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Lecture demonstration

Application & Overview

Welcome Certificate Candidate,

We are excited to consider you as a potential Candidate for the Rennie Harris Certificate program.  Once you have reviewed the Certificate program, please feel free to register and submit your application here.

It’s important to know that there are two registration deadlines one for Fall Semester and one for Spring Semester.

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  • The 5 th Element Spring Semester begins on January 13, 2025.

  • Registration deadline: January 1, 2025.

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  • The 5 th Element Fall Semester begins September 2, 2025.

  • Registration deadline: August 17, 2025.

 

Please note, all applicantsmust submit all required materials with the application. The candidate’s application will be approved within 4-5 business days of receiving the

application. After approval of both application and materials the Candidate will be notified immediately via email. If you are approved for consideration, please follow the instructions in your notification email.

Please be sure to thoroughly review every page on this site to fully

understand what is expected of you as a potential cohort.

500 WORD ESSAY

Each applicant will submit a 500 word essay which should include:

1) Outline of Goals 

2) Expectations 

3) Mission statement (if applicable) 

4) Outline why you should be considered a candidate for certification

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

We are requesting three recommendation letters, each approximately 150 words. The first

letter should come from a family member, friend, or community leader. The remaining two can

be from a professor, teacher, or a prominent figure in the field of dance, particularly Street

Dance. These letters should highlight your work ethic, fundamental understanding of Hip-hop

and Street Dance, and passion for learning. Furthermore, they should strongly advocate why

you are an ideal candidate for the certification program.

PREREQUISITE HOURS

To be eligible for the Rennie Harris Street Dance Certificate, applicants must have already

completed a minimum of fifty hours of foundational Hip-hop or House dance classes. The

prerequisite hours will then be deducted from the applicants required completion hours. For

example, if you are required to have 900 combined hours + 100 practice hours you need only to

complete 850 combined hours if your prerequisite hours are accepted. It is important to note

all prerequisite hours must be vetted and approved by Rennie Harris or his appointed advisors.

Therefore, if your instructor (s) class or workshops are not officially recognized as foundational

Hip-hop dance RHU will not accept your prerequisite hours. In such a case, RHU will add your

prerequisite hours to your combined hours. For example, if your combined hours are 900

combined hours RHU will add 50 hours to the required combined hours resulting in 950 hours +

100 practice hours = 1050 hours required to receive an RHU Street Dance Certificate.

APPLICATIONCHECKLIST 

  • Three letters of recommendation (3) 

a. Professional

b. Community

c. Family/Friend

  • Headshot 

  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae

  • 500-word essay

    • Intent/Why are you interested?

    • What do you hope to gain from this program?

    • What are your goals?

  • Freestyle sample video (90 seconds or more)

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