Raphael Xavier

Challenging the range of what hip-hop dance can be, Raphael Xavier will continue ADF in Cleveland with a performance unlike any we've had before! An Award-winning artist originally from Wilmington, Delaware; Raphael Xavier is a Hip-Hop dancer and Breaking practitioner that has been honing his craft since 1983. A self-described "Innovative Movement Conceptualist", Xavier creates new ways to expand the vocabulary of the dance form and how it fits onto an aging body. He draws not only upon the culture but also his equally important visual background as a Hip Hop magazine photographer and musical artist. As the sound designer for his works, Xavier's understanding of movement and musicality allows him to structure beats, noises and sounds into captivating music that draws upon emotion and coincides with his choreography. As an active alumnus of the world-renown Hip Hop Dance Company, Rennie Harris Puremovement, his solo and ensemble choreographic dance works have been performed world-wide. Xavier has been awarded numerous accolades including a 2013 Pew Fellowship, a MacDowell Fellow in 2014 and most recently a 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship for Choreography. Presented as part of The American Dance Festival (ADF) in Cleveland. Thank you to Tri-C for their support of this performance of Raphael Xavier.