Le Soul Afrique

Dance Styles:

Afro-House, Capoeira, Experimental, Jacking, Samba, West African, Free Form

My Moves are . . .

Deeply Rooted, 100% Pure Freestyle

Dancers Who Inspire Me:

Aaron Dismuke, Fulani Malik, Erika Smith, Mesu Ra, Sabine Blaizin, Ejoe Wilson, Hong-10, Roodiyah, Bryan Gentry, Sidney Vault, Perdella Jn Baptiste, Stephen Wiley, Micah Lee, Sena Dubois, Traci Pollard, Blacklight, Mirlet Auguste, Keisha Franklin, Chino-3

Spirituality:

Chango

Company | Group | Crew | Collective

Le Soul Afrique | Dance Warrior Project

Favorite DJs:

Osunlade, Tijo Aime, Pang Lo, DJ Sabine, Ian Friday, Jihad Muhammed, Boddhi Satva, Karizma, Kamala, Filsonik, Djinji Brown, Rich Medina

Favorite Events:

House Dance International, Juste Debout, Soulgasm, Jump n Funk, Brooklyn Mecca, Libation

For me, House Dance is a . . .

Way of Life, Serious Art Form, Conversation with Others, Gateway to Higher Knowledge of Self

E-Mail:

santiago@dancewarrior.com

Website:

http://www.HouseDanceNYC.com

Myspace / Facebook

http://myspace.com/dancewarriorproject

About Me:

I started dancing to house at the age of 14 in the midst of Chicago's house music explosion of the mid-80s. The style of house dance we did was called Jackin'. I began at underage spots like Medusa's and later hit clubs like the Warehouse, Music Box, Power Plant, Generator and the Riviera, legendary venues in the history of house music and dance.

I played around with Hip-Hop in the early 90s, especially when the Native Tongue styles and abstract, jazzy beats were my primary motivation. I lost interest in House because it got to be too commercial when it left Chicago. Instead I explored movement through hip-hop, jazz, trip-hop, drum n bass and other experimental musical forms.

I "re-discovered" House when I moved to NYC in 1996 and went to Body and Soul. The New York mix of dance styles was definitely more expansive than the rawness of Chicago's jacking style. For one, there was a lot more capoeira-esque floor moves (which I later learned was called Lofting). And more of the Afro-Caribbean influence, which I love.

By 2003, I began promoting clubs and house parties around NYC. In late 2004, my partner DJ Sabine and I founded Brooklyn Mecca, a monthly house dance event. After producing two successful Brooklyn Mecca dance showcases featuring the top choreographers in the city, I realized that my dream was to produce a big event that would one day bring together self-taught dancers from all over the world.

In April 2006, I founded Dance Warrior Project, a theatrical dance company that fuses African mythology with house dance. The company features 12 dancers and has been reviewed favorably by the New York Times.

In the summer of 2007, my goal to produce an annual dance festival with contests, workshops, and parties - all dedicated to house dancers - came to fruition through House Dance International NYC.

When I'm not dancing or organizing events, I practice law down on Wall Street. Yup, I lead a double life. lol