ICONic (definition) Relating to or characteristic of somebody or something admired as an icon.

Based out of New Jersey and the ICON Dance Complex, the ICONic dance crew has quickly become one of the nations hottest dance crews. ICONic made its mark by becoming one of the top 9 crews in the country to appear on Season 1 of MTV’s Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew. After appearing on the show ICONic now performs across the country at clubs, fashion shows, benefits, industrial shows, large corporate events and more. ICONic has recently performed a tribute to Kenny Ortega at the Astaire Awards in NYC. ICONic’s other credits include Special Guests on MTV’s TRL(Total Request Live), The Tyra Banks Show, Sobe Life Water “Thrillicious” Campaign, Food & Wine Magazine’s 20th Anniversary, Unite In Fashion and the House of Roses Charity Event. ICONic has also performed live with Lil Mama at Madison Square Garden on the America’s Best Dance Crew Live Tour.

Under the direction of professional choreographer and dancer GEO Hubela, ICONic’s members possess great talent and versatility. Collectively ICONic’s members have worked with such artists as Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, P!nk, Jessica Simpson, Jay Z, Mariah Carey, Duffy, The Black Eyed Peas, NSYNC, Daddy Yankee and Brook Hogan. They have been in movies such as High School Musical 3, Step Up, Music and Lyrics, and The Wedding Singer. ICONic’s unique style and image combined with their clean sharp moves, and powerful performance quality have the ability to draw in their audience and leave them wanting more!

http://www.icondancecomplex.com/

Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn is a professional dance company that marries rigorous classical and modern technique with African-American soul and spirit. Under the direction of Jamel Gaines, the company has been hailed by reviewers in the United States and Europe for its “richness of dance tone” and “contagious vitality. The repertoire addresses socio-cultural issues through an artistically potent mixture of theater, song, movement and poetry, and the performers imbue each work with a deep spiritual resonance.

 The company has collaborated with such artists as Michael Jackson, Malik Yoba, Max Roach, Savion Glover, and Jennifer Holiday. They have performed in major venues and festivals including The United Nations, Acapulco Black Film Festival, BAM Dance Africa, 651 Arts, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Jacob’s Pillow and Lincoln Center Out of Doors. Our artists have performed on Broadway in shows like The Lion King and FELA!,  Maafa, MTV Live with Britney Spears, Fosse and Donald Byrd’s Harlem Nutcracker.  The company has had the opportunity to tour nationally and internationally and “…was unveiled as one of the best performances of this edition of the festival,” in Spoleto, Italy – (Italian Press).

http://www.creativeoutletdance.org/

The BAX Dance Company, with artistic director Pooja Narang, performs fun and colorful mixes of popular high energy Bollywood dances. The company has worked with Slumdog Millionaire choreographer Longinus Fernandes and performed at the 2009 Latin Grammy Awards in addition to being showcased at the American Museum of Natural History, they have also made several film and television appearances, including, The Accidental Husband and on CBS’s “Early Show.”

http://www.bollywoodaxion.com

Since 2007 co‐artistic directors Corey Baker and Leyland Simmons have led an outstanding collection of dance and music artists in noted performance venues suchas the City Center Studio Showcase, The Nu\’92Dance Festival at Riverside Theater, E‐Moves 9 Showcase at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, The African Burial Ground Dedication Ceremony, Smoke Lillies Jade Arts Initiative, The Joyce Soho A.W.A.R.D. Show!, Battery Parks Downtown Dance Festival, The Garden State Festival, The Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Festival, City Parks East River Park Dance Series in NYC, and the 2009 International Ballet Festival of Miami.

Ballet Noir is a recipient of the 2008 Harlem Stage ‘Fund for New Work’ Grant Sponsored by Mayor Bloomberg and has been featured in Dance Magazine’s 2008 October issue along with Lois Greenfield’s 2010 Breaking Bounds Calendar. Ballet Noir’s mission is to feature artists of diverse disciplines and cultural traditions in works that reflect the kaleidoscope of expression in a 21st century America. By integrating a broad scope of musical, literary, theatrical, technological and visual artistic expression, we seek to create a relevant social experience for our audience through performing arts.

http://www.balletnoir.org/

Celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, the ABAKUÁ Afro-Latin Dance Company was founded by Frankie Martinez, to preserve and advance the heritage of Afro-Latin music and dance.  Martinez is widely heralded as one of the key innovators in his genre, known for his unique style of dance encompassing elements of mambo, funk, and Afro-Caribbean dance entitled “Afro-Latin Funk”.  Today, Martinez is considered an authority in the field and sought after as an instructor/lecturer throughout the world.  

Since its formation, ABAKUÁ has gone on to perform in hundreds of destinations in over 50 countries and reshaping the performing arts landscape as one of the most brilliant and exciting acts performing today.

http://www.abakuadancers.org/site/home.html

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company

Ballet Noir

Bollywood Axion

Julio Jean Haitian Dance Theater

ABAKUA Afro-Latin Dance Company

Creative Outlet

ICONic Dance Crew

pushing progress is a New York based contemporary dance and workshop company under the direction of Calen J. Kurka and Chris Hale. Born out of a desire to strengthen awareness of mind, movement, and body, :pushing progress is considered a new dynamic force in the dance community bringing forward a new generation of technical strength and contemporary movement. It is pioneering new programs for training and making knowledge of the the human anatomy as a foundation for technique available to anybody who wishes to truly understand their ability and artistry as a dancer. By making sophisticated information accessible to every student, we hope to provide essential tools for every aspiring professional dancer who has the will to learn and grow.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

pushing progress is currently accepting registrations for their 2010 Summer Intensive, August 8-14 being held at DANY studios and also accepting applications for their 2010/2011 :pushing progress Contemporary training program until July 2, 2010.

