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JoDee
JoDee Allen - Choreographer/Dancer is a founding member of Solid State, collaborating creating and interpreting with the company since it's beginning in 2000. She was accepted into the exclusive Red Bull Beat Riders in 2004 to train with experts in urban dance such as Ken Swift, Brian Green, Don Cambellock etc... In 2001 JoDee with her crew Dysfunkshn, won the Ultimate B-boy/B-girl Award from the Canadian Floor Masters for 'repping' at international Break Events such as Pro-Ams, Miami, B-boy Summit and Freestyle Sessions, Los Angeles. For three years consecutively JoDee and Helen Simard organized a Break event as part of Underpressure, an annual outdoor celebration of Hip Hop including MCing, Grafitti, Skateboarding and Break held in their adopted hometown, Montreal.
Helen
Helen Simard - Choreographer/Dancer has been with Solid State since it's conception in 2000 and over the years has filled the roles of creator/interpreter and rehearsal director. In addition to being co-Artistic Director of Solid State with JoDee Allen, she continues to work as a rehearsal director for several independent dance and theatre companies such as Sasha Kleinplatz and Andrew Tay.as well as a dancer and/or choreographer for several Canadian movies and videos, including rapper K-os' Juno award winning video, "B-boy Stance". Helen continues her dedication to Breakdance's pure form through the dance space Studio Sweatshop which Helen co-owns with JoDee Allen. Classes at Sweatshop are focused on Urban dances (Breakdance, House etc...) and there are weekly jam sessions open to the community as well as semi-regular Break events.
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"JoDee Allen and Helen Simard are vocal and articulate about (their) cross-referencing, and what they do creatively evades the commercial exploitation that is often found in the popular growth of urban dance."
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