Dec. 15, 2021-- The Dance Academy at High School North, which is preparing for its modern dance artist residency in early 2022, is wasting no time learning innovative dance routines from professional artists.

The team has been traveling to Ocean County College to meet with and receive instruction from Drew Dollaz, a Brooklyn-based street dancer specializing in rhythmic contortions. According to his website, Dollaz’ signature work blends flexing with other genres of movement, including ballet, to create a transcendent hybrid of movement artistry. He has worked with the likes of Madonna and Rihanna, and been featured on "America's Got Talent."

Dance Academy students meet at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at OCC, where they converse with and receive first-hand instruction from Dollaz. The crew is primarily working on improvisational dancing.

"This has been an amazing experience for our students," said Dance Academy teacher Mindy O'Connor. "To receive instruction from a self-taught professional artist like Drew is something they'll never forget, and which will only help them get better and more well rounded."