IMPORTANT Changes coming to Kabuki Dancers PLEASE READ

How’s it going everyone…

This is Jude Romero AKA “Juice” with Kabuki Dancers. I am an original member of Kabuki Kru (formed in 1998), and also a co-founder of Kabuki Dancers (formed in 2016). I have been dancing (breakin’) for over 20 years and performing professionally for about 12. I’d like to personally thank everyone that has supported the group since its creation, because without you, we could not have reached so many. I’d also like to thank the many artists I’ve worked with over the years. You have inspired me to become a better performer and speaker. I never imagined dancing in front of others, let alone talking in front of them. 😰

I do a lot of behind the scenes work here at Kabuki (emails, design, production, program creation) in addition to performing, but I do know I’m not the one you are used to talking to or corresponding with when you book our shows. Unfortunately, this will be changing and please, I need your support. I’m posting this today to let everyone know that after our performances this summer are over, Terrance and Turk will be leaving the group. Needless to say, a lot has changed over the past 2 years for everyone, so I can’t say I was surprised when I was notified of this, although it was a bit sudden and caught me off guard. Hopefully, most of you will remember me from a previous performance as I know it’s hard to switch to dealing with a new person, when you already have an established relationship with Terrance.

So now what?

I definitely love the work I’ve been doing for the past 6 years with the group and I don’t want to see it come to an end. I also love the name Kabuki. While the name is catchy, for me, it represents the beginning of my journey into Hip-Hop culture that started over 20 years ago. It’s where I made many friends, and also learned so much about myself along the way. My personal goal with these programs has always been to inspire the youth through Hip-Hop culture. When I look back at my life there are very few things that remained constant, but Hip-Hop has always been one of them. It has kept me grounded when times have been tough, supported me when people wouldn’t, and provided a focus when the future was uncertain…and now is no different. Going forward my plan is to find new artists/performers while continuing to offer a selection of programs I can perform even if by myself with no loss to quality or messaging being lost. I was able to test some solo performances in the Lafayette Parish School System through the Acadiana Center for the Arts that were a huge success and gave me a much needed confidence boost in this pursuit. Now, some of our programs are very much group based and don’t easily make the move to being done solo. Others were surprisingly easy and in some cases became more effective and impressive when done solo. That said, if you or someone you know is interested in joining the group as an active performer, you can message me or send an email to [email protected] with your info and details. Dance workshops will not be affected by these changes and are always available. It’s mostly the programs that require a time commitment to learn and flexible availability that will take some work. I currently do not have access to our Instagram and twitter, but hopefully that will change sooner than later so I can keep everyone better updated on things going forward. I have some cool ideas 😉

TL;DR

1. I’m responsible for everything Kabuki going forward.
2. Currently looking for new artists/performers.
3. Some programs will be available to book solo at a reduced cost while filling spots, dance workshops will be unaffected by these changes.
4. We will still be easy as ever to work with and provide all equipment needed for performances.
5. Kabukidancers.com and socials will be updated to reflect these changes in time.

Once again, I’d like to thank all the schools, libraries, organizations and individuals that have supported our work and I ask for your continued support during this transition period and into the future.

– Juice, KABUKI