World of Dance Magazine // Issue 3

ARTIST: @SANNI_OFFICIAL

Table of contents 5 FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES & ARTICLE PITCHES CONTACT MATTHEW EVERITT AT MATT@WORLDOFDANCE.COM

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GROUP CHAT: NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

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2016 World of Dance tour dates

BREAK IT DOWN

Creative expression in motion

We asked, you answered!

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WOD STREET STYLE

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PERSONAL PLAYLIST: SANNI

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12 MY CITY, MY STAGE

Meet Andrew Keller, chef extraordinaire

SUBMISSIONS: PHOTO, CONTENT/STORY AND ART

#WODMOVEMENT SPOTLIGHT

WWW.WORLDOFDANCE.COM

Who made FIDM’s best-dressed list at WOD San Diego 2015?

Check out the singer’s favorite songs

@WORLDOFDANCE

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THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER When hip hop and Tchaikovsky collide

WORLD OF DANCE

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ANDREW KELLER #WODMOVEMENT SPOTLIGHT

BY DEMIA TUNIS

California a few years later and I made good friends, but I lost 13 of them to suicide. I ended up using marijuana and alcohol to try to get rid of the pain and became an addict.

ANDREW KELLER is an 18-year-old culinary genius who learned to turn adversity into creative expression at an early age. After experiencing personal loss, Keller stumbled onto the destructive path of substance abuse. After his parents put him in rehab, Keller turned his life around and discovered cooking as a positive creative outlet. We sat down with Keller to learn more about his creative journey.

What were some of the challenges you faced growing up?

Growing up as an Asian-American in the adopted home of two Caucasian parents, it was really clear that I was different. We moved from California to Colorado when I was in middle school and that was really difficult. I got bullied and I didn’t know how to ask for help. We moved back to

How did you discover cooking as a creative outlet?

My parents sent me to rehab my senior year of high school and it was the best thing that could have ever happened.

When I got back home, things still frustrated me but I learned to redirect those feelings into a creative outlet. I found a lot of inspiration in the masterpieces I saw on The Food Network, I was blown away by the creativity, and one day I just walked into the kitchen and made chicken parmesan. It was the first dish I ever made and that moment changed my life. I was able to turn my frustration into something that makes other people happy and it feels amazing to see people enjoy my food.

Where do you plan on taking your talent?

I am attending Johnson and Wales, the culinary university that Emeril Lagasse and Tyler Florence attended. I have so many opportunities now! Food turned my life around. Ultimately, I want to open five

restaurants from Miami to Malibu and share my love of food and creativity with the country. I love what I do and there was a point that I never would have imagined this life. I am grateful for it every day.

Give Back This Holiday Season If you would like to share the gift of food, check out Action Against Hunger.

Action Against Hunger saves the lives of severely malnourished children and helps vulnerable communities become self-sufficient. In 2014 alone, Action Against Hunger impacted the lives of 13M people worldwide. Get involved today at ActionAgainstHunger.org. ¥

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW LIVES THE IDEA THAT “CREATIVE EXPRESSION CAN CHANGE THE WORLD,” TELL US ABOUT IT ONLINE @WORLDOFDANCE #WODMOVEMENT. IT COULD BECOME THE NEXT #WODMOVEMENT SPOTLIGHT.

WORLD OF DANCE

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Group Chat WE ASKED AND YOU ANSWERED BY: JORDANNAH ELIZABETH

We want to know more about you! Group Chat is your chance to sound off on all kinds of topics. As we close 2015 and head into 2016, we were curious about your New Year’s resolutions... Here’s what you shared:

YOU SAID: Lose weight and love myself WE SAID: Losing weight is a very common New Year’s resolution. Lifestyle changes can be challenging, but we love that you included the secret to success in the second part of this goal. Love yourself!

Whether you reach your dream weight or not, loving your awesome self will help you go about reaching your goals in a healthy and responsible way.

YOU SAID: Be a better dancer WE SAID: Practice, practice, practice!

