Take your street dance technique and choreography to the next level

Build community and inspire social change through dance
The UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance’s Hip Hop/Street Dance Summer Institute is a seven-day program for students who love Hip Hop dance and want to take their technical abilities to the next level.
The program provides introductory level classes in Hip Hop and street dance technique, choreography and freestyle, and prepares students for a college-level dance learning environment. It is offered by The UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance (WACD), in partnership with UCLA Summer Sessions and Versa-Style: Performance • Education • Community (VS:PEC), an operating foundation dedicated to empowering young artists through Hip Hop and street dance learning.
Offered by a combination of WACD’s acclaimed dance faculty and VS:PEC Teaching Artists, who are experienced, world-renowned professionals from the Los Angeles Hip Hop and street dance community, the curriculum at the Hip Hop/Street Dance Summer Institute includes daily technique classes ranging from forms such as Popping, Locking, Hip Hop and House, to classes dedicated to the origins of Hip Hop in West African and Latin dance. Further, students will study dance composition, a class where they will get the opportunity to create their own choreography, as well as a course dedicated to the art of freestyle. The program also offers a range of other classes in spoken word/poetry, Hip Hop history and college readiness.
After each day of dancing, training, sharing, and studying, the students return to their dorms and participate in fun and engaging evening activities hosted by Program Counselors who are all undergraduate UCLA Dance majors. This provides students with the opportunity to experience what it’s like to live in a college dormitory. At the end of the week, students will showcase what they learned in a one-hour community showcase. Open to parents and friends at no charge, this culmination celebration provides a chance for the students to share what they have learned during the seven-day program.
When determining admission, the committee evaluates students based on the following:
- Written responses to the application questions
- Overall effort put into the application process as a whole
- Level of experience and training as displayed in video submission
In addition to partnering in the program, Versa-Style: Performance • Education • Community offers a limited number of scholarships to students who demonstrate the following: a) significant financial need, b) residence in Los Angeles Supervisorial Districts 1, 2 or 3, and c) evidence of high quality Hip Hop and/or street dance training.
Hip Hop / Street Dance Summer Institute Program Overview
Students will be engaged in a learning process that assists them in taking their street dance technique and choreographic/freestyle abilities to the next level. They will not only be learning from and rehearsing with working professional dancers/artists, but they will be learning how to create their own work with new tools and approaches. We hope that this process helps students make valuable, substantial contributions to their various arts communities now and in the future.
CLASSES OFFERED: Latin Dance, West African Dance, Popping, Locking, Hip Hop Dance, House Dance, Composition and Freestyle
About the Department
The Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance was created in 1995 by the merger of the World Arts and Cultures program and UCLA’s Dance Department, the first university-based dance department in the country. The department is home to a diverse faculty of artists and scholars, drawn from a range of disciplines, including anthropology, folklore, dance, theater and performance studies. The department’s lively interdisciplinary curriculum is unified around a set of shared concerns: the significance of cultural and aesthetic diversity, both locally and worldwide; the meaning of tradition in contemporary societies; and the changing roles and responsibilities of artists.
The Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance is an ideal environment for artists, scholars and activists interested in exploring the meaning of creative expression in the contemporary world and for dancers and choreographers seeking to expand and challenge the cultural, intellectual and political horizons of their own practice.
Admission
The program has application requirements for admission. Eligible applicants who submit all requirements successfully and timely will be reviewed and notified via email of an admission decision shortly after the application deadline (May 5th). See Application Requirements below for more details. Early application is strongly encouraged.
*Please note, the program has an application deadline of May 5th.
Applicants are required to provide the following during the online registration process.
- Responses to the following essay prompts (each response should be 4-6 sentences):
- Describe your experience in Hip Hop and street dance. Please include the types of training, how long you’ve studied and where. What are some of your favorite street dance styles or forms, and why?
- Why do you want to participate in a Hip Hop and street dance program, and what do you want to get out of this experience?
- Do you have any other experience in the performing arts? For instance, spoken word, music or theater. If so, please explain.
- Describe your current extracurricular activities, community involvement, or service to the community.
