WOMAD

Heal The Hood

From South Africa

The Heal the Hood Crew features...Emile "YX?" Jansen:Hip Hop Activist since 1982 and member of legendary South African hip hop group Black Noise. Heal the Hood Project was initiated by Emile to teach the next generation the skills needed to teach hip hop culture and the importance of putting back into the communities that they come from. It is also about creating a sense of support for what is from the communities and thus making arts equal job creation in a community that has limitless talent, but never equate finance with that talent. HTH is trying to change that with school tour and international exchanges. Emile has toured Sweden, Norway, Denmark, USA, Holland, Belgium, Namibia... He has performed alongside artists like Salif, Manu Dibangu, Robbie Jansen, Brenda Fassie, Prophets of Da City, Knaan, Dead Prez, Black Thought, Snoop Dogg, Sean Paul, Joe and many more. He is also the editor of Da Juice magazine, author of My Hip Hop is African and Proud. He also hosts the African Hip Hop Indaba, Battle of the Year, freestyle Session, Shut Up Just Dance, African Battle Cry, Our Hip Hop festival and is a member of Conquering Lions. Latecia Fisher: Female new skool hip hop dancer. Member of the New Skool team from South Africa at the 2005 IDO World Champs in Germany. Dancing for the past 14 years. She joined the Heal the Hood Group top bring another dance element to the crew and teach this in communities throughout South Africa. HTH sent her to Sweden last year to learn new skills to teach to youth throughout South Africa. She will spend this year teaching and performing this new dance skills to other dancers throughout South Africa and everywhere the Heal the Hood Groups tours. Alfred Burgess aka B-Boy Benji:19 year old South African solo and group Champs. A member of South African All Star breakdance crew Ubuntu. Also a member of Azanian Flames and Handbrake Turn that represented South Africa at the Battle of the year in Germany. He also represented South Africa at the Red Bull BC One. He won third in the World Champs in France a year ago. Alfred joined the Heal the hood Group to share the experience that he has learned through HTH projects with other dancers nationally and learn from Emile how to use your skill to have a sustained income from your dance ability. Daniel Van Wyk aka B-Boy D-Rock:Duo dancer with B-Boy Benji and member of the same crews that Alfred was a apart of at the World Champs. He is currently one of the best dancers in South Africa and is learning to work together with Leticia and Alfred to create performances and workshops that will share the knowledge of the dance with others throughout the communities that they work in.