BY EVA MURPHY
Every year, dance crews from across the country gather to compete at the prestigious Hip Hop International USA championship. It is more than just a dance contest; it is also a celebration of hip-hop dance and culture. For the first time in the history of the organization, crews from West Virginia will be among the participants.
The Mini Sparkz (ages 7-10) and Lil’ Sparkz (ages 11-13) competition teams from Lil Jammaz Hip Hop Company in Morgantown will represent the region at the 2023 HHI USA Championship April 14-16 in Los Angeles, Calif.
The crews are trained by Corinthia Rilko, who opened Lil Jammaz almost 10 years ago. Her lifelong passion for dance centers around hip-hop in particular. It is a very social type of dance, she said, and it differs from other forms because of where it developed — on the streets of large cities like New York and Los Angeles. While hip-hop dance has a presence in Pittsburgh, Rilko said there were few opportunities for her to participate in the hip-hop dance culture in Morgantown. She opened her own studio in Morgantown in October 2013 to fill that gap, both for herself and for others. Originally, she offered classes out of her home, but soon business became brisk enough that she moved the studio to a larger space on the Mileground.
Rilko’s competition teams take the stage at competitions about five to seven times per year. The members show as much drive and dedication as their coach, who has taught them to channel their emotions into dance.
“I enjoy the fact that I can put my struggles out there when I’m dancing,” said Gracelyn Esaw, a member of the Lil’ Sparkz crew. “That’s how I get rid of it.”
The routines the Lil’ Jammaz crews will showcase at the HHI Championships were choreographed by Rilko, and she is excited to see her work on the national stage.
“I feel very honored to have our crews representing my studio and our state,” Rilko said.
She and her students have held many fundraisers in recent months to support the landmark trip to California. They have sold Krispy Kreme donuts, held a spaghetti dinner, and started a GoFundMe — at https://gofund.me/90d46b4d — which will accept donations up until the crews’ departure on April 14.
The top five crews from each division at the USA Championship will advance to represent the United States at the HHI World Championship in Phoenix, Ariz., later this summer.
Delilah Henderson, another of the Lil’ Sparkz, is looking forward to the Lil’ Jammaz crews being the first from West Virginia to participate at HHI.
“We get to make a small piece of dance history,” she said.
Henderson also views the competition as a chance to enjoy the social nature of hip-hop dance culture.
“I’m looking forward to being with my favorite group of people, doing something we all love,” she said.
