Thesis 2016 - Showcase
Thesis Dance (Est. 2015) is the largest COMMUNITY dance festival in all of Florida. People from all over the world come to experience the festivities & leave with full hearts, tired bodies, & an overabundance of anticipation for the return of the event. This weekend-long experience takes place in Tampa Bay & consists of four main parts: a pre-party, showcase, battle, and workshop.
The reigning intention behind the event is to cultivate unity within the dance community while also inspiring future generations to continue developing their passion for the arts. A wide range of world renown professional artists are invited to take part in the event as performers, educators, judges, Djs & overall facilitators of this journey. The function was created by the community, for the community!
The first day of the event consists of a pre-party event. The name says it all… It’s a party! This social gathering was introduced into the schedule in 2020. After a few years of the event taking place, we realized that there was a need for a day for everyone to be able to focus purely on interaction and engagement. Without the performance, competition or workshops to concentrate on, attendees get to focus on just pure enjoyment of being around others who share the same passion for arts and hip hop culture. In 2022 we add a FREE master class for the community with world renown dancer and choreographer Shaun Evaristo. This is not only to give back to the community that supports us but also provide an opportunity for people to learn from someone they may have never been able to learn from, let alone for free! Following the class, the party begins and we have special guest Djs, food venders and hundreds of attendees from all over the world!
Showcase
The second day of the event consists of various performance showcases by some of the best talent that the Florida dance community has to offer. Performers come from Sarasota, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, and many other cities within the state. In addition, various individuals and groups from outside of Florida also take part in the showcase. Past out of state performers include Philadelphia, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and more. Though it is a performance, it is also a celebration of dance, culture, and the arts. The showcase has grown into an amazing display of creativity and love. The show consists of a mix of both choreography and freestyle performed using various dance techniques like Hip Hop, Contemporary, Tap, Modern, and more. This event is important because it gives the community an opportunity to come together, recognize home-grown talent, while also gaining inspiration from those outside of the community. If you have never been to a dance showcase held within the urban arts community in Florida then we would HIGHLY recommend this be the event to attend with your family! (All ages are welcome!)
Battles
Being a core element of both the Florida dance community and Hip Hop culture, the third day of Thesis is a day solely composed of dance battles. Thesis holds both a Freestyle and Breaking 1vs1 battle open to all genders and ages. Dancers from all different cities, backgrounds, training, and experiences attend and exchange ideas that can only be understood through the physical form. Both being completely improvisational, the dancers show their musicality on the spot as the DJ spins a wide range of different music throughout the night. Both battles begin with a preliminary showcase where the top 16 (32 if necessary) get selected by the invited judges. Then the dancers battle it out bracket style until there is one winner per category. Winners go home with a cash prize of nearly $1000, clothing from our local sponsors, a custom made trophy, and most of all the respect of the community. This has become one of the biggest attractions of Thesis just because of the energy that exudes from the dancers at all times. You never know what you’ll see! The event reached a record number of battle sign ups for the 1v1 battles at Thesis 2020 with a whopping 250 participants! The event is not only open to those participating but also those who wish to just watch and have a good time and just like the showcase, this is also open to all ages!
Workshops
The fourth and final day of Thesis features a six class workshop. We feel that this is the most important event day of Thesis because we believe education is the basis of growth. The very first Thesis event held just 3 classes. Initially, the workshops and battles shared a single day but due to the exponential rise in attendance and participation, in 2017 the workshops received its own event day. This in turn gave us the ability to provide twice as many classes, diversify the classes, and in turn better serve our community. World renowned educators use movement, knowledge of culture and their experiences to inspire growth and development. A wide range of class styles have been taught in the past including Freestyle, House, Contemporary, Hip Hop Choreography, Hip Hop Fundamentals, Popping, Krump, Chicago Footwork and more.