Jade Jager Clark  

      Artistic Director

Hip Hop Choreographer

Jade started dancing, teaching and choreographing all at the same time at the mere age of 14. Through out her years in high school Jade created a successful extra curricular dance program and led successful hip hop teams to Dance competitions through out the GTA.

In 2002 she also began volunteering and working as a dance teacher for the YMCA, teaching children and adults of all ages. In 2005 she became the Lead dance instructor of the Brampton YMCA Open Concept Dance Program. Under her leadership the program was noted as one of the most successful YMCA dance programs in the GTA.

In 2005 Jade was awarded the Youth Break through Award by the Canadian Association of Advancement of Women in Sport Association (CAAWS) for her work.

In 2006, Jade competed in the Canadian National Dance Championships where she won her category of 17 and Over Hip Hop solo, making her the Ontario Provincial Champion. She also represented Canada at the World Hip Hop Championships, held in Bremen, Germany in September 2006, as a soloist and as part of the Canadian National Hip Hop Team.

A self taught hip hop dancer, the passion for bringing the real street hip hop to the studio prompted her to open up Jade’s Hip Hop Academy in September 2006 at the age of 18, specializing in Hip Hop, poping, locking, breakin and Krump. Jade began with renting a  space for just two nights a week, but it did not take long to realize that this was not enough to accomodate all those who were interested in joining Jade's Hip Hop Academy. In 2007 she leased her own building. 

The season 2007/2008 became a very successful year for Jade's Hip Hop Academy dancers. Despite the fact that many were only in their first or second year of dance training, they came home from most competition with first place finishes, high rankings and several dancers qualified to represent Canada at The World Hip Hop Championships in Germany. Jade also received 2 awards at The Canadian National Dance Championships for Teaching Authentic Hip Hop and one for Education in Hip Hop. Jade has become well known as a choreographer due to her authentic and intricate choreography.

Jade's passion is Hip Hop Dance and unfortunately it is a genre of dance that

is still widely misunderstood and misrepresented at many studio competitions.

 Tired of seeing music video inspired Hip Hop routines score high marks with

just booty shaking, chest popping, attitude and little technique Jade set out

on a mission. So far she has written two articles published in Dance Canada

Qaurteley Magazine discussing what makes a good hip hop routine and the

different elements that teachers and judges should be aware of. Jade hopes

that her continuing work on this project will lead to every competition being

able to recognize authentic Hip Hop and award dancers for skills in popping,

ticking, gliding, waving, locking, breakin and krump. She now works with Dance

Educators of Canada giving seminars to other teachers and studio owners on

Hip Hop dance, educating them about the history, developement of styles,

progressions for rec classes, expectations for competitive Hip Hop dancers, appropriateness in music and costume selections, choreography and more.

Jade received her most recent award of Honourable Mention from Zonta's Women of Achievement Award 2008  in the category Business/Professions and Trades in November 2008. Jade was honoured to be nominated with 9 other women including former Mayor of Caledon, former Director of Big Brother Big Sisters and Director of Brampton Arts Council for the prestigious award. Part of Jade's goal is not only to run a succesful business but to ensure that everyone who loves to dance gets the chance to do so. She believes in keeping cost to a minimum and making sure everyone in the community has acces to her classes and she rewards hard work and dedication of students with full or partial scholarships.

2009 is the year that Jade received recognition through out the dance community as an acceptional Hip Hop dance Choreographer. Her intricate, and precise choreography has developed into a signiture style instantly recognizible on performance and competing stages. Jade now also happily takes part in judging hip hop divsions at competitions and Talent Show Cases. As the Academy and regocnition grows Jade's Hip Hop Academy performance teams are increasingly performing at more events throughout the city and participating in more and more projects such as artists videos and shows.

 In 2010 Jade conitnued to receive various recognition for her work and especially her choreography. Her most recent accomplishments was as Dance Director of YOUTH DAY the largest Festival of it Kind celebrating Youth Talent in the Arts. On July 25th she oversaw 45 of her own students who wowed the audience if 15, 000 at Yonge-Dundas Square performing 16 times, including 5 speciall choreographed Flash Dances and 11 routines. She was also responsible for Managing the dance stage and coordinating  9 other dance groups from Toronto and the GTA to perform at YOUTH DAY. The studio received special recognition from CTV's Ken Shaw who called out the studio and called Jade to the stage to compliment her on her work. Overall it was a phenemonal succes and it was truly a day for JHHA.

Jade looks forward to the 2010-2011 and Season in her Brand New Studio.