When Jennifer Weber, then a college sophomore, founded Strictly Funk Dance Movement in 1997, she never imagined that it would lead to international recognition.
But this summer, Weber found herself in the global limelight.
Weber and four other Strictly Funk members stole the stage at the New York International Fringe Festival, a 12-day performing arts celebration.
In the summer of 2000, Weber and College junior Shira Yevin founded the theatrical dance company Decadancetheatre, whose dancers also include Strictly Funk and Penn alumnae Michelle Mendoza, Nicole Caporino and Krista Saunders.
The Festival selects its performers annually, and of the 400 applications received by the festival, less than half were accepted -- and Decadance's show "I Dance" was one of them.
Through choreographed and freestyle dance, DJ-spun music, interactive video and spoken word, "I Dance" delves deep into the world of club culture.
"It's about losing your identity, but then finding yourself through your own movement," Weber said.
As their own bosses, Weber and Yevin were free to break the boundaries of conventional dance.
"This show was amazing, because there were no artistic limitations," Yevin said.
Weber and Yevin, the show's choreographers and artistic directors, worked for a year on "I Dance," which appeared as a work-in-progress in Strictly Funk's December show last year.
As a culmination of their efforts, the dancers faced six sold-out shows in a venue seating 100 people.
"They had to bring out the extra seats and mats," Weber said. "It was great."
The five Strictly Funkers will return to their roots this weekend when "I Dance" comes to Philadelphia on Sunday night, as part of the Philadelphia International Fringe Festival.
Strictly Funk, as the springboard to Decadance, will always hold a place in the five dancers' hearts.
"It was my baby," Weber said.
Weber's vision was to take the dance styles of jazz and hip-hop and develop them into a theatrical performance.
"We want to create full-experience shows, not three-minute dances to the latest Britney Spears songs," Weber said. "Anyone can do that."
Yevin, the former artistic director of Strictly Funk, explained that the group focuses on the conceptual and the visual rather than the technical. Through experimentation, the group has been moving away from the traditional dance recital format.
Since its inception, Strictly Funk has grown increasingly popular and stylistically mature. But the road to recognition has hardly been a smooth one.
"Just because we were a new group, we didn't get the props that we deserved," Yevin said.
Yevin explained that because of Strictly Funk's often sexually explicit dancing, it took until April of last year to be admitted to the Performing Arts Council and school receive funding.
Yet Yevin feels that the struggle has been worth the payoff
"It's been difficult," Yevin said. "But a really good ride."
