Event: Black Expressions: Hip-Hop Festival
Location: Dance Place
Photographers: McArthur Newell + Jamil Woods

For the past several years, the Washington, DC Hip-Hop Festival has celebrated Hip-Hop culture and music. Mainly focused on dance, this festival is as celebratory as it is entertaining.

Hosted by Cheles Rhynes and Gesel Mason of Mason/Rhynes Productions at the Dance Place, a community center noted for its resource programs and social engagement in the community, this event is a staple in the arts community. The list of performers included: Capitol Movement Project, Poem-cees, Aysha Upchurch, Life, Rhythm, Move Project, DCypher Dance and featured Boogie Bots (from MTV’s, America’s Best Dance Crew Season 2) as well as the Live in Color Dance Collective.

I knew we were in for a treat as soon DJ 2-Tone Jones started mixing the tracks and setting the scene. The lights dimmed and the performers took their places. Now our only challenge was capturing the essence of the high-speed performance in low-light setting! Here are a few highlights of the event…

Hip-Hop Festival