A Toronto-based soul choreographer and music video director has brought hip hop flavour to the Columbia Valley.

United Dance owners Michelle Jensen and Melyssa Hecher invited Lenny Len from FLAVORSHOP Dance ON-DEMAND in Toronto to the United Dance school at the Debbie Seal Centre in Invermere.

Lenny taught roughly 40 of their students some new moves in his Make You A Star dance camp held for hip hop dancers between Tuesday, September 1st and Saturday, September 5th at the studio.

“The dance camp tours around with Lenny,” explained Jensen, noting the five-day workshop created a unique experience for many of their students. “It’s been fantastic. It’s exceeded our expectations in terms of turnout and response from the kids and parents — they’re all so excited to work with a professional from the entertainment and dance industry.”

United Dance offers ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, musical theatre and hip hop classes all year.

However, Jensen is especially interested in pursuing hip hop and Len mentors her on a regular basis.

All of the participating students were taught how to perform a new dance, and began producing a video with Len on September 5th.

“It’s one of his professional videos and once that’s been edited, it will be out on all sorts of social media and those kids will get to see themselves dance,” said Jensen.

She added the video, done to the song Freedom by Pharrell Williams, would be posted on Len’s Vimeo and YouTube pages, along with United Dance’s Facebook and Twitter pages for the community to see. Production, which took place at a grassy field near Lakeview Meadows, was expected to last all day

For more information about classes, contact Jensen or Hecher at 250-341-8525 or unitedance@outlook.com.