About

MISSION STATEMENT: It’s Showtime NYC’s mission is twofold. First, we cultivate creative excellence within the next generation of Street/Club Dancers by providing
unique experiences connected to careers within the dance and performing arts world. Second, we advocate for, and highlight the recognition of,
Street/Club Dances as seminal American artforms and folkloric movement cultures within the performing arts sector.

VISION STATEMENT: Our vision is to become a leading talent incubator for Street/Club Dancers in the NYC metro area by investing in the dancers’ creative maturity; building community; creating space for future ambassadors in Street/Club Dance, spreading the dance forms through schools, stage, studio and the screen.

BACKGROUND: It’s Showtime NYC is a program of the Bronx-based 501 c-3 non profit organization Dancing in the Streets. Since 1984 Dancing in the Streets has produced 600+ public performances in unexpected places, introducing audiences to unexplored spaces, communities, cultures and dance forms.

CURRENT DANCERS: Bless, Shem, Jumbie, Ski, Laiden, Venxm, Flexx, Voltage, Qu, Wiildkard, Dru, Rogue, Blank, Stein, Fendikyy

PAST DANCERS (partial list): Soho, Klassic, Jungle, Cocomotion, Burn Baby, Eskillz, Indigo, Izzy, Cece, Qwes, Jahod, Mr. Ocean, Kofi, Imani, Miles, Emotions, Will, Mr. McWick, J-resh, Sci-fi, Luna, Boogie, AnRki, Mano, Robin, Lioness, Lohso, Smooth, Iso, Medusa, Creed, Proxy, Ora, Bad Day…

 It's Showtime NYC! has featured performances by: The Float Masters, Waffles, Raiders of Concrete, Stylz Enuff, Next Generation BBoys, Fly Stylz Crew, Aftermath, The Seven, Anbu Black Ops, C.C. Klaus, Fully Focused, The Positive Brothers, Force, Melanie Aguirre, Cebo Carr, Katalyst, Rocka Jamez, Uncle Will, Richie Rich, Frost Lock, Amit Bhowmick, Osyris Antham, and Still1.

Past Live Performances by It’s Showtime NYC: (partial list)

Metropolitan Museum of Art (First resident street dance company), Works & Process at the Guggenheim, Works & Process at Alice Tully Hall, Symphony Space, Apollo Theatre, HarlemStage, Barclay’s Center, Abrons Arts Center, Lincoln Center, The Shed, Wave Hill, Jamaica Center for the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, Hook Arts Media, Downtown Brooklyn, Pregones, BAAD!, 92nd Street Y, Bronx Museum, Weeksville Heritage Center, NOoSPHERE Arts, The Highline, The Little Island, River to River, Jamaica Dance Festival, SummerStage, Queens County Farm, Midnight Theater, Poster House Museum, Children's’ Art Museum, Red Hook Festival, Jacob Javitts Center and in Belgium, Brazil, France and the Netherlands. Residencies: Bethany Arts Community, Anderson Center (Minnesota), Herbert Von King Cultural Arts Center, Bridge Street Theater, Gibney Artists in Residence. LMCC/Governor’s Island, The Anderson Center (Minnesota) Commissions: Works & Process, Artists Community Alliance in partnership with the Howard Gilman Foundation and Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Abrons Arts Center, The Shed, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY State Council on the Arts, Symphony Space, Casita Maria/NY Philharmonic, NOoSPHERE Arts

Past Creative and Performance Collaborations with:

Adesola Osakalumi, The D.R.E.A.M Ring, NY Philharmonic/Casita Maria, Bill T. Jones at Park Avenue Armory, Johnathan “Akuma” Moore, Malik Work, Osyris Antham, Grandwizzard Theodore (the inventor of scratching), Kash Gaines, BronX BandA with Aurturo O’Farrill, Doc (Music commission), Da Vincii (Music commission). Loreto Still 1 Jamlin, Raphael Xavier, Anne Nguyen, Faustin Linyekula with Moya Michael, Slicc, Doc, Crikkit

Corporate and Fundraiser appearances:

Target, New Balance, Coach, Bacardi, Paco Rabonne, AT&T, AirBnB, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Big Brother Big Sisters of NYC, Queens Theatre, Kidsuper, Barneys x Hourglass and select tech companies.

Teaching:

Workshops and semester length curriculums have been taught by IST teaching artists at various NYC public schools, after school programs, community centers, museums and festivals.

TEAM:

Calvin “Cal” Hunt, Program and Artistic Director, It’s Showtime NYC!