No matter what style of dance you love, exercise that passion every day. And if studio classes are not available to you, don’t be discouraged! Some of the most well-known dancers on the WOD stage are self-taught.

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MUSIC

PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN HIETSCH - PEXELS.COM

DANCE

FASHION

YOU SAID: Go to Hollywood, take acting and dance classes and become a star WE SAID: It’s awesome to have big dreams! Big dreams have launched the careers of actors and dancers from around the world and we love to see people shoot for the moon. It’s a lot of hard work to “make it big” in the entertainment industry, so a piece of advice.. Enjoy the journey! It may take years to achieve your career goals, but in the meantime live in the moment and you’ll find a lot of little things that make you feel like a star.

YOU SAID: Learn more dances WE SAID: There are a lot new dances

out there and quite a few ways to find them. Going to class, watching and rewinding performances online or doing online dance tutorials are some good ways to get started. And don’t forget about making your own dances! Everyone has something unique to add to the dance community and, who knows, we all may be trying to learn your dance in 2016!

YOU SAID: To get my dance pieces

noticed

WE SAID: We totally understand the

desire to be seen and appreciated. You can’t control everything, but own what you can control. Keep working hard and

LIFESTYLE

stay prepared for good opportunities.

Everyone has something valuable to offer and whether or not the entire world knows about you yet, someone may see and appreciate you right now.

MORE OF YOUR ANSWERS

@weezy_hdez - “Smile more. Because when you smile about things, you inspire and become more passionate about them.

I’m really passionate about dance. And with just a simple action in my face, [I] can make anyone more passionate about anything.” @sam_ishere - “Go to my local WOD tour date and dance as much as I can in my free time.” @mariesheehaha - “Maintain good grades, learn to be confident and less insecure, push myself more to do better (:” @ltparadise - “Maintain my 4.0 GPA, get the girl of my dreams, create at least 5-8 pieces of choreo, build more muscle, do more cardio…” @shanaolivero - “Take my dance career even further, start performing with every opportunity I can get and also improve in my dance technique!” ¥

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wod street style

BY VALERIA PONCE-JIMENEZ & FANNY RAMIREZ

When it comes to showing off your talents and representing your city, World of Dance is the place to be. Attendees and competitors alike make their mark in the dance community through unique expressions of self and everyone brings something different to the table. World of Dance events are a great way to check out dance-world fashion and our experience at WOD San Diego 2015 did not disappoint.

RIQUEL OLANDER The Details: Gold jacket from an online store, green leather backpack from Mexico, black crop top and leggings The Inspiration: “I really just like to have fun! I don’t really care if what I wear is trendy or not trendy, it all depends on if I like it or not.”

Hometown: Representing Los Angeles, CA (originally from Twin Falls, ID)

SHAWN JONESNGUTEN

KAELYN “KAY KAY” HARRIS

The Details: Blue jean jacket from dad’s closet, black shirt over a long white shirt, ripped blue jeans, black and white Vans, black Nike visor

The Details: Long-sleeve, navy blue Adidas shirt, leggings from H&M, shoes from North Korea

The Inspiration: “I try to wear what makes me feel happy and comfortable, but I still want to dress to impress.”

Hometown: San Diego, CA

The Inspiration: “I’m inspired by the old-school, back in the day style. I love anything high waisted because it compliments my body type and it makes me look like I have hips and a booty. To this day, my style icon is Diana Ross.”

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Photos by Valeria Ponce-Jimenez & Fanny Ramirez

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TARYN DAMORE The Details: Dance studio jersey, Forever 21 jeans and top, Brandy Melville hat, black booties from Kohl’s The Inspiration: “I look up to a lot of celebrity fashion icons, like Kylie Jenner and dancers like Chachi Gonzales and Megan Batoon. I try to take ideas from them and make them my own.”

Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

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PERSONAL PLAYLIST FEAT. SANNI

BY TIFFANY HALL

SINGER, DANCER AND ALL-AROUND ENTERTAINER, Sanni has been

wowing crowds since he was a toddler. His music is full of soul and passion, so we were curious… What does Sanni listen to when he’s not performing? Here’s what he told us.

