Hi I’m Zack and I’m the project assistant for Rennie Harris American Street Dance Archive. I’ve been working with RHASDA for 1.5 years now and have loved helping to bring the archive to life! I come to this work through my interest in working with community archives, or archives run by the communities whose history they document, instead of big institutions. In our current world where critical histories that challenge structures of power are being silenced, community archives have a vital role to play in preserving and sharing those histories. After learning about RHASDA I was instantly drawn to its mission of elevating histories of street dance that are usually ignored by historical institutions, and I knew I wanted to help out however I could. The team’s focus on working closely with Hip-hop and street dance legends across the country to share the stories of their communities embodies the kind of community archival practices we need more of in the archival world. I came to RHASDA with knowledge about community archives, but much less about dance, so this has been an incredible journey learning about the real history of Hip-hop and street dance from the legends I’ve gotten to meet and work with. I am so inspired by all the work we’ve done at RHASDA so far and I can’t wait for all the stuff we have coming up soon! …

My name is Sidak Chahal (she/her), I’m from New Jersey, and I’m a rising sophomore and prospective History + Sociology/Anthropology double major at Swarthmore College. I have always been interested in archival work whether it’s my physical music collection made up of years of records, CDs, and cassettes or the world of essential and concerted hip-hop research RHASDA has opened up to me. I was immediately drawn to RHPM and RHASDA due to their explicit mission in uplifting Black, Brown, and queer histories not only through their performances–which allow for the unabashed celebration of previously and presently oppressed dance and storytelling traditions–but also through their expressed focus on accessible community education as the cornerstone of social change.

I am thrilled to not only be a part of the team working on expanding this archive and its widespread community outreach, but to thoroughly engage with histories from which I know I will learn so much. My interest in history and archival work, specifically within artistic spaces, has always revolved around a sustained, specific focus on social justice and the intersectionality of oppression. I’m beyond excited to see the impact this internship will have on me, my archival work moving forward, and on the community activism I am proud to be part of both on campus and in Philadelphia.

Sidak Chahal, Swarthmore College ‘29 …

My name is Parisha Rajbhandari, and I am a Nepali dance artist currently residing in Buffalo, NY. I have been a part of the RHU cohort since 2022, and have participated in the RHU archive team periodically since 2025. The breadth of research, documentation, and access that the Rennie Harris American Street Dance Archive has provided for dancers, scholars and people who are interested in street dance culture is significant. I am honored to be a part of the team. I am currently working as an Assistant Professor of Dance at SUNY Fredonia. The connections and knowledge I have been able to build through RHU cohort and research team experience has immensely supported my journey as an educator. I am grateful for the mentorship, community and resources I have received through RHU. I look forward to sharing and cultivating cultural sensitivity, care and personal accountability towards street dance culture with my current and future students. In addition to my experience with RHU, I am a dance artist creating independent works, performing and teaching in local communities. I am thankful to the Minnesota community for offering a welcoming and nourishing space for the past 10 years of my artistic journey where I experienced dance in a multitude of avenues – performing and teaching professionally with Ananya Dance Theatre, creating independent works, learning and exchanging with street dancers and other dance artists, teaching at local organizations and receiving my MFA in Dance from Minnesota State University Mankato. My journey in Buffalo, NY is new, and I look forward to building relationships and reciprocity with the local community. …

Hi:) My name is Alex Dow. I go by She/They Pronouns and I am from Los Angeles California. I am a Black queer trans femme Belizean American. I am a Senior at Swarthmore College double majoring in Black Studies and Choreographic Dance on the Pre Law Track. I am the Co-President of Swarthmore African American Students Society (SASS) and Students Of Caribbean Ancestry Club (SOCA). Outside of academics I like to read and crochet and dance with my friends. This summer I am interning with Rennie Harris American Street Dance Archive as a student researcher. I am so excited to intern with them this summer because I love to be a part of dance in any way. For me Dance plays the most important role in society; it’s a curator. Dance curates, creates, and maneuvers our society. Dance makes the world and society function. Without dance we wouldn’t have any language to communicate with each other. Dance isn’t simply a cure; dance is a language in society, a way of archiving the world and all that encompasses it. I dance because without dancing I would be mute, silent, and dead. I dance because dance gives me life and gives me validity and legibility in my being and expression. I am so thrilled to work at Rennie Harris American Street Dance Archive because it gives me the opportunity to document black, brown, and queer folk that continuously innovate our world through dance yet get little recognition. …

My name is Dana MacQueen, and I am a student at the State University of New York at Fredonia. This semester, I had the privilege of interning with the Rennie Harris American Street Dance Archive as a student researcher; an experience that has deeply shaped the way I understand both dance and my place within it. I was drawn to this opportunity because of my Professor, Parisha Rajbhandari whose commitment to knowledge and lineage challenged me to think more critically about the histories I had taken for granted. I began to recognize the injustices and lost histories that impact street dance communities, and I felt a growing responsibility to learn more. During my internship, I intentionally made space each week to engage with these histories, and in doing so, I found myself becoming more aware, more curious and more accountable as a practitioner. I am still at the beginning of my journey, but this experience helped me understand that learning is not passive, it requires care, questioning and action. Being part of this work made me feel connected to something larger than myself. It reminded me that I have a role in helping to preserve and uplift the stories that came before us. The RHASDA has inspired me to use my voice and my time with greater purpose, and to continue asking “why, where, and who?” as I move forward.
– Dana MacQueen, SUNY Fredonia, 26 …

Let’s help spread the word and raise $$ for @gbaridenzel heart transplant we’re halfway there cmon we got this community https://gofund.me/bd032be7c …