- A letter of recommendation, preferably from a dance instructor.
- Video Audition: Please send us a short video clip of you dancing and/or performing Hip Hop. It could be a simple video of yourself dancing in a private space or a solo or small group piece on stage or at a competition. Just make sure you can be clearly seen up close from head to toe, especially if submitting group work. Solo footage is preferable. A YouTube or Vimeo link would be best, but Google Drive links are acceptable as well. If password protected, please provide. Also, please begin the video by introducing yourself with your name, age, fun fact and a short description of what we are about to see. Please note: Quality of videography/filming will not affect your application score. If you have any questions please email Assistant Director Leo Flores at summerdance@arts.ucla.edu.
When determining admission, the committee evaluates students based on the following:
- Written responses to the application questions
- Level of experience and training as displayed in follow up video submissions
- Overall effort put into the application process as a whole
Qualified students attending grades 8th – 11th in Spring 2023 in the state of California may be eligible for Summer Scholars Support, a need- and merit-based scholarship offered by the UCLA Summer Sessions Office. A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available to support enrollment in SCIP/eSCIP, one Summer Course, or a Precollege Summer Institute.
Summer 2023 deadline to apply: March 15.
Students will receive a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) upon completion. To receive a “Pass” notation, students must earn a letter grade of C or better. See University Credit, Grades and Transcripts for more information about academic credit.
Due to the intense nature of the Hip Hop / Street Dance Summer Institute and the time commitment involved, living in on-campus housing is mandatory.
For more information on UCLA housing precollege programs, please see the Housing for Minors page.
Program Dates: June 25, 2023 – July 1, 2023
Program Type: Admission based/ In-person
Program Eligibility: 9th-12th grade in Spring 2023; Ages 14-17
UCLA Coursework: Dance 174A; 2 units
Application Deadline: May 5th, 2023
Enrollment Deadline: June 15, 2023
Fees and Payment Info
The program fee includes the unit fees for the UCLA coursework offered as part of the program and thus varies by UC student status. In addition to the program fee, students are assessed other campus and administrative fees during the summer. This is a summary of fees that commonly apply to the selected student type.
Actual tuition and fees are subject to change by the University of California. Visit the fees, payment, and financial aid section for important disclaimer, as well as more details on fees, payment instructions, and information on delinquency, refunds, and financial aid.
Program Fee | $1,968 |
Registration Fee | $350 |
IEI Fee | $61 |
Document Fee (for first-time Summer Sessions students) | $50 |
Meet your instructors
Harry Weston aka “Fullout”
Director of Artistic OversightHarry grew up in Santa Cruz, California, surrounded by West African dance and drumming, his first artistic inspirations. He fell in love with Hip Hop dance culture at age 15, changing his life and setting him on a path of creativity, community engagement, teaching and mentorship. In 2008, he moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA, and graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in World Arts and Cultures with a concentration in Dance, as well as a Minor in Civic Engagement. While at UCLA, he participated in a number of artistic and teaching endeavors, many of which he is still involved today.
He was invited to dance professionally with the internationally renowned Hip Hop dance company, Versa-Style. He became a Teaching Artist for The Flourish Foundation and inherited and directed the after school Hip Hop dance program at Abraham Lincoln High School in East LA. He also served as Head Counselor for the UCLA Dance/Performing Arts Summer Intensive each summer during his time at UCLA. Today, Harry tours as a Principal Dancer with Versa-Style, and also serves as the company’s Partnerships Manager. He continued to serve The Flourish Foundation as a Teaching Artist, Site Coordinator, and then Program Director until it’s rebranding as VS:P•E•C, for which he now serves as Program Supervisor. And he has Co-directed the UCLA Dance/Performing Arts Summer Intensive for the last three years, after transitioning from Head Counselor to Head of Scholarship Recruitment.
Now as Director of UCLA Hip Hop/Street Dance Summer Institute, he looks forward to continuing his passion of utilizing Hip Hop dance culture as a tool to empower the next generation of leaders throughout Los Angeles and beyond, and is thankful for all the mentorship, guidance, community support, and opportunities that have led him to where he is today.

