DEF DANCE JAM WORKSHOP CELEBRATING LIFE, CHALLENGE & DIFFERENT ABILITIES FOR 15 YEARS!

Founded by Aziza in 1994, the Def Dance Jam Workshop (DDJW) program focuses on the process that each member undergoes in achieving his/her personal and academic goals. It also illuminates the experiences of the group as a whole and supports the company of young artists as they grapple with the issues facing them. Those experiences then serve as the foundation for the company's original artisitic work.

The DDJW program includes free instruction in African dance, Modern dance, Tap, Hip-Hop, drumming, drama and voice. American Sign Language (ASL), storytelling, poetry, journal-writing also play an important role in the artistic program. The emphasis, however, is on respect, learning, cooperation and community service.

The members of DDJW do not pay to participate in the program. All services, instruction, equipment, costumes and materials are provided free of charge. The organization, a 501(c) (3) non-profit, earns most of its operating revenue from performance fees, private donations and merchandising. In addition to the basic services provided by DDJW, there also is the DDJW Community Service Fellowship, which provides tuition assistance and work experience to DDJW members who take advantage of a post-secondary education.

Def Dance Jam Workshop has performed for corporations and organizations such as SONY, the Anti-Defamation League, the United Nations, Bell Atlantic, First Night, the Bronx Lebanon Hospital, Symphony Space, Dance Theater of Harlem, the Office of the Comptroller of the City of New York, J.H.S. 47 for the Deaf and the Black Deaf Advocates Association, among others. In addition, DDJW has been named New Yorker of the Week by NY1 and has been featured on NBC-TV.

You can find information on booking DDJW for workshops and performances here.