Calen J. Kurka

Executive/Artistic Director

Raised in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada, Calen Kurka started his training in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Musical Theatre, Modern, and Chinese Dance. He then later moved to Edmonton, Alberta, furthering his training competitively.

Currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, as an instructor Calen has taught across Canada, the U.S. and Japan, and more recently in Ireland at Dublin’s Dance Jam ‘07. He is currently instructing for Dance Masters of America as one of their Master Faculty, and is also on faculty with Dance Educators of America. His choreography has been recognized as outstanding at many competitions throughout the U.S. and Canada, and has been the recipient of many awards. In addition to teaching in and around New York he’s also assisted choreographer, director, instructor, Michele Assaf.

Calen’s performing credits include being an original member of the first national tour of Jeff Amsden’s widely acclaimed “A Few Good Men Dancin’”, and performing with recording artist Carmella in a tribute concert to Cher. He’s also worked closely with choreographer/instructor Chris Hale. As a featured performer, Calen’s stage credits include having spent a year on contract with Tokyo Disney as a Main Stage performer, and taking on such leading roles as Capt. Von Trapp in “The Sound of Music” and Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors” in regional stage productions. In addition he can be seen in “The Live! at Broadway Dance Center” video series “Turns and Turn Combos”, dancing with choreographer Danny Herman, and heading his own instructional video “Floor Work with Calen Kurka and Chris Hale”: A new addition to the “Live at BDC” collection.

As founder and Artistic Director of :pushing progress a company, Calen hopes to continue his journey as an artist, instructor and choreographer. He wishes to inspire, and be continually inspired by those who so honestly give of their talent and themselves. He continues, with his company, to create work pushing new movement, strong technique, honesty, emotional commitment, and growth. It is an evolutionary journey with no boundaries, no limits, no ends.

Chris Hale

Associate Director/Training Program Director

Chris Hale, currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center NYC, is Associate  director of :pushing progress and Director of the :pushing progress contemporary training program, which launched in the fall of 2009. Through his work with :pushing progress Chris and his partner Calen J. Kurka are at the helm of a revolution in the way we train in dance. Through incorporating anatomy and varied methodologies for sustainability and injury prevention they hope to bring a sophisticated level of information into the lives of every dancer who has the drive and passion to grow as an artist.

Professional credits include KTU’s miracle on 34th Street where he performed with such recording artists as Mary J. Blige, Deborah Cox, Tamia, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Jackson. In 2002 he got the pleasure of performing with international singing sensation Anastasia at the FIFA World Cup Final Draw in Busan, Korea. Television credits include HBO’s “Sex and the City” playing opposite Kim Catrall. He along with fellow instructor Calen Kurka, released an instructional video for the Live At BDC series entitled, “Floorwork, with Calen Kurka and Chris Hale”

In the summer of 2004 he debuted a collection of never before seen works entitled “CollidE (with me) at Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Art Nexus “WAX” in three evenings of sold out performances. Since then his work has appeared throughout New York in choreographer’s showcases such as “The Turning Point” at NYC’s Puffin Room, and “Envision This” by Enfocus Dance. Most recently his work has appeared in the :pushing progress “Showcase Series” started by Calen J. Kurka as a means to bring a wide range of choreographer’s together in the shared vision of creating a memorable dance experience. As a choreographer he will continue to create work that pushes the boundaries of contemporary dance and hopefully bring it to the mainstream in a way that is accessible to everyone.

His more than two years experience with the GYROTONIC® methodology has hugely influenced his teaching and brought a heightened awareness to his own dancing. Chris is very excited to add GYROKINESIS® to his teaching. Chris is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

Maya Escueta

Managing Director

Maya Escueta, originally from Los Angeles, CA, trained in the Royal Academy of Dance Ballet tradition and discovered her jazz and modern roots at the age of 16. She soon thereafter moved to New York City to study at Columbia University and pursue a career in modern and contemporary jazz. In New York, she trained as a Richard Ellner Scholar at Broadway Dance Center has performed with various modern and jazz companies, including the Notario Dance Company, Donna Goffredo, and CollidE. At Columbia, Maya actively choreographed, producing the first full length theme-based night of original work through the Orchesis Dance Group, entitled the Alice Project. Since then, Maya’s work has been showcased at several venues throughout New York City, including Broadway Dance Center, the Williamsburg Art Nexus and the Dance Forum. Maya looks forward to continuing to choreograph and create in the New York City dance community.

The Ailey Extension

American Tap Dance Center (home of the American Tap Dance Foundation)

Anahid Sofian Middle Eastern Dance Studio

Astoria School of Fine Arts

Ballet Basics & DansArts Studio – DESIGNED for the Adult Beginner

Bovard New York

Brooklyn Ballet

Dance Manhattan

Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company

Djoniba Dance & Drum Center (African)

Dokoudovsky New York Conservatory of Dance

The Fitness Group

Flamenco con Magdalena

The Mark Morris Dance Center

MCDG (Marie-Christine Giordano Dance Company)

New York Pole Dancing

Nika Ballet Studio

Power Pilates

Pushing Progress, sponsored by Dance New Amsterdam

Rod Rodgers Dance Company & Studios

Sheila Kelley S Factor NY

STREB Extreme Action

Studio E School of Dance

http://www.sfactor.com