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The Culture Shock family has grown from its base in San Diego to cities across the United States and Canada. Each company is individually operated to implement the Culture Shock mission of entertainment, education, and community enrichment with the unique needs of its community in mind. Each company has up to five dance troupes serving a diverse range of ages, skills, and goals.
“We are a troupe of individuals who through the power of music and dance,
cultivate self-worth, dignity, and respect for all people.”
Culture Shock Canada is an organization dedicated to encouraging positive lifestyles, non-violence, physical fitness, and community involvement. Culture Shock Canada dancers perform in live hip hop dance shows, teach all levels of hip hop classes to all ages and participate in community youth outreach programs, thereby fostering high self-esteem and providing positive role models. By developing its dance troupes, Culture Shock has evolved into a large international cultural network. Our dance troupes encourage peer support and promote a unique degree of fraternity.
Culture Shock is Canada’s first professional hip hop dance troupe. The group is motivated by its powerful mission to expand hip hop opportunities for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender or orientation. Culture Shock stands out as a premier program that brings the energy of fitness and the enthusiasm and excitement of dance to all people.
Originally founded by Mark Macy in 1997 and directed by Carole Moy-Woodstock, Culture Shock Canada is now under the national direction of Marc-André Clément. The diverse troupes have taken their message to various communities, high schools, special events and youth organizations throughout Ontario and Québec. Originally started in Ottawa in 1998, Culture Shock Canada has strengthened their mission and expanded to Toronto (2001) and Montreal (2004), making it the second largest Culture Shock organization worldwide.
Culture Shock started in San Diego, California in 1993 by Angie Bunch, a professional dancer, international presenter and Nike Fitness Athlete. Starting the concept as a way of teaching herself how to dance hip hop, Angie gathered together a group of hip hop street dancers to develop and perform hip hop choreography. A professional performing troupe of dancers was formed, and by the end of that year, Culture Shock San Diego was born.
In the next few years Culture Shock would expand to Los Angeles, Oakland, Las Vegas, New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington D.C. With each addition of a troupe, the Mission Statement’s concept evolved into a non-profit, youth outreach and community service program that was fueled purely by volunteerism. By using street dance, the group reached out to young people, steering them away from drugs, violence and hatred into a lifestyle which promoted acceptance, achievement and self confidence.
Culture Shock is also about offering a performance opportunity and a supportive and positive environment to talented dancers. Since the development of other Culture Shock dance troupes, the group has evolved into a large international cultural network. In San Francisco, troupe members donated time to starting a free dance and performing group concept known as Future Shock. These troupes, made up of youth from 8-18 years old, are Culture Shock’s direct link to the community. By offering free dance instruction, a safe place in which to learn and play as well as a performing outlet, Culture Shock found that the youth were more receptive to its drug free and healthy lifestyle message.
As a result of its powerful message and its successful programs, Culture Shock troupes have been formed all over the United States as well as other countries including Canada, France, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Culture Shock has also distinguished itself as a major performing power as well as youth outreach pioneer: In the United States, MTV, Nike Inc., NBA, WNBA, ABL, ESPN-ABC TV, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and the Centre du Marais are just a few places where the Culture Shock presence has been felt.
As one of Culture Shock’s most celebrated characteristics, a sense of Family exists between all cities and programs across the Culture Shock network. Culture Shock and the atmosphere at any Culture Shock event is always described as a family by its members and supporters. The relationships and bonds between people emerge as if they’ve always existed, go well beyond friendship, and last for a lifetime. As a family, we prioritize the support, well-being, and development of each other, and we strive to create that family atmosphere wherever we go.
The core component of our mission is Community Enrichment, and the value we place on healthy and vibrant communities is extremely high. A community is any group with shared interests or commonality that supports each other, collaborates, and shares resources. Community is the extension of family, and Culture Shock strives to strengthen and create positive change in all of the various forms of community that we work with through our programs.
“Self-worth, dignity, and respect for all people” is the final part of the Culture Shock motto, and we strive to treat everyone we come in contact with complete acceptance and without judgement. The cultural diversity of its original members was the inspiration for Culture Shock’s name, and is still an obvious characteristic throughout the organisation. Culture Shock crosses all possible boundaries between people, and embraces everyone as valued and equal- it is truly ‘for all people’.
We believe that consistent, open, and clear communication of information, thoughts, feelings, and ideas is a foundation for any successful group. We work hard to build this into all of our operations and programs, and we encourage it between all levels of the organisation.
The learning, growth, and development of people is an underlying mission across all Culture Shock programs. Whether it be as artists, leaders, or simply as human beings, one of the main benefits of being part of Culture Shock is the opportunity to grow, and to empower & support the growth of others. Also, because we believe so strongly in the power of our mission, we strive to continuously improve and grow as an organisation to increase the impact of what we do, and to reach as many people as possible.
As an arts-based organisation, creativity is an essential part of Culture Shock’s core. Dance as a positive creative outlet and form of expression is our passion, and creativity and innovation in performance, teaching, and strategy is what we continuously work towards
Culture Shock members maintain the highest standard of professionalism in everything they do. From the rehearsals of the professional dance teams, to the day-to-day operations, to the events we host, Culture Shock is run and executed with the highest level of integrity, efficiency, and level of responsibility.
Starting off with a positive attitude is essential to the Culture Shock way. Anything worth working towards is bound to encounter challenges and difficulties, and we believe that perseverance and a positive attitude will lead to positive results and change. Everything that we do is also infused with a sense of fun and happiness, and as an organisation rooted and founded in Hip Hop culture, Hip Hop’s positive principles of Peace, Love, Unity, and Having Fun are fundamental to Culture Shock.
Trust is a fundamental pillar for Culture Shock Canada as it helps ensure proper navigation of each of our core values. Our organization strives in creating and providing safe spaces to foster confidence, dependability and reliability by acting with care, competency, consistency, integrity and compassion to build a stronger sense of self and community.
