One Rhythm Convention/The Hip Hop Experience Arizona | Jan. 11, 2015 | Phoenix | #SXSTV
January 9, 2015
With the amount of dance conventions in todays dance community, separating yourself from the monotony of these events take much creativity and knowledge. Hutton Peck used her creativity from years of experience in the dance and entertainment world and decided to take the chance three years ago to separate her convention from others.
Since then she has given hundreds of dancers from street to studio opportunities to take part with intensive classes, compete in solo competitions, and given dance friends the chance to teach at the convention.
Opportunity being the key word for Peck, she saw a chance to bring together all of Arizona’s talent from all styles of dance to teach one day intensives in one location. “We pride ourselves on giving families an affordable, fun, and challenging convention all while bringing our dance community together in ONE RHYTHM.
Our overall mission is to bring the Arizona dance community together (in a non competitive atmosphere) for a fun, exciting, yet challenging weekend of dance,” states One Rhythm’s website.
Saturday in Phoenix, One Rhythm will start the weekend of events with their “first annual “full stage” competition including our new Hip Hop choreography competition! Solos will compete the afternoon with Hip Hop in the evening.”
Sunday will conclude the two-day event with classes from Chop Liver (RaeRae and Leah) from The Jukeboc Dance Studio, Bboy House (Furious Styles Crew), Kannon (FSC; Newbreedz), Ricky Maalouf, Ruben Dorame (The Drop 520 Tucson), Elektro Brothers (Sal & Nico) from Elektrolytes Dance Crew, and Amani Jae.
More information at OneRhythmDanceConvention.com
Here’s our interview with Hutton Peck, founder of One Rhythm Convention
What’s your background as a dancer?
I started dancing at the young age of five and grew up dancing in some of the top competitive dance studios in Arizona. I am trained in all styles of dance and performed, competed all throughout the US in regional and national competitions and performed in special dance engagements as a member of the highest level company teams.
Some special dance engagements as a child include: a Caribbean Dance Tour on Dolphin Cruise Lines, performing yearly in the Miss Arizona Pageants and performing in instructional dance videos. After high school, I received a dance scholarship to ASU and became a member of the ASU Hip Hip Coalition.
After one year I decided to move to LA to pursue a career in dance. I performed in the Choreographer’s Carnival in Swoop’s piece and filmed an ADIDAS spec commercial while out there. Around 2001, I also became part of the underground hip hop scene. I decided to come back to Arizona, and while finishing up my degree and teaching at studios all over the Valley, I danced professionally with Nebellen Dance Company (Arizona’s first street fusion company).
I also opened the first all hip hop dance studio called Urban Styles, which closed after only a year due to an inconsistent customer base. I now hold a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis on Dance Education.
Currently, I dance with Epik Dance Company (for 5 years), I am a high school dance teacher at Coronado High School in Scottsdale and I own/direct One Rhythm Productions, LLC.
What’s the vision behind One Rhythm Convention?
The vision of One Rhythm Convention came to me one day as I was talking to a friend on the phone. I saw a vivid picture in my mind of a group of my dance instructor friends, and I just ran with the idea of having them on a convention team.
It was almost as if everything came into alignment for the first convention to take place….like everything in my dance life had prepared me for this to happen. Within 45 days of having that vision the first event took place.
Tell us about the last few years for One Rhythm
One Rhythm has only held 3 events. Our first One Rhythm event was July 2013 and we had over 250 dancers attend! Our second event was in January 2014 where we added our Hip Hop Experience and a solo competition with 85 soloists! Our third event was July 2014. In just 1 short year we’ve had tremendous success and lots of fun!
Where do you see One Rhythm in the future?
We envision One Rhythm touring nationally very soon! We want to spread our love of the arts and dancing with dancers everywhere! We have a very special group of dance instructors on our team, all with their own unique ways to motivating, encouraging and uplifting young dancers to become amazing artists!
