Presented by 10K Movement, Full Circle Productions Inc. (Full Circle Souljahs), United Hip Hop Vanguard, and DJ Forrest ‘Get ‘Em’ Gump, The 10K Torch Cypher is a Hip Hop cultural exchange aimed to re-invigorate the local DJ and Breakin’ scene through an exchange of testimonials connecting intergenerational practitioners who have made pivotal contributions in the Hip hop community.
The Torch Cypher hosts a legendary NYC roster of Hip Hop practitioners, including the inventor of the scratch technique DJ Grand Wizzard Theodore, Brooklyn’s own turntablist phenom DJ DP One, NYC native / Ohio transplant DJ Forrest Get’em Gump, and husband and wife Street dance duo, pillars of the NYC Breakin’ community Kwikstep and Rokafella (Full Circle Souljahs / Full Circle Productions & United Hip Hop Vanguards).
March 4th and 5th, The Torch Cypher is a weekend of listening, learning, and cross-generational exchanges of history and stories. The weekend will connect local artists to NYC pioneer DJ’s and dancers to establish mutual common ground of ideas and cultural trajectory.
Friday location @buckoutcleveland - 1242 E. 49th Street, 3rd Floor Cleveland, OH, 44114
Saturday location @vivadancecle - 1541 E. 38th Street, Cleveland, OH, 44114
2-Part Panel Discussion w/ Special Guests
DJ Showcase + DJ Exhibition Battle
1 v 1 Hip Hop - $500
1 v 1 Breaking - $500
Parties + Jams + Cyphers
ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSED - SIGN UP AT THE DOOR!
FULL SCHEDULE:
Friday, March 4 - @ Buck Out Cleveland (1242 E. 49th Street, 3rd Floor Cleveland, OH, 44114)
5:00 PM: Doors Open, Registration
5:30 - 6:30 PM: Party/Jam, Cypher
DJ KS 360, DJ DP ONE, Forrest Get Em Gum & Grandwizzard Theodore
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Hip Hop Prelims (DJ DP ONE)
Breaking Judges: BZ Brooks, Kwikstep, Dre Live
Hip Hop Judges: Word aka. Lyrycs, Lam, Rokafella
7:30 - 8:00 PM: Party/Jam, Cypher
8:00 - 9:00 PM: Main Discussion (Part 1)
9:00 - 9:30 PM: DJ Showcase - Grand Wizzard Theodore
9:30 - 10:30 PM: Top 16 Hip Hop
10:30 - 11:30 PM: Party / Cypher
Saturday, March 5 - @ Viva Dance Studio (1541 E. 38th Street, Cleveland, OH, 44114)
4:00 PM: Doors
4:00 - 5:30 PM: Workshop 1 - (Breaking, BZ/Kwikstep)
5:30 - 7:00 PM: Workshop 2 - (DJing, Grand Wizzard Theodore & DJ DP ONE)
7:00 - 7:30 PM: Party/Jam, Cypher
7:30 - 8:30 PM: Main Discussion (Part 2)
8:30 - 9:30 PM: Breaking Prelims > Breaking Top 8, Hip Hop Top 8 (Quarter Finals)
9:30 - 10:00 PM: DJ Showcase(s)/ Exhibition Battle
10:00 - 10:30 PM: Top 4 > Finals
10:30 - 11:00 PM: Prizes, battle winners & legacy award announced
11:00 - 12:00 PM: Party/Jam Cypher
About Full Circle Souljahs
Founders of Full Circle Productions Inc., Gabriel “Kwikstep” Dionso AKA DJ KS 360 and Ana “Rokafella” Garcia
Gabriel “Kwikstep” Dionisio AKA DJ KS 360 started dancing between the ages of 6 and 7, influenced by Soul Train and block parties in NYC. Kwikstep has performed in PBS's Peabody Award-winning "Everybody Dance Now," the Great Performances 20th Anniversary Special, and Kurt Weill's "September Songs," which was nominated for an Emmy Award. In 1991 he received a Bessie award for choreography and founded the now internationally acclaimed Hip Hop collective known Full Circle Productions in 1992. In 1996, Kwikstep and his wife Rokafella established Full Circle Productions Inc, it’’s members known as Full Circle Souljahs. Today Kwikstep is an international icon in breaking and is best known for his smooth style, versatility and signature head spins.
Kwikstep was also an original founding member and principal dancer in companies such as Rhythm Technicians and GhettOriginal, the creators of “Jam on the Groove,” which was nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 1996. In 2002, “Kwikstep,” along with his wife, wrote, choreographed and directed a Hip Hop Theater piece called ”Soular Power'd,” which ran to sold out audiences for 3 weeks at the New Victory Theater in NYC. Kwikstep and Rokafella wrote, choreographed and directed a new Hip Hop theater piece commissioned by the Kennedy Center called “Outside The BachX. In the fall of 2017, Kwikstep was Associate Director and Choreographer for a Hip Hop Theater piece by the name of “Syncing Ink,” directed by Niegel Smith at the Flea Theater. In the spring of 2018, Kwikstep choreographed for a full length Hip Hop Dance Theater piece at DanSpace Project called “Boxed In,” which was voted one of 7 top shows to see in NYC by the New York Times. Kwikstep also choreographed and was the DJ for a site specific event at Times Square called “Behind The Groove- Times Square Edition” collaborating with Time Square Arts and DanSpace Project. That same year he received the National Teachers Award from the American Dance Festival.