SANNIOFFICIAL.COM /SANNIOFFICIAL @SANNI_OFFICIAL

REMEDY (SUPERMANS LOVE YOURSELF FEINDE REMIX) JUSTIN BEIBER MAVRICK

“I LOVE great vocals over a track that doesn’t overpower the vocalist. This is a great example. The vocals are on point and the groove won’t let you sit still!”

“If you haven’t heard ‘PURPOSE: The Movement’ yet, I recommend you listen to the album. This song was a co-write with Ed Sheeran and it’s such a feel-good song with a great hook.”

FINE BY ME

JUST LIKE THAT

“This track is great! A great blend of funk and pop. The melody of the chorus is so outside of the box and the post chorus never fails to make me wanna dance.”

“This is my debut single, super funky with fun lyrics! I really had fun with this. I won’t say too much about it, but listen and let me know what you think!”

CHRIS BROWN

WALK AWAY

HISTORY IN THE MAKING “A huge chunk of the songs I listen to is upcoming artists. I love supporting new musicians so I wanted to mention these guys. You’ll thank you me later. :)”

SANNI

ABOUT SANNI

Sanni is a 19-year-old, pop/soul/funk singer, songwriter and dancer. A born entertainer, he’s been singing, dancing and performing virtually since he was a toddler.

Raised in Texas, but his music loving parents, Sanni has been honing his craft by performing live in front of thousands since his early teens. He first caught the ears and hearts of America at his American Idol audition in 2013 and has been in the studio with the BROKEN CITY production, songwriting and artist development team since. Sanni has a deep desire to not only bring his music to millions, but to be a positive role model in the process.

His warm energy lights up a room and explodes off the stage. Watch for new music, videos and live performances from Sanni in 2016! ¥

CHECK OUT THE TRACKS BY FOLLOWING THE QR CODE AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THEM ONLINE @ WORLDOFDANCE #WODPLAYLIST

WORLD OF DANCE

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THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER HIPHOPNUTCRACKER.WORDPRESS.COM /THEHIPHOPNUTCRACKER @HHNUTCRACKER

A MODERN TWIST ON A HOLIDAY CLASSIC

BY KRISTIE BERTUCCI | PHOTOS BY UNITED PALACE OF CULTURAL ARTS (UPCA)

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LIFESTYLE

NOTHING GETS YOU IN THE HOLIDAY MOOD better than a classic tradition— hot cocoa, watching holiday movies, decorating the house with whimsical décor or grabbing tickets to see The Nutcracker at your local theater. The timeless, two-act ballet scored by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky has been a Christmas tradition since it first debuted on December 18, 1892 and has since been produced at countless theaters across the globe.

Now, it has been reimagined with a contemporary twist in The Hip Hop Nutcracker, a holiday mash-up for the whole family. Set to Tchaikovsky’s original score, this version mixes things up with an urban-inspired theme while holding on to a lot of the classic elements of the story.

“Anyone who is familiar with the traditional ‘Nutcracker’ story will delight in how many of the classic traits were retained and how they are integrated in the show,” described Mike Fitelson, Executive Director of the United Palace of Cultural Arts. “[We have] the Mouse King, the growing tree, toys and the Land of Sweets. But we’ve added our own twist. These touchstones helped guide the reimagining of the story and were among the most fun—and challenging—parts to integrate.”

finalé in Russia. Armed with brand new, digitally-projected scenery and an updated story, the tour is ready to go with new and returning dancers. There will even be a special guest MC, Kurtis Blow, “the King of Rap,” at the US show stops.

