Keep the Bay Area Dance Event Collective Alive and Thriving

Hello everyone, my name is David Rodriguez but friends know me as Davy Smiles. I am the co-founder and creative director of the BAY AREA DANCE EVENT COLLECTIVE, a non-profit organization centered on grassroots collective leadership within the street dance community. It is our mission to help build a better future for the current and future leaders of our scene.

As practitioners of hip-hop dance culture, it is our duty and responsibility to pass down the knowledge that has been passed down from the leaders that came before us. The spirit of our organization is to leave a blueprint the future of our community can follow by creating an inclusive network of support, guidance, and resources for all.

Our long-term vision is to create a self-sustaining, profitable, and equitable ecosystem in which community members can organize dance events, sessions, and workshops through responsible and ethical business practices.

For the last 3 years, our organization has produced and organized over 35 events, sessions, and workshops monthly and bi-monthly, investing over $20,000 directly towards local businesses and dance artists that we have collaborated with or helped support. These events were created with the intention of holding space, advocating, and providing opportunities for the women, LGBTQ+, and POC that have been active in the culture and do real work in our communities. All without any grants, sponsorships, or partners other than the generous donations of our local dance communities.

On Dec 7th, 2024, we organized our final event "THE WINNERS CIRCLE: 2024 POP-UP CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINALS"—a 1v1 Open Styles and 1v1 Breakin' Tournament in Oakland at In The Groove Studios. We have been hosting this event annually for the past 3 years where the 1st place winners from each category take home $1000 each and a custom trophy. Leading up to the grand finals throughout 2024, we also hosted the "PAYING DUES 2024 POP-UP BATTLE TOUR," hosting 6 qualifiers in San Mateo, Sacramento, Oakland, Modesto, San Diego, and San Jose. Each tour stop, the winners from each category secured a top 16 spot at THE WINNERS CIRCLE 2024.

The Winners Circle 2024 grand finals on Dec 7th has been our greatest achievement and commercial success since the creation of our organization 3 years ago. We had over 120 spectators with an astounding 65 of these being competitors from both categories vying for a shot at our $2000 grand prize, competing against our Paying Dues 2024 pop-up battle tour champions. Our final event also featured open cyphers for dancers, local vendors selling goods and merch, massage therapists, and a performance by local 6-piece jazz band "Oddity" for the 2nd year in a row.

Although by most metrics our event was considered a success and testament to the strength of our dance community, financially it was not. For an event of this scale, over $6000 was spent to produce and organize, but unfortunately, only $2800 was generated in revenue and donations, leaving us with a financial loss of over $3000. Despite this loss, we still were able to pay our prize money, judges, DJs, venue fees, photographers, videographers, jazz band artists, equipment rental, and advertising costs.

Regardless of the outcome, we were able to compensate our artists and collaborators fair and equitable wages. However, this did not come without a massive financial strain and hardship to the sustainability of our organization going forward. So much so that we might not be able to continue for the foreseeable future if we do not recover from this loss.

We are kindly asking for support from our dance community to help us raise $5000 and make us whole once again to continue the important work our organization has been at the forefront of for the last 3 years. Your donations, no matter the size, help us continue our work and provide our free community resources such as our Event Calendar, Practice Calendar, Equipment Rental, Consulting, and Aid. An important goal for us in 2025 is to create a "community chest fund" where we can offer aid to new and current event organizers that really need it. Help us get through this financial hardship and we promise to keep paying it forward to the dance scene we love so dearly.

Sincerely and with love,

Davy Smiles

Co-founder | Creative Director

Bay Area Dance Event Collective