Kwikstep is frequently hired to judge and teach master classes for Breakin’ competitions worldwide. He recently worked with the New York Public Library as a consultant for their Oral History Project, interviewing original dance masters of the early days of Street Dance in NYC. Presently, he is an adjunct professor in the dance department at Queens College and working on a national project called the United Hip Hop Vanguard to uplift the cultural aspects of Breakin’ in the US.
DJ KS 360 founded, curates and runs an event known throughout NY as “Behind The Groove” which is dedicated to all the street and club dancers, which he refers to as his Floor Family or Floor Souljahs.KS 360 credits the mix of music he spins and produces as being a product of his environment. DJ KS 360’s definition of this environment is what he calls his “ the sound scape,” referring to the variety of music that was being played at the local block parties and basement parties, as well as the roller rinks and clubs he went to while growing up in New York. Especially the NYC club scene where dance was prominent, in clubs such as The Fun House, Roseland, The Roxy, Palladium, 1018, Sound Factory, Sound Factory Bar, The Shelter, The Building, Lime Light, Mars, Red Zone and The Tunnel just to name a few.
DJ KS 360 currently has been spinning at some of today’s NYC hot spots and events such as Le Poisson Rouge, Club Cielos in Downtown Manhattan, The Main Stage at Central Park Summer Stage and most recently, Behind The Groove Times Square Edition in collaboration with Danspace and Time Square Arts.
When DJ KS 360 spins, it will have your soul bare witness to the cultural soundscape and artistic New York experience that has influenced him since his youth. DJ-KS 360 enjoys giving the crowd what he calls Soulutions—“good music always has the answer to your questions and the Soulutions to your problems. In return we celebrate those gifts with the expression of dance.”
Ana "Rokafella" Garcia is a NYC native who has represented women in Hip Hop dance professionally over the past three decades. She co-founded Full Circle Productions Inc—NYC's only nonprofit Breakin’ Theater company with her husband, veteran Bboy Kwikstep, generating theater pieces, original poetry and local dance related events. She performs music based on her experiences growing up in Hip Hop's birthplace (Bronx, NY) and has had her poetry published in a Bronx Poets anthology. In addition to directing the documentary about Bgirls "All the Ladies Say," she premiered a new dance work “Beauty Meets Beast” to help explore the duality of women in Street and Club dance.
Rokafella is hired internationally to judge Break dance competitions based on her knowledge of the classic Hip-hop dance style. She teaches unique workshops aimed at celebrating the roots and history as well as the technique of classic Hip Hop dance styles, hosting Breakin’ sessions at various locations in NYC since 1997 including The Point CDC, The Door, High Bridge and Alfred E Smith. Presently an adjunct professor at The New School and a Hip Hop dance instructor at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, she motivates aspiring dancers to understand and to learn the business side of being an independent artist. She has been a member of the Bessie Awards Dance and Performance Committee, worked with the American Tap Dance Foundation and worked as a consultant with DANCE NYC's Symposium's yearly planning committee.
In May of 2017 she launched ShiRoka-- a T-shirt fashion and earring line with Japanese Grafitti artist Shiro, showcasing both of their designer skills. Rokafella has been featured in pivotal Rap music videos, tours, film and commercials and has choreographed for diverse festivals/ concerts such as Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors, Momma's Hip Hop Kitchen and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She was awarded the Joyce Award and a National Teachers Award from the American Dance Festival in 2018.
Her latest project entitled The United Hip Hop Vanguard is set to offer nationwide cultural activations in cities that have vibrant Breakin’ communities, seeking to uplift local legacies and establish future steps. The New York Public Library invited her as a consultant to help with their Oral History Project Hip Hop dance masters edition.
Rokafella is a multi faceted Hip Hop artist who references street and Afro Latino culture as her foundation. (larokasoul.com)
About Grandwizzard Theodore:
Grand Wizzard Theodore, aka Theodore Livingston, creator of the scratch and needle drop, featured in the first Hip Hop movie “Wild Style” and featured in the movie “Scratch,” travels around the world playing venues and teaching Hip Hop classics. His life story was detailed in the Netflix series “The Get Down.” He is regarded as the creator of the scratch and needle drop all DJ’s still use today.
As a child growing up the South Bronx, young Theodore was always attracted to the music emanating from the speakers of his brothers’ Mean Gene and Cordios’ equipment, the legendary L brothers.
