About Party People Dance Collective

The very short version of how Party People came to be is that Cameron Lee and I knew each other from living in LA and he reached out late 2025 for me to teach House to his company. I LOVED working with Potion and Cameron and I stayed in touch. One day on the phone he casually suggested that I start a dance company to build foundation for choreo groups in general and when I sat with that I thought it actually was such a smart idea. 

So, the journey began. For the name, unlike me, I didn't over think it. I went with the first name that made sense with where I want people to move towards - which is the essence of the dance. I do not want it to feel, become or be rooted in something intellectual. Sure, let's learn names and history to honor those who created the amazing music and dance we benefit from. Absolutely YES. But the dance??? I'm so tired of seeing carbon copy dancers who only understand steps. I wanted to build dancers - to me that means someone who makes their own choices, knows themselves, expresses themselves. I wanted to create a lab where people can learn foundation but in a sense, learn it as a structure instead of steps so they use it find themselves instead of limit themselves. 

I would say Season 1 was successful. We had 63 dancers audition and we accepted 42 people. I learned a lot and made plenty of mistakes, but that's what leadership does - it moves through the mess to figure out what's needed instead of sitting on the sidelines speculating and critiquing. 

I feel really blessed to have had tremendous guest teachers come in for Season 1 - Free, Orb, Christian aka Proph3t, Audrey, Jensine and Tracey Wong. We even had YungChris from Texas join us for a rehearsal and teach us choreo. I also feel really honored to have dancers that joined who teach and have been dancing for years and years. Them entering into studentship with me is a big compliment. 

I feel grateful to be able to run it again and deeply hope more people will join in this mission to bring culture, community and celebration together. (Those are our 3 C's.) 

Well, first off there will be TWO different groups to choose from, a training group and a deeper dive performance group (I use the word perform loosely here.) 

WHAT: The Foundation Lab  

WHEN: Tuesdays 730-10pm & Fridays 7-10, Aug 7 - Nov 24th

WHERE: Tuesdays Whim W'Him, Fridays Baila District 

WHO: Jojo Diggs + Guest Teachers  

HOW MUCH: $700 PIF, or $200 x 4 months 

GROUP SIZE: Large, approx 40 people 

This group is for you if:

• You want to return to the joy of dance 
• You are wanting to learn, drill and deepen your understanding of foundation and history in a warm and focused environment
• You are ready to do the “boring” work of repetition 
• You are willing to dive in and learn more about your freestyle in a guided way 

This group is NOT for you if: 

• You just want to learn more moves without deeper understanding 
• You are not interested in history, music or context 
• You only want to perform 
• You don’t have time or space to dedicate to your craft 

Expected Results: 

• Understand and respect how vocabulary and choreography in classes and performances is shaped by Black culture
• Practice demonstrated respect and care for Black culture and the people who create it in and out of rehearsal space 
• Be able to execute foundation moves in freestyle and choreography with care, intention and skill 
• Deepen your understanding of how these forms work within your body history
• Identify what matters to you as an artist and learn how to express that 
• More advanced ability to hear layers of music through “Music DNA” breakdowns
• Closer relationship with the cultural context of these forms through dialogue, the Party People environment and encouraged participation in the community 
• Higher level of confidence in your movement, freestyle, and even as a person 
• Connection to a family / crew who cares about you as a human 

Seeking: 

We want to support those who want a real understanding of foundation to freestyle and / or to have integrity for the movement that often shows up in choreography. It is helpful for you to be able to demonstrate a basic execution of the movement prior to the season starting. This is to ensure your experience feels supportive and not overwhelming. 

What we’ll be covering: 

We will begin with the fundamentals of House and Hip Hop and will deepen these forms with genres that share context such as Breaking, Top Rock, Krump, etc. A strong focus on foundation steps, party dances, freestyle and choreography, with guest teachers coming in to supplement your personal style with forms such as Krump, Whacking, Waving, Fusion, Breaking, House floorwork, and more. Expect repetition, conversation and freestyle games. 