“Not only will Tchaikovsky’s score take on a new life, [but] the story itself will reach out and connect to modern audiences in a way that previous ‘Nutcracker’ productions have not,” Fitelson said. “Our show has elements of comedy, romance, earnest struggle and explosive hip hop dancing on top of all that. This show offers people the opportunity to partake in a holiday classic with a fresh, updated presentation.” ¥

The United Palace of Cultural Arts originally created the show to unite their diverse, uptown community in New York City. After a more traditional Nutcracker production fell through, Fitelson partnered with Jennifer Weber of Decadancetheatre to create a hip hop production. “We embellished the storyline, setting and, most importantly, the dancing,” shared Weber. “By replacing ballet with hip hop, we hoped to [introduce] new audiences to classical music as well as introducing a new vocabulary of movement to classical music.”

Weber’s company specializes in choreographing hip hop dance to classic music, so the Hip Hop Nutcracker was a welcome project. “Hip hop is all about sampling, taking a form of art and putting a new spin on it, remixing it if you will,” Weber explained. “The music itself was inspiration. Tchaikovsky’s score has such breadth and complexity that the character arcs of our production just naturally flowed out of the music. It also provided ample material for hip hop choreography since there are so many nuances within the score. We are dancing inside that music, articulating much of the instrumentation that normally goes unnoticed.”

Playing almost the entire Tchaikovsky score, the Hip Hop Nutcracker also incorporates some hip hop interludes created by DJ Boo and an electric violinist, Matthew “Matt the Violinist”

Silvera. Weber, Takeo Koji, the associate choreographer, and many of the dancers brought their stylistic backgrounds together to coordinate the routines.

Although 2014 was the show’s first official run, the idea dates back to 2013 when Fitelson created a 20-minute experimental workshop of the performance that evolved into a 90-minute show which first opened at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and played at the United Palace Theatre.

Thanks to the buzz created by the 2014 show, the Hip Hop Nutcracker booked a 13-city, international tour for 2015 with a

2015 INTERNATIONAL TOUR NOVEMBER 20/21

DECEMBER 17

NOVEMBER 24/25

DECEMBER 19

NOVEMBER 28

DECEMBER 21

NOVEMBER 29

DECEMBER 29-JANUARY 2

DECEMBER 2

JANUARY 12/13

DECEMBER 3

JANUARY 15/16

DECEMBER 5/ 6

JANUARY 17

UNITED PALACE THEATRE, NYC

ORDWAY CENTER, ST. PAUL, MN

FOX THEATER, ATLANTA, GA

RITZ THEATRE, JACKSONVILLE, FL

FERGUSON CENTER, NEWPORT NEWS, VA

STRATHMORE, NORTH BETHESDA, SC

ARSHT CENTER, MIAMI, FL

NCPAC, NORTH CHARLESTON, SC

NJPAC, NEWARK, NJ

PROCTORS, SCHENECTADY, NY

BLUMENTHAL ARTS CENTER, CHARLOTTE, NC

REGION DRAMA THEATRE, KALININGRAD, RUSSIA

MOSCOW ART THEATRE, MOSCOW, RUSSIA

CONCERT HALL, VORONEZH, RUSSIA

WORLD OF DANCE

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My city, my stage

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LIFESTYLE

BRINGING THE WORLD’S LARGEST DANCE CULTURE MOVEMENT TO CITIES AROUND THE WORLD

WORLD OF DANCE

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LIFESTYLE

Break it down ONCE YOU HAVE TASTED FLIGHT, YOU WILL FOREVER WALK THE EARTH WITH YOUR EYES TURNED SKYWARD, FOR THERE YOU HAVE BEEN, AND THERE YOU WILL ALWAYS LONG TO RETURN. LEONARDO DA VINCI

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY HERE? SEND MATT@WORLDOFDANCE.COM A HIGH-RESOLUTION SHOT OF “CREATIVE EXPRESSION IN MOTION” AND YOUR PICTURE COULD BE FEATURED IN THE “BREAK IT DOWN” SECTION OF WOD MAGAZINE! PHOTO SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME AND BECOME PROPERTY OF WORLD OF DANCE. WORLD OF DANCE ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTRIBUTED MATERIAL.

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PHOTO BY VINCENT DE VELA @VINCEDIMINISH

DANCER IS DOMINIC DIMATTEO @DOMKEY

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