As fate would have it, he eventually began experimenting on his brothers’ turntable when no one was watching. One fateful day in the PS. 63 schoolyard, to everyone’s surprise, young Theodore stood on a milk crate (as he was too small to reach the mixer) and began cutting the record back and forth and forth and back. A blur going side to side when in the middle of the mix, he backspinned the record and began scratching on the beat. Little did he know that at that instant he had invented the art of scratching, and the rest shall we say is history.
Awards: 2001 Vanguard Lifetime Achievement Award / 2002 Rane Best Performer Award / 2002 Rane Best Performer Award / 2002 DMC DJ Hall of Fame Award / Global Lifetime Achievement Award / 2000 Source Lifetime Achievement Award / 2007 Premier Party Award / 2006 Numark Milestone Award DJ Innovation / Walk of Fame Award 2009 / Temple of Hip Hop Award 2012 / Fearless Award Lifetime Achievement / Back to Mecca Award 2009 / ITF Lifetime Award / 4 Proclamations 2003, 2004, 2006, 2014
About DP-One
Daniel “DJ DP One” Pinero aka “The Blessing” is a leading New York-based club deejay, whose ability to play multi-genre sets has earned him international recognition. As an original member of the Heavy Hitters and founder of the Turntable Anihilists, DP is adaptable enough to rock a downtown Manhattan club one night, fly to Japan the next day for a gig at super Club Ageha and then DJ a wedding in India!
Clubs / Private Events
At the age of 14, the Brooklyn-born DP One started out deejaying house parties. From there he progressed to spinning at legendary venues such as Roseland, Skate Key and prominent nightclubs including Santos Party House, Le Poisson Rouge, BB King’s, 40/40, Whiskey Blue and Apt. 78. Recently, DP has been playing at NYC hotspots including Lucky Strike, The DL, 1 Oak and Avenue to Magic City and Soul of Sydney in Australia. He continues to be in demand spinning for reputable organizations such as Christian Dior, GameStop and MOMA. Spinning Top 40, Hip-Hop, R&B, EDM, Reggae, Deep House, Soca, Rock, Classics, Breakbeats, Freestyle, Funk, Latin and more, along with his aggressive style, makes DP’s sets both exciting and versatile.
Tours
Originally, as a DJ for underground favorites, J-Live and Wordsworth, DP completed tours of Europe, South Africa and in 35 States across America. He has toured globally with iconic artists such as Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Estelle and Immortal Technique. He has also performed extensively at Colleges and Universities, appearing at close to 30 schools in the U.S.
Radio / Stage / Theatre / Television / Studio
DP has recently spun live on WBLS and HOT97, two of NYC’s top radio stations. He has performed in Broadway plays Soular Power’d and NY Hip Hop Legends at the New Victory Theatre and at Chicago’s Harris Theatre for the production, Imagine Tap. He recently had the honor of performing at the world famous Apollo Theater for Jonzi D’s Freestyle Funk Forum. He was featured on MTV with Def Jam recording artist Teyana Taylor, and appeared on the PBS channels for a Bailey’s Tour special with John Legend & artists signed to his label, HomeSchool Records. Being a recording artist himself, DP has performed scratches on albums from Hip-Hop luminaries; Jadakiss and Immortal Technique.
Dance Competitions
Representing the Universal Zulu Nation and Supreme Beings, DP deejayed the Red Bull BC One’s first North America battle in 2009 and their Chicago qualifier in 2013. DP has held down the decks at notable battles like Braggin’ Rites, B-Boy Massacre, Kings Of NY, Skill Methodz Anniveraries, Evolution, The B-Boy Hoedown, Juste Debout, Freestyle Session East Coast Qualifier and Step Ya Game Up. In addition he has made annual trips to Peru, Japan and Australia to spin for multiple dance competitions.
Dedication
DP One’s creativity and ability to entertain large crowds with his cross-genre sets, makes him one of music’s most diverse, captivating and innovative performers of today. His experiences in deejaying across the globe allow him to approach each event with a level of expertise that only a select few have acquired. He contributes to the art of deejaying by teaching the fundamentals of mixing and scratching throughout NYC.
About Forrest Getemgump
Forrest Getemgump began his journey in dance in 1982. He was inspired to start dancing after seeing his friends perform in an elementary school talent show. He took an interest in breaking after seeing his friends Jason Rios and Joe Torres (RIP) do a couple of throw downs in between classes. From that point on, sports and everything else took a back seat to breaking. He was also inspired by many of the popular Bboy crews in New York City. In 1986 Forrest took an interest in DJing after seeing his high school friend DJ Swell from Far Rockaway Queens cut up the breaks.
Forrest is graduate of SUNY Stony Brook and completed his post grad certification as a Lawyer's Assistant. However he was not ready to enter corporate America as he was consumed with New York City nightlife and dancing. He later became one of the cofounders of Illstyle Rockers and became a cast member of Rennie Harris Puremovement, Boston Dance Umbrella and the managing director of Illstyle and Peace Productions. Forrest currently curates and runs Getemgump Radio. Getemgump Radio is an internet Radio station that plays soul, funk, disco, breaks and house.