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Teacher Bio
Growing up in a place as culturally rich as the South Bronx, Charlene T. Smith’s upbringing was deeply rooted in the sounds of Funk, Soul, Disco, Gospel, Hip-Hop, Reggae and Latin music. It is difficult to be removed from such an abundant background and not take pieces of it with you, implanting them in everything you do and everywhere you go....Read more
Growing up in a place as culturally rich as the South Bronx, Charlene T. Smith’s upbringing was deeply rooted in the sounds of Funk, Soul, Disco, Gospel, Hip-Hop, Reggae and Latin music. It is difficult to be removed from such an abundant background and not take pieces of it with you, implanting them in everything you do and everywhere you go. As a teenager in suburban MD, Charlene became “Chi-Chi”, a moniker given to her by her cousin because of her city girl flair and (at the time) blatant South Bronx accent.
Just after graduating from Rutgers University, Chi-Chi took off into the entertainment industry. Since her professional debut in 2005, she has worked with many of the industry’s top choreographers such as Hi Hat, Fatima Robinson, Rich and Tone, Jamaica Craft, Nu Stylz, Wayne Cilento, Buddha Stretch, and many more.
Chi-Chi has traveled the world and made countless television appearances and live performances alongside the world’s top artists: Missy Elliot, LL Cool J, Janelle Monae, Salt n Pepa, Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Rowland, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, and Gloria Gaynor. Throughout the years, she has maintained a steady stream of featured and leading roles in national network commercials as a dancer, as an actor, and also as choreographer. Many of those commercials represented national and international brands such as: Playtex Bras, Verizon Fios, Nair, Wendy’s, Honey Nut Cheerios, Apple, Lee Jeans, Stride Gum and American Airlines. Her choreography credits include Honey Nut Cheerios ads, Comcast/Xfinity: Beautifully Bilingual, Nickelodeon Halo Awards 2016, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and more!
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Class Descriptions
Chi-Chi focuses her classes on Hip-Hop foundation. She works on keeping the groove in the dance, for without the groove, there is no dance; there are only steps. No matter the technique (Popping, Locking, House, Dancehall/Reggae, etc), these styles are dances first and must be approached that way. This groove foundation will help any dancer execute commercial choreography effortlessly; the best kind of execution there is. In each class, history and vocabulary are introduced/explained. A dance class is not just movement, it's also fun!