Cristina Bucci


 Dean Placzek

artistDean

Dean has been studying the art of Breaking/B-boying for the last 13 years and has become known for his creativity, originality, concepts and flow. Devoting his time to developing his skill and artistry as well as furthering his knowledge of the culture of Hip Hop, Dean approaches dance with the mindset of a student, competing against (and learning from) the best in the breaking community. As a dancer Dean has performed across British Columbia with dance crew Project Soul and competed in Ottawa, Seattle, San Francisco, Orlando, Los Angeles and Holland. Dean also devotes his time to teaching and is committed to spreading his knowledge of Hip Hop and B-boy culture through various outreach programs such as Blueprint For Life, which conducts social work through Hip Hop. As an artist Dean is committed to emphasizing the dance aspect of Breaking as well as helping tear down the negative misconceptions about Breaking culture in general. He has choreographed pieces for Project Soul, Pop up Dances, Dancing on the Edge, Dance Allsorts, New Works Season Launch, Dancers for a Small Stage (MovEnt) and has been collaborating and choreographing with OURO since its inauguration.


Maiko Miyauchi

artistMaiko

Maiko began her dancing at the age of four, studying at the Ecole de Ballet Classic and Tokyo Junior Ballet. After graduating high school, Maiko chose to pursue her training at Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver, British Columbia. In an effort to challenge herself even further, Maiko began exploring other dance forms, immersing herself in the local Jazz and Hip-Hop communities while continuing to teaching and study at Source Dance Co. and Harbour Dance Centre. Throughout her career, Maiko has worked and choreographed for artists like Young MC, Elise Estrada, Cory Lee, Econoline Crush, as well as organizations/festivals like the Canadian Football League, New Balance, New Works, Dancing on the Edge, Lululemon, and Native shoes. She’s also appeared in major motion picture and television projects like Sucker Punch, Once Upon A Time, Hellcats, John Tucker Must Die, The Sorority Wars, Caprica, Impulse, Grave Halloween, Black Sash, and Mirror’s Edge 2. While well-versed in many styles of dance, Maiko’s current focus is contemporary dance. Building upon her work with 605 Collective and the response, her role as Co-Director of OURO Collective allows her to follow her passion for experimentation and collaboration with other artists.


Rina Pellerin

Rina’s versatility and artistry has allowed her to learn, perform, and compete across Canada, Asia, and the U.S.A. She began classical ballet at the age of 7, and immersed herself in street dance culture during her teen years. She’s received scholarships from Souldiers Dance company, Vancity Project, and Urban Alchemy which allowed her to learn from pioneers and original generation dancers. This sparked her interest in Waacking, and All-Styles battles in which she is currently competing and judging. Given her choreographic and freestyle background, she’s performed with various groups from all different genres, and has worked on commercial projects with companies such as Lululemon, Telus, Goldwell, Vancouver Art Gallery and Samsung. Highlighted choreography credits include Dance Allsorts, New Works Season Launch, Dancing on the Edge, and Project Soul. On top of corporate and commercial work, Rina has been an active member of the Vancouver street dance scene, and has made it her priority to grow the Waacking and Hustle community. She is the director of eccentric Waacking crew, Konichiwaack, and an original member of multi-style dance collective, OURO Collective.


Mark Siller

Mark has been fascinated by creative movement for over 14 years. Initially inspired by Jackie Chan and old martial arts films he began practicing acrobatics and delving into breaking in 2001. Honest expression, self-knowledge, education and its resultant creativity is of the utmost importance to him. He believes that it is through these means that you make your mark in the world. As a frequent competitor in high profile breaking competitions, Mark recently won “World Bboy Classics Vancouver” and went on to represent the North West at the world finals in Eindhoven, Holland. Mark has also been involved in creating, organizing and promoting a number of dance events in Vancouver such as: “The Floor Horsemen Present: Jam Masters Series,” “Fight Before Christmas,” “Kill Beats” and ”The Unity Festival Vancouver 2013 and 2014.″ Just as committed to youth work and education, Mark is a Senior Project Facilitator at Blueprint For Life, an organization dedicated to “Social Work Through Hip Hop” (for which he received the 2013 TD/Michaëlle Jean Foundation Bursary). Highlighted choreography credits include Dance Allsorts, New Works Season Launch, Dancing on the Edge and Project Soul. Mark is also a staff member of Unity Charity, DAREarts and the Royal Conservatory, teaching school curriculum through the arts. However, his proudest and most meaningful year has been spent as a member of OURO Collective where he’s able to combine his artistic interests with his community-minded focus.