The Beginner Crew
By: The Beginner Crew
Get to know a little bit more about Adult Beginner Hip Hop at RUD!
Our mission has always been about serving dancers at all skill levels, and we have offered Adult Beginner Hip Hop since day 1. After a few years and listening to our students, we realized we needed to revamp the class to better serve beginner dancers, whether they were new to hip-hop or new to dance overall. The revised class picked up steam once we got a home studio in 2022 and Adult Beginner Hip Hop has been part of our core schedule since. Since Spring 2022, we have increased from 2 weekly class offerings to 5! Now, we have 15+ members of the self-proclaimed “Beginner Crew” with us on The Company, our performance squad.
“One of the coolest things about us is all the various backgrounds and ages of the “ABHH crew” like some of us are in school, some in careers, some have husbands and young children while others are grandparents. I think it’s incredible how we all just come together and laugh and dance and enjoy each other’s company!”
-Ashley Stewart
More than a class, it's become an incredibly energizing and supportive community we are so thankful to have at Richmond Urban Dance!
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From “I legitimately have no dance background” to “we call dance our ‘family business,’” our ABHH crew brings a diversity of dance backgrounds to the studio. Learn more about some of our dance backgrounds below!
Can you guess who-said-what? Answers at the bottom of this page!
I legitimately have no dance background! I think I screamed my way through one tutu clad tantrum of a recital when I was 5 or 6 and never since. But I’ve always loved watching people dance in movies, music videos, and now online.
When I was like 5 or 6 I would act like I was in a band and I would imitate dances from *NSYNC and backstreet boys.”
From salsa, to ballet, to hip-hop, to salsa again with traditional Puerto Rican dances & back to hip-hop again, ya girl has been dancing since she came out the womb! College was where I explored dancing & performing hip-hop.
The Cheetah Girls were my ICONS in the early 2000s. My friends and I performed our rendition for our families multiple years in a row, and someone’s mom even made us costumes… I was big into the Step Up movies and eventually fell down the rabbit hole of studio dance videos on Youtube.
I started dancing in the living room watching music videos on TV, and became interested in dancing by learning their vibe and adding my own freestyle to it. My first one was Micheal Jackson Billie Jean where I was learning to do his ionic move the moonwalk.
We call dance our “family business”. My grandmother danced and owned a studio, my mom dances and owns a studio, and my sister and I grew up dancing with her. We both teach and take dance to this day!
Adult Beginner Hip Hop Crew - I Am Hip Hop 2023
We asked our Adult Beginner Hip Hop crew to share a little bit about when and why they first came to Richmond Urban Dance.
My first class was in August 2024. I had been in the area for two years and was looking for an adult hip-hop class. Even after 30-plus years, dance was still my passion! I took one class and knew I had found the right place. I'm sure Maggie doesn't remember talking to me about RUD, but she is the person who motivated me to continue to come to classes! The rest, as they say, is history. - Toya H.
“I moved to Richmond in May of 2024 and I was looking for somewhere to take dance classes. I only ever did Zumba or other dance fitness classes and while it was fun I was craving more challenging choreography. I found RUD when searching for a heels class and took the chance to sign up. I was so nervous but when I got there I immediately felt so welcomed by Makeia, who encouraged me to come back after my first class. After that I was hooked and fell right into my new home and family in Richmond.” - Katya R.
Gosh, I think I took my first class in the summer of 2023. I did it because I was ready to stop talking about it and be about it. I had been talking about getting back into dance for at least 5 years at that point but I was scared. I told myself no more of that.. so I signed up. I came back because it felt good to dance again… but also when I went everyone seemed to know each other already and while that was intimidating for me. I told myself the only way to become a part of that, was to keep showing up, so I did! - Ashley S.
We asked our Adult Beginner Hip Hop Crew what classes they take at the studio, besides Adult Beginner Hip Hop, and we think they may have covered almost all of them!
Their responses: Afrobeats, Gospel Hip Hop, House, Heels, Intermediate Hip Hop, Street Jazz, Advanced Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Rhythm Tap.
(If you haven’t caught on already, there are no rules here…)
Here are a few favorite things about ABHH at RUD:
“My favorite thing about the ABHH crew is that it feels like a family. It is nice to have a group of eager folks who share the same goals as me.” - Camila G.
“ THE PEOPLE!! I am so grateful for this crew, because everyone brings so much humor and care to the group. We’ve managed to hit the perfect balance of respecting the craft - we will absolutely put in the work to rehearse and get things right - while never taking ourselves too seriously. We’re here for fun, primarily, so we just love to see each other win. We cheer each other on (LOUDLY) but we’re all coming from this place of humility. We’re here to learn and get better and have a really good time.” - Maggie B.
“I love how every instructor and participant in ABHH is welcoming and non judgemental! It’s a class where seasoned and first-time dancers can have fun, learn something new, and feel apart of the RUD community.”- Fiona W.
Adult Beginner Hip Hop Crew - I Am Hip Hop 2024
Dance background answers!
Maggie B.
Edixio M.
Elianese W.
Rachel B.
Alexis H.
Anna O.