We will also be having someone come in to discuss injury prevention, dance-centered training, and self-led physical therapy guidance. 

Process: 

We’ll be taking an inter-disciplinary approach to understanding how you want to express yourself in your movement. Expect to learn movement, history, music depth, community building and how these forms impact each other. The primary focus is HH and House but expanding outward allows a wider access to vocabulary, expression and imagination by understanding the relationship these forms have to each other musically and physically. 

You will receive an accompanying journal that will include a list of foundation moves, an associated checklist to track your progress, and a series of reflection questions to guide you through your journey with the team. 

WHAT: The Immersion Lab 

WHEN: Wednesdays 730-10pm & Saturdays 3-6, Aug 8 - Dec 5th. Show Date: Dec 4th & 5th 

WHERE: Wednesday’s Whim W'Him, Saturday’s Baila District 

WHO: Jojo Diggs + Guest Teachers and Choreographers 

HOW MUCH: $720 PIF, or $205 x 4 months 

GROUP SIZE - Small, Approx 15 people (up to 20 max) 

This group is for you if:

• You want to dive deeper into understanding *your movement instead of just learning choreo / someone else’s movement. 
• You feel ready for something more soulful and personal through a smaller group (approx 15 people) 
• You are available to commit to rehearsal and performance dates 
• You want to learn how to apply the forms (such as House, Hip Hop, Locking, etc.) into choreography and/or performance

This group is NOT for you if: 

• You are not ready to dive deep, and vulnerable, and change. 
• You can’t commit to the rehearsal days and times 
• You don’t yet have an understanding of your *basics in movement and/or your Self 

About the IMMERSION process:

Come and meet a deeper side of you, your artistry and the artistic process. 

Immersion, in relationship to artistry, is defined as the complete focus on something, where the rest of the world disappears. Some might call it flow state. Through exploring the “shadows” of your identity and artistry we will uncover what holds you back from this complete immersion. 

• Where do you lack the trust for yourself and others that allows yourself to immerse? 
• Where do you limit yourself because of perfectionism or people pleasing?
• And what does the practice of letting go of this in a loving way feel like?

Jojo will utilize a combination of shadow work, somatic awareness, dance and community to help you discover what holds you back from your liberation and how to choose something different and new. 

Through a strategic series of questions, sharing, improv practices and choreographed pieces that dive into your psyche, Jojo will help you identify where you hide, what you (over)compensate with, and how to gently and boldly let go to try something else - something more “you” - and maybe most importantly - something that doesn’t feel like a “fix” or dominance but an act of self-respect. 

Through this exploration the show will be created. Each cast members journey will create the show, and the show will be the cast. No two shows will ever be the same. 

Come experience this practice of immersion. 

Expected Results: 

• More relaxed state of being in your body in both dance and day to day life
• Expanded willingness to be seen as you are instead of trying to become an imagined perfect version 
• Deeper awareness of who you want to be outside systems of colonized thinking  
• Emotional process and release during the creation of the show 
• Soulful connection to Jojo and the rest of the cast
• Integration of a more authentic self in life 

Seeking: 

Those with a demonstrated ability to execute choreography, freestyle and foundation, and a willingness to crack open. 

What the choreography / performance will be like: 

House, Hip Hop, Whacking, Waving will be utilized to express the human experience. All choreography will be rooted in cultural forms and will carry deeper themes to express hurt, fear, joy, passion, anger, etc. There will also be connecting freestyles, sometimes solos, and often shared improvs passed back and forth. You will not only be learning choreography, you will be learning who you are inside of your movement. 

Process: 

This process will include open questions and shares to expose and unpack in a safe container. This will help you meet yourself in a whole new way and will manifest in a shift of your souls expression. 

The process will culminate in an evening-length performance held December 4th and 5th. Through our creative journey you will learn about yourself and others, and about yourself through others. 

Much of the content of the final piece will be co-created through the timeline and vulnerability of your shares.