Tessa Rae and Stedroy Crump

About Tessa Rae

Tessa Rae is a Queer interdependent dance artist from the Treaty 4 Territory of Regina, Saskatchewan. She graduated from Ryerson University with a BFA in Performance Dance, working with choreographers such as Heidi Strauss, Kate Hilliard, Marie-Josee Chartier, Manuel Roque, Louis Laberge-Cote, and James Kudelka. Somewhere throughout her early training years, she fell in love with Hip Hop and Soca music, which inspired her entry into Hip Hop, Breaking, Dancehall and House training in addition to modern and contemporary dance. Tessa is now closely affiliated with New Dance Horizons where she is engaged in a long-term residency and mentorship with artists Robin Poitras and Edward Poitras. Most recently, she completed a new solo commission choreographed by Margie Gillis, supported by New Dance Horizons and SK Arts, and feels honoured to be continuing her involvement with The Legacy Project for Margie’s 50th anniversary season in 2023.

About Stedroy Crump

Stedroy has been in love with Hip Hop ever since he was young. He was enrolled in dance classes at 8 years old, but really fell in love with the craft at 12 as he started to compete in local dance competitions. Meeting his cousin- Naquan – at this age made him hungry as ever to keep learning and growing since Naquan was far better than him and had never taken classes! This hunger helped Stedroy become the recipient of the Manitoba Dance Festival Scholarship(x2), taking home Gold at Dance World Cup (Niagara Falls), while being undefeated in all local dance competitions. Wayne Santos was Stedroy’s mentor growing up and he was fortunate to have met him at Marquis Dance Academy.  Stedroy currently teaches at Muse Studios, Kids Etc Youth Movement Company and Masterworks Dance Studio.

Proposed Research

Stedroy and Tessa find they are connected through their love of Hip Hop dance and culture. Having both been raised in the prairies with vastly different histories, they are excited about this opportunity for creative research at Young Lungs as it allows them each to work outside their respective communities. In the spirit of exchange and reciprocity, they intend to create solos for one another with a focus on the role freestyle/improvisation plays in their performance and choreographic practices.