Rebecca and our original crew members for helping launch this exciting new chapter at GYD!
Training, Repertoire and Performance Opportunities
The GYD Hip Hop Crews offer dancers the chance to go beyond their weekly recreational classes and commit to a more intensive training and performance experience.
Crew members participate in two types of hip hop classes:
- Hip Hop Training: Dancers develop their technique, movement quality, musicality, and overall skills.
- Hip Hop Repertoire: Dancers learn and refine choreography, building the skills needed to perform as part of a crew.
Although not required, jazz classes are also highly recommended. Jazz training helps dancers develop additional technical skills, coordination, and movement versatility that they can apply to their hip hop choreography.
Being part of a crew also means working together toward a shared goal. Dancers learn to collaborate, build confidence, take on new challenges, and bring choreography to life as a group.
Throughout the year, crew members have opportunities to perform three to four times, including at our Fall and Winter Danceworks, December Open Houses, Spring Show in May, and select GYD Company performances.
For dancers who love hip hop and want to take their training further, the crews offer an exciting way to develop their skills while becoming part of GYD’s wider dance community.
Learning from Guest Choreographers
An important part of the GYD Hip Hop Crew experience is the opportunity to work with guest artists and explore different choreographic approaches.
We introduced a half-day summer intensive for hip hop dancers, combining hip hop and jazz training with the opportunity to learn new repertoire. Angelina da Silva led our inaugural intensive and returned for a second year, helping dancers expand their movement vocabulary and work together on new choreography.
The piece developed during the summer intensive will be presented at our upcoming Fall Danceworks on November 14!
For the 2026–2027 season, our crew members will work with Rebecca May, Hugo Bascur, and Amy Macdonald.
Each artist brings their own experience, perspective, and creative approach, giving dancers the chance to explore different styles and discover new ways of moving.
Hip Hop Crew | Ages 12+
Hugo Bascur has been working with our older crew on a new piece this Fall with the Hip Hop 12 and up Crew which will be performed in our Fall Danceworks performance at Old Quebec Street Mall on November 14th.
Hip Hop Crew | Ages 9–11
Amy Silva Macdonald has been working with our Hip Hop 9-11 crew on a piece that emphasizes hip-hop fundamentals inspired by level changes, texture and blending styles in a fun, upbeat number. Amy hopes the dancers come away from this with growing confidence and a curiosity to keep exploring the genre.
Rebecca May will begin working with both crews in November, bringing both the Hip Hop Crew 9-11 and Hip Hop Crew 12 and up together. This is an exciting time for the crews to come together, inspire one another and to continue developing their skills and explore new choreography.
Working with different choreographers gives our dancers a broader understanding of hip hop and the creative possibilities within the style. It also challenges them to adapt, take risks, and discover their own artistic voices.
See the GYD Hip Hop Crews Perform!
Guelph audiences will have their next opportunity to see both Hip Hop Crews in action on November 14 at Fall Danceworks, held at Old Quebec Street Mall.
The crews will share the stage with GYD’s Apprentice, Young Company, and GYD Company dancers for an evening celebrating the hard work, creativity, and talent of our dancers.
Come out to support these performers and experience the energy of GYD’s company and crew programs!
Learn more about Fall Danceworks and event details here
Interested in Hip Hop at GYD?
Whether your dancer is discovering hip hop for the first time or is ready to take their training further, Guelph Youth Dance offers opportunities to develop skills, explore movement, and find a place in our dance community.
Our Hip Hop Crews are designed for dancers who are ready to commit to additional training and performance opportunities.
Learn more about GYD Hip Hop classes here and crew auditions here.
We look forward to seeing where our growing hip hop program takes us next!