SUPPORT UNIVERSOUL HIP HOP TO BRING TRANSFORMATIVE, SOUL-CENTERED DANCE EDUCATION, PROGRAMS AND PERFORMANCES INTO ACADEMIC AND COMMUNITY SPACES TO CULTIVATE EXPERIENCES THAT TRANSFORM CULTURE AND IGNITE JOY EVERYWHERE!

To make a contribution by check:

Checks should be made out to “Dance Resource Center” with “UniverSOUL Hip Hop” on the memo line.

Mailing Address:
DANCE RESOURCE CENTER
3773 Crenshaw Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016

About the Company 

UniverSOUL Hip Hop is a multicultural collective of authentic, socially engaged dance practitioners dedicated to bringing transformative, SOUL-centered dance into diverse communities. We cultivate community, intergenerational wellness, and wonder through performance, education, and programming. 

Our work reaches over 100 schools and 10,000 audience members annually through partnerships with The Music Center, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, FORD Amphitheatre, and LA County school districts. Rooted in Hip Hop, we pursue community, justice, and JOY, fostering experiences that transform culture and strengthen connections. 

International, award-winning practitioners blend Hip Hop’s creativity with rigorous, standards-based pedagogy to deliver dynamic dance experiences. With our mission to “bring soul into education,” we use residencies, performances, and workshops—grounded in artistic expression and social dance practices (“cyphers”)—to inspire self-discovery, cultural exchange, and social fellowship.

Our recent theatrical production, H.O.P.E., is a movement-based love letter to restore joy and hope in our communities. Uniquely fresh every time, it fuses raw freestyle with spirited choreography, spoken word, and music to paint untold stories—creating a space for cathartic release and transformation. H.O.P.E. has been performed at the Gloria Kaufman Performing Arts Center and The Ivy Substation, bringing its powerful message to diverse audiences.

Services Overview

• Student Workshops / In-school: Teaching artists facilitate culturally responsive, standards-based curricula for grade-level instruction that emphasize social emotional learning, community building, and creative expression.
• Student Workshops / After-school: Students enjoy an opportunity to creatively learn, grow, and connect in a supportive environment through the language of Hip Hop/Street dance. Teaching artists facilitate play-centered activities that cater to the unique needs and levels of each group. 
• H.O.P.E. Assembly: H.O.P.E. is a theatrical movement love letter performed by professional dance artists with a shared mission to restore joy and hope in our communities.  Students immerse into a story of the human family – the resilience found in struggle, the quest for connection and purpose, and a H.O.P.E. that leads us home.
• Spirit of Hip Hop Assembly: This power-packed assembly presents the rich culture, history and impact of Hip Hop/Street dance. Students experience a performance by professional dancers with a live DJ, learn vocabulary movements, and join a freestyle dance cypher for the whole community.
• Family Night: This communal event brings people of all ages together to celebrate the UniverSOUL culture, power, and joy of Hip Hop/street dance.  The evening is facilitated by an MC, dancers, and a live DJ.  Sound equipment and a planning meeting are included to customize the school’s unique needs.
• Professional Development: K-12 Classroom teachers develop knowledge and strategies to integrate Hip Hop cultural dance practices into core studies.  Educators practice and apply content through participatory and team-building activities that build capacity in dance composition, facilitation, and social emotional learning. Workshops are typically 60-minutes each and may not exceed 25 participants.

About the Director: 

Tiffany “Jimini” Bong is an Assistant Professor of Practice and founding director of Kaufman Connections and The Cypher Summit at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. She is an international, award-winning Hip Hop dance artist, educator, entrepreneur, and leader that draws on her 20-year experience in dance education and Hip Hop culture to bring next-level pedagogy and programs into diverse spaces that center on communal practice and wellness. Bong’s artistic honors include the championship titles of Hip Hop International’s World Locking Champion, R-16’s North American Locking Champion, and Los Angeles’ International Whack/Punk/Pose Champion, in addition to visionary leadership awards from established Hip Hop agencies. She is a founding member of the female collective dance crew, The Syrenz, that has performed beside commercial artists such as Justin Bieber, Usher, and Rihanna. A socio-spiritual activist at heart, Ms. Bong continues to build partnerships, productions, and practices that support the authentic preservation and progression of Hip Hop/Street dance culture, particularly as a powerful agent for freedom and transformation.

Please visit our website to learn more about UniverSOUL Hip Hop.