We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew Palma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started my own business to ensure that my dance career would last a lifetime. As a hip-hop dancer and choreographer, I knew that I wanted to be involved in this industry for a long time. I had so many ideas that I wanted to pursue, but this was only possible if I created something of my own. A place to learn, train, and mentor other aspiring dancers who want to explore their rhythm and enhance their dance skills. In September of 2019, I opened Rhythmic Dance Complex.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Throughout my childhood, I trained in gymnastics for seven years and played football for ten years. I lived a very active lifestyle and wanted to stay active as an adult. In high school, I often watched dance movies, TV shows, and videos that featured hip-hop dancers and crews. It was fascinating to watch dancers work together, connect with the music, and create something visually appealing for their audiences.

When I was 17 years old, I dedicated my time to learning various hip-hop dance styles. I took classes, attended events, and joined my first dance crew. I discovered that there are many types of styles in hip-hop dance, including breaking, popping, locking, house, and much more. These are styles that I continue to learn about and explore today.

About a year after joining my first dance crew, I auditioned for the Phoenix Suns & Mercury Hip Hop Squad. I didn’t make it the first time around, but I auditioned again and made it the next time. I was excited to dance for this organization because I’ve always been a Phoenix basketball fan. Most importantly, my sister was part of the hip-hop squad, so experiencing it together was a dream come true. We even had the opportunity to choreograph and coach for the Phoenix Suns Dance Kids.

After a few seasons of dancing for the NBA/WNBA, I had the desire to pursue other opportunities in the entertainment industry. I picked up performance gigs, taught classes, and networked with many dancers and companies from around the world. I demonstrated my work for the Fiesta Bowl, Arizona Diamondbacks, Travel Channel, Subway, Microsoft, the Tie Dye Company, and much more.

As much as I enjoyed performing, I also enjoyed choreographing, instructing, and mentoring. I worked with dancers and teams from across the Phoenix valley and it was rewarding to see my visions come to life. I mostly worked with the youth and I started to realize that I was contributing to the next generation of dancers. I wanted to continue that journey which lead me to open Rhythmic Dance Complex.

We opened our dance studio inside of a local charter school called Leman Academy of Excellence. They have been kind enough to let us use their space to host our classes and develop programs. However, we are now building out our own facility to move into next Spring!

Currently, I display my work within the crews created at Rhythmic Dance Complex. We have kids, teens, and young adults who make up these crews. Our junior crew “RhythmiKidz” is currently ranked #3 in the USA and #19 in the World at Hip Hop International. This year, my trio crew “Rhythmix” won the Bronze Medal at the USA Hip Hop Dance Championship. Then we added members to form an adult crew called “Key Elements”. We also formed a teen crew this year called “Rhythmicality” who will perform and compete starting in 2023.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Gilbert, Arizona is my hometown so going downtown is a must. There are plenty of restaurants and shops that I enjoy over there. I also suggest taking a trip to the Grand Canyon because I think everyone who visits or lives in Arizona should experience going there. Aside from those two areas, we also have a ton of good restaurants and staycation spots in our valley.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like give a shoutout to my older sister Ashley Sanchez who helped guide me through my dance career. She has a lot more experience than I do and has been dancing since she was three. Her mentorship and expertise has helped me navigate through this industry.

My second shoutout goes to Aidan Wilson who was part of my very first dance crew. We have been dancing together ever since, and now we run the crews here at RDC. Our collaboration has helped us earn multiple awards in choreography and entertainment.

Ashley and Aidan both teach classes and also help with the operations. I’m so proud of the dance family we’ve created, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for us.

Website: rhythmicdc.com

Instagram: @rhythmicdc @andrew_akro

Facebook: facebook.com/rhythmicdc

Image Credits
Michael Anthony

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.