We have hand picked the very best hip hop dance instructors in Iowa who are actively improving themselves as dancers too!
Is the founder of All The Way Up. His journey oddly began with a game called dance dance revolution (DDR) in which he noticed background dancers. Shortly after he got into popping for two years and then began venturing into breaking in which he was originally taught by Chuy (one of the instructors)! Since then, he has consistently been part of the breaking scene in Iowa and has translated his passion for breaking into other aspects of life especially business. Joel opened up the All The Way Up Studio as a social enterprise to give back to the community that was always there for him.
Liz's was born in Cedar Rapids, IA - however, was raised in the outside suburbs of Chicago. It was there that she was first exposed to the hip-hop/breaking scene in high school via friends. She practiced Traditional Thai Dancing through a non-profit organization called the Thai Cultural and Fine Arts Institute (TCFAI). Soon after high school, Liz moved back to Iowa and met the University of Iowa's UI BREAKERS. After that, the rest was history and the amazing, talented people she met became family. Liz saw the need for unity and growth throughout the community and thus help founded ATWUS!
Is a Hip Hop dancer whose explorations into Modern dance and improvisation have cultivated an artist with a multi-dimensional approach to contemporary dance. Chuy started in his hometown of West Liberty, IA. First joining and then eventually becoming a central figure in the local Breaking and Hip Hop Dance scene. As a founding member of the Distinctive Nobodies dance crew and UI Breakers student organization he competed and performed throughout the country. Chuy pursued a BA in Dance from the University of Iowa from 2007-2009 - expanding his dance horizons to include Modern, Afro Cuban, Jazz, and Movement Improvisation. Since his exposure to the concert dance world, Chuy has performed works by New Territory Dance, Duane Holland, Rebecca Chun, Eloy Barragon, Armando Duarte, Katherine Vigmostad, Annett Schaedlich-Hendrix, Joanna Rosenthal, and Alan Sener.
Ben Ong is 22 years old, UI Student and is a popping dancer from Malaysia. Ben started dancing when he was 16 and from there his passion for dance began. He started out with popping and since then popping has been his all time favorite style of dancing. Ben like popping because he enjoys the movement and feeling of every pop that the muscles make. Once he catch a beat he can’t stop popping. Popping is a way for him to express his love for dance and music simultaneously. In Ben's class, he hope to share this experience with you. Ben wants to end with saying that, "I looking forward to see you guys in my class!"
Wesley Stewart is originally from Markham, IL and has been dancing since 2003. His love for dance first started after seeing “You Got Served” for the first time and from there he joined the Chicago based battle-clique, Creation. Since moving to Iowa 5 years ago, Wes has continued dancing and choreographing. He is so excited to see the talent ATWUS has to offer and hopes his class can be a safe and inspiring place for dancers to get out of their comfort zones.
Zach is a 23 year old K-Pop cover dancer from Davenport IA. He first took an interest in dance in 2017 when he was shown a BTS music video and was captured by the powerful choreography and wanted to learn it immediately. In 2018 he found ATWU and started expanding his dancing experience into other genres like hip-hop, popping, and house. His favorite thing about k-pop cover dancing is “the satisfaction of successfully emulating the performances of my favorite idols and trying my best to match their stage presence." Zach is really looking forward to starting an ARMY together!
Johnetta Gardner was was born in Chicago and is 25 years old. She has been dancing since she was little and joined a dance team in 2016. Since being apart of a dance group she started choreographing and teaching hip hop. When she moved to Iowa she was looking for a dance studio and is glad she came across ATWUS and can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Sarah is an Iowa native who has been dancing and performing since she was 8 years old. While she has a love for all forms of dance, she found a passion for dancing in high heels when she became a burlesque performer and cabaret instructor in 2016, a passion fed by years of watching powerful, confident high-heeled women strut their stuff on stage and in music videos. Women like Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga. Sarah's goal in her heels class is to take your confidence to that super star level!
Jamie is from southeast Minnesota but moved to Cedar Rapids in 2012 and fell in love with the area. She currently lives in Cedar Rapids with her husband, two cats, and dog, Ping. She has always enjoyed working out. But she got bored easily and it was hard to stay focused. Then Jamie took her first dance fitness class 6 years ago and was instantly hooked. She found a passion for mixing dancing with workouts. She started teaching her own dance fitness classes about 4 years ago and loves watching students exceed their own expectations and while having fun at the same time!
Vinny is 25 years old. He was born in Mexico and was raised in Iowa. Breaking has been his passion for over 7 years. He loves to perform and share his passion with the world. Making breaking accessible to everyone is his goal. He believes that with the right approach and proper teaching, anyone can become a breaker. By simplifying breaking he can teach a whole routine to anyone. Although breaking is challenging, Vinny makes the process fun!
Will Hernandez aka Egovert, is from Iowa City, Iowa, and has been dancing for 7 years and on going. Dancing will always be apart of Will. Whether it’s stress from work, coping with relationships, going through tough times, dance has been there for him whenever he need to create an escape. Breakdancing is an art, a dance, a lifestyle. It’s a hobby that has forever changed Will's life for the better and he can NEVER stop thinking about it. Whether it’s fashion (because of style for dancing), getting a job that will support himself, the studio or competing out of state in dance competitions - Breakdancing continues to influence his daily life. He states "I’m a person who has strong ambitions to become one of the best I can possibly be, and along my journey I have come across so many amazing talented people who now I’m close friends with, and constantly they give me a reminder of why I’m doing this to begin with."
Zo is the good boy, hypoallergenic, and has surprisingly loose hips for dancing. (Just Ask). Please do not be alarmed, he may occasionally come and sit on or by you during stretches.
