(Hip-Hop)
With no money to afford real dance classes, Erick Rios taught himself how to dance at the age of seventeen. It all started in his room with no mirror, Michael Jackson playing in the background, and only a shadow to look at. When he started to move his body, he was quickly addicted and never wanted to stop. Whether it was dancing in nightclubs, dancing in sessions, or anywhere that had a mirror; he was always dancing. He joined a dance crew called Critical Level and performed with them, for the first time, at his high school’s talent show. The more Erick danced, the stronger his passion grew; he wanted to get better and do more with his dancing. It was a struggle at first, but fortunately, his talent was first noticed by “Center Stage Dance Academy” in Tampa, Florida. He was then given a full scholarship to take Hip-Hop classes with Desiree and Shawna. As his unique style developed, recording artists such as “Sevin” and “Teddy-J” asked him to perform as a backup dancer. His love for dance has driven him to attend Bergen Community College as a Dance major, which is where he learned Modern, Tap, and Ballet. While expanding his versatility in dance, he discovered a new passion and talent; choreography. Erick is currently employed at Art of Motion Inc. in Ridgewood, NJ, as well as in West Side Dance Center in Randolph, NJ. He has performed in various high schools at BCC and has taught for a variety of people, ages seven and up. Wherever he may go from here is a mystery, but he is looking forward to bringing a brand new style to the dance world.