Brooklyn born Calvin “Cal” Hunt began dancing at age 5 and has been practicing flexN for 15 years. During his early years as a dancer, Cal performed on the subways but dreamed of moving from the trains to the planes.  As a teen, he immersed himself in flexN and learned the culture, mindset and essence of the flexN style from OG’s and pioneers includuding Reggie Roc, Jay Donn, Gutta, Kareem Baptiste, Shaneequewa Samuels, Bryan, Storyboard P, Vibez and Deidra Braz. Over the years, Cal has been competing, winning battles, and performing with the street dance platform Battlefest, owned by Kareem Baptiste. In 2015 Cal performed at the Park Avenue Armory with the flexN dance company Dream Ring, and then toured the world with the company.  In 2017 he worked with the Shed in a teaching artist partnership where he instructed students all over NYC, teaching dance and conflict prevention through the arts. Cal trained further as a teaching artist at the National Dance Institute, Lincoln Center Summer Forum, and at 92nd Street Y with Dr. Martha Eddy. He continues to teach private and group classes at notable dance studios. As a dancer, Cal has performed with Wu Tang Clan at Radio City Music Hall, and as a dancer/talent producer for music videos with Lous and Yakuza. In 2019 Cal was honored, at the high recommendation of his mentor Peter Sellars, to perform and choreograph at the Opera National De Paris, resulting in a Cesar Award nominated documentary. During COVID, Cal brought his vision for creating programs to the French Institute Alliance Francaise, in New York, where he created a dance program for young street dancers utilizing the Institute’s theater space. 

John Blankson, Development and Outreach Manager, Dancing in the Streets

John Blankson is a storyteller and strategist whose career spans journalism, filmmaking, and global communications. Before leading communications efforts for USAID, John was a New York-based writer profiling artists across a wide spectrum. As an editor at Ubikwist Magazine, he spent a decade capturing the stories of pop culture icons like Indya Moore, Connie Fleming, Michael Evans Behling, Edward Enninful, and Aweng Chuol. John’s work as a journalist and documentary filmmaker has taken him across rural West Africa, where he directed and produced hard-hitting stories and documentaries centered on equity, resilience, and impact. A master PR strategist, John also brings corporate muscle to his creative edge, shaping success stories for major brands like Rite Aid. His unconventional approach to community-building and galvanizing audiences has helped organizations like EPIC People and Keecha Harris & Associates emerge as thought leaders in their fields.

Now at Dancing in the Streets, John brings deep experience in strategic communication, digital media, and public relations, with a tech-forward perspective that bridges cultural and communicative gaps on a global scale. He is passionate about using these tools to elevate street dance as a celebrated art form—one that commands respect, resources, and the spotlight it deserves.

Christopher “Venxm” Brathwaite, Payroll/Tourism Manager, It’s Showtime NYC

Venxm believes we are all different personas and characters. The name comes from a villain from Spiderman (the Marvel character). He molds that character, imagining how the villain would move, in simplicity, as a dancer who performs and battles. Venxm uses the expression of street dance to give audiences insights into his character.  He takes joy in disarming audiences, wowing them by offering movements unexpected for his physical presence. 

Since his start at age 15, Brooklyn raised Venxm has focused on a range of dance styles including: jerkin’ from California, waving, popping, and currently flexN, tutting and bonebreaking.  Attending street dance events, cyphers and battles in NY & NJ was his classroom. 

A long-time member of It’s Showtime NYC, Venom has performed at: Jacob's Pillow, the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a one-year residency, SummerStage, HarlemStage, The Shed, Wavehill, Abrons Arts Center (in collaboration with Adesola Osakalumi), Barclay’s Center, Sybarite Love is Love and more.  Venxm has taught in New York’s public schools and festivals, in Maryland and Paris (Lycée Turgot, Lax Studio). He has starred in commercials, music videos and international television shows currently including “Barefeet with Mickela Mallozzi” on PBS-TV/Amazon Prime.  He received a 2020 Bessie Award nomination for Outstanding Breakout Choreographer as a member of It’s Showtime NYC. Battles won include: NYLink2/NYLink 3, SuperHeroes Vs Villians @ TheVybe, and Roundz of Flame Saiyan Summer 2 2023.

Erica Ruben, Executive Director, Dancing in the Streets

For 10 years Erica was the Executive Producer of Central Park SummerStage where she launched a dance commission program, global culture education and electronic music series. She produced hundreds of free public programs in Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn featuring major modern, American and world music, opera, performance art, spoken word and children’s programs to millions of New Yorkers. Programs she produced included:  the Roots, Common, the Fugees, Rock Steady Crew, Nile Rogers and Chic, Nuyorican Poets, Parliament Funkadelic, a special event bringing together 4 generations of Bob Marley’s family,  body&SOUL, Nuyorican Soul, the first South African kwaito concert in North America (a precursor to amapiano), Angelique Kidjo’s North American debut, and the first performing arts commission of House of Ninja led by vogue innovator Willi Ninja. 

After SummerStage, Erica produced a multi award-winning nightclub party Deep Space with Dj Francois K., for 16 years which brought together dj’s, live musicians, poets and dancers in a unique format.  Special guests included DJ Kool Herc, Grand Master Flash, Abiodun Oyewole (Last Poets), dub icon Lee Scratch Perry, disco innovator Giorgio Moroder, poet Carl Hancock Rux, Afro-Futurist King Britt, and most of the innovators of dubstep and bass music.  Erica is also Director of Club Culture Foundation,  a boutique foundation in support of house music, dance and culture. She has lectured extensively worldwide, and holds a certificate in Creative Placemaking, with a focus on NYC’s nightlife. She has a BA with honors from Vassar College with a major in Film/Drama.