Julian Llanos
As an infant, Julian was exposed to the rhythms of African and House music through his parents, Joey and Toni Llanos. By the age of three, his father would introduce him to the traditional Japanese Martial Art form of Okinawan Go Ju Ryu. He would go on to train in the style of Tang Soo Do and receive his first Black Belt at the age of ten. He has earned his 2nd Degree Black Belt in both Go Ju Ryu and Tang Soo Do. During this time Julian would begin learning African drumming and within a few months along with his mother and younger sister Maya, started to perform locally with the Kazi Oliver African Drum and Dance Company. His skills in African Drum & Dance would be further enhanced through the teachings and exposure to Baba Moustapha Diedhiou from Senegal; Baba Frank Malloy & Sister Nabz Stokes of the Forces of Nature Dance Company in New York City.
Julian’s Hip Hop dance training began at the age of fourteen at the family owned studio, M*POWER - Center for Cultural Fitness, Inc. Various dance workshops & master classes held at M*POWER also provided new genres that would further his interest & dance skills. These artists included: Archie Burnett, Bravo Lafortune, Rockafella, James “Cricket” Colter, Kaelynn “KK” Harris and D’Nay Baptiste. As a member of the M*POWER Elite Dance Team, Julian would become assistant choreographer and perform in local events and competitions. Performance venues included: The Paramount Theater, Ulster Performing Arts Center, The Bardavon, Dutchess Community College, SUNY New Paltz and Vassar College.
By the age of 18 he was requested to join the New York Academy of Ballet (NYAB) faculty, after subbing for Mr. Anthony Edwards for three years. While teaching at NYAB, he was able to continue his training in Ballet and Modern dance. His passion for Hip Hop would lead him to attend classes in some of New York’s most popular dance studios such as: Broadway Dance Center, Ripley Grier, Exile Professional Gym and Peridance Center. It was through these studios that he would later see the benefits of attending some of the well known national workshops and dance conventions: The PULSE On Tour, Nexus Dance Experience, Young Lions Tour and Monsters of Hip Hop. It was at these conventions that he would be exposed to some of the country’s top choreographers in the industry: Cris Judd, Brian Friedman, Gil Duldulao, Dean Lee, Tucker Barkley, Tricia Miranda to name a few. He was honored with a full weekend scholarship by Mr. Cris Judd and requested to be a part of the Finale by Mr. Tucker Barkley at The PULSE On Tour Dance Convention.
Julian has developed a personal dance style that incorporates traditional martial arts skills and may also include House, Pop & Lock, B-Boying and Tutting. As a dance and martial arts educator with M*POWER, Julian has had the privilege of teaching in local school districts and after school programs for various organizations: Poughkeepsie City School District, Newburgh City School District, McCann Civic Center, R.E.A.L. Skills Network, The Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh and Poughkeepsie. Throughout the past ten years he has been on faculty teaching Hip Hop for the following dance academies: New York Academy of Ballet (NYAB), Duchess County Performing Arts Center (DCPAC), Newburgh Performing Arts Academy (NPAA) and Poughkeepsie Performing Arts Academy (PPAA).
For the spring semester of 2021, Julian was invited to join the Vassar Dance Faculty as their first Hip Hop Dance Instructor. Julian has the esteemed honor of sharing his passion for dance and exposing students to the freedom of movement & creative expression. Dance has been one of the best forms of “release” and rejuvenation for him. Teaching to a variety of skill levels and various age groups has shown to be beyond a rewarding experience.