Aubrey Mamaid aka “Siga”
Director of Program OperationsAubrey Mamaid was born and raised in the Philippines, and moved to Los Angeles, California in 2015. Upon arriving in LA, she met Versa-Style Dance Company through the after-school program offered at her school. From there, she was chosen as a scholarship recipient to attend the UCLA Performing Arts Pre-College Summer Institute in Summer of 2016. Her participation in the program exposed her to what pursuing dance in college would look like, and she was successfully admitted to UCLA as a Dance Major the following year.
As a first generation immigrant and student, she completed her B.A. in Dance, B.A. in Asian American Studies, with a minor in Public Affairs at UCLA. She has continued her work with Versa-Style Dance company, as a long-time member of the youth program, Versa-Style Next Generation (VSNG). She is now the VSNG Co-Captain, as well as Versa-Style Dance Company’s Special Projects Associate. Her work includes grant writing, fundraising, and program development. Her credits as a teacher began in 2019, teaching at Irving Middle School. She has now been teaching around Los Angeles, including schools such as Martin Luther King Elementary School, Grand Arts High School, Canoga Park High School, East Los Angeles Performing Arts Magnet, and Van Nuys High School.
With this program, Aubrey has served as a counselor from 2017-2019, and later on moved up to Head Counselor during the program’s most recent reiteration in 2022.

Leo Flores aka “Inner-G”
Director of Student RelationsLeonardo Flores is a Los Angeles native born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. He is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles where he earned a B.A. in History and Dance. Leo has been part of Versa-Style Next Generation since 2016 and is the current Co-Captain. He is a teaching artist with VS: P•E•C where he has taught at schools including Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, Lincoln High School, and Jordan High School. Leo also has taught with incarcerated youth in Los Angeles at facilities including Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall and Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Leo stresses the importance of cultural integrity and technique in Street Dance, always emphasizing an eye to the past to inform the developing culture of Streetdance.
Leo participated in the UCLA Dance/Performing Arts Summer Institute in 2016, and then later went on to serve as a program counselor in 2019. He then moved up as the Head Counselor for the program in 2022.

Jackie Lopez aka “Miss Funk”
Supervisor/FacultyJackie is a first generation Los Angeles native. She was the first in her family to graduate high school, continue her education in Los Angeles Valley College, transfer to UCLA and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2004 from the Department of World Arts and Cultures, with a concentration in Dance. For the last 22 years, Jackie has been working as a professional dancer, choreographer, teaching artist and cultural educator who has worked with students and artists of all ages from LA, NYC, Philly, Utah, Chicago and internationally in places such as Israel, United Kingdom, France, Columbia and India.
She currently is a Lecturer at UCLA’s Dept. of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, teaching and building the Hip Hop dance curriculum, and is the Supervisor of the UCLA Hip Hop/Street Dance Summer Institute. She has also been a guest choreographer in several prestigious schools such as Columbia College in Chicago, University of Utah Dance Program, Santa Monica College’s “Synapse Dance Company” and Los Angeles Valley College’s “Dance Production.” Jackie was also a Cultural Ambassador for the United States, touring, teaching and choreographing in Tel Aviv, Israel, for the Bridge: Choreographic Dialogues Program at the famous Suzanne Dellal Center, which creates links between Israeli and American dance communities.
In addition, Jackie is also the Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director of Versa-Style Dance Company, a certified 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 2005. Versa-Style is a dance ensemble that consists of young, committed and conscientious Hip Hop artists representing the diversity and beautiful complexity of Los Angeles.
Lastly, Jackie served the organization formerly known as The Flourish Foundation since 2006, first as a Program Director and soon after flourishing as Executive Director. Today, under the guidance of Jackie, The Flourish Foundation has been re-branded as Versa-Style: Performance • Education • Community, where Jackie serves as Executive Director. Jackie is inspired to keep VS: P•E•C’s mission alive by using her upbringing in LAUSD, her background in arts education and passion for youth and the arts.

Leigh Foaad aka “Breeze-Lee”
Advisor/FacultyLeigh was born in New Orleans, and at the age of 3 months he moved to Los Angeles with his parents. Leigh has been exposed to dance since the very beginning, leading to a wide variety of styles from classical ballet to street dance vernacular social dances. More specifically, Leigh found a love for a street dance style called “Popping” in the year 2002 & since then has competed in some of the most prestigious competitions on a national level and worldwide scale, gaining respectful worldwide recognition as a dancer, teacher and artist.
Leigh has been training and working professionally as a Principal Dancer for Rennie Harris “Puremovement” (RHPM) since 2005. One of Leigh’s proudest moments with RHPM was in March 2012, when he was selected as a Cultural Ambassador for The Obama Administration, BAM, and DanceMotion USA, providing services in the Middle East; Egypt, Israel & Palestine. In addition, Leigh is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Versa-Style Dance Company (certified 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization) and has directed numerous productions that have toured nationally and internationally. One of Leigh’s favorite tours was with the Anchorage Concert Association, touring a 3 week -5 city tour with the company throughout Alaska where he had the opportunity to teach Master classes and also perform Versa-Style’s production “Box of Hope”.
Most recently, Leigh is proud to join as the Artistic Director of Versa-Style: Performance • Education • Community. As a leader and member of VS: P•E•C he is determined to express and share the knowledge & importance of Hip Hop culture, while providing high level artistry through the Versa-Style Hip Hop/Street Dance Curriculum. Lastly, he currently is a Lecturer at UCLA’s Dept. of World Arts and Cultures/Dance teaching Hip Hop dance. Leigh takes pride in teaching the history and culture of Hip Hop.

Hip Hop / Street Dance Summer Institute FAQ
Clothes for Dance Class
You will be spending your days in dance classes and rehearsals, so you will want to wear clothes that you are comfortable moving in. Recommended dance attire includes sweatpants, shorts (appropriate length), t-shirts, and tank tops (appropriate length/cut). Please avoid heavy clothing such as jeans, which restrict movement and can also get hot very quickly. It is also a good idea to have a sweatshirt with you at all times since it may get cool in some of the studios/classrooms. Be sure to have a pair of comfortable shoes to move around in (regular sneakers or dance sneakers are fine, platforms, heels, and other shoes that of this nature that offer little support should be avoided). It is also recommended to bring an extra change of clothes with you to change in between classes, as classes will be physically taxing, and students will sweat. There will be no opportunities to return to the dorms during the day for a change of clothes.
Suggested Items to Bring
- Multiple face masks for casual use throughout the day in between classes (additional disposable face masks will be provided for use during dance classes if needed)
- Bathrobe, towel, washcloth, and toiletries
- A plastic caddy or Ziploc bag for carrying shampoo and soap
- Hangers (if desired)
- Flip-flops for the hallways and shower facilities
- Additional pillows or blankets (recommended) Sweater, sweatshirt or light jacket Any necessary medication (Participants are responsible for their own medication.)
Do NOT Forget to Bring
- Photo ID
- Lunch money for 5 days
Drinks and snacks are provided each day free of charge. Some students like to bring extra money for gifts or purchases at the UCLA store and at off-campus excursions. Contact summerdance@arts.ucla.edu if any money issues arise. NOTE: Please leave any expensive/valuable items at home, such as laptops, ipads, computers, cameras, electronics, etc.
Costumes for the Final Performance
- At least one cool color shirt: blue, green, or purple
- At least one warm color shirt: red, orange, or yellow
- White shirt
- Black shirt
- Black pants/shorts/capris (to be worn throughout the show)
- Opening Piece Costume: Any combination of shirts, jackets, vests, etc to be worn with your black bottoms that represents your personality and style
- One pair of black and/or white colored shoes (solid black, solid white, with minimal design/logos/colors, or shoes with both black and white)
NOTE: Shirts can be any casual style that is appropriate (long sleeve, short sleeve, or tank top). Please try to avoid shirts with excessive lettering or advertising (no logos). Bring plain solid colored t-shirts, if possible. No bare midriffs or low cut tops.
Make sure that you are able to dance comfortably in ALL of the items you bring
Still have questions? Check out the general Summer Institutes FAQ.