In a fierce combination of dance styles and music genres, the RUBBERBANDance group presents Vic’s Mix, a riveting show that forces the audience to engage with and witness movement in an unconventional way.

Started by Victor Quijada in 2002, the eclectic mix of breakdancing and modern dance styles are set to hit the stage October 13th at the Prince Theater. The show is comprised of a unique style of movement paired with classical music and is based on the inspiration he received growing up in Los Angeles in the 80s.

“I grew up in LA and I really was influenced at a young age and was influenced by hip-hop culture. As much as I was influenced by Mexican American culture, hip-hop culture has taken that kind of influence in my life. When I was a street dancer, they used to call me 'Rubberband' because of a particular elastic style I had in freestyle culture,” Quijada said.

Quijada’s dedication to challenging not only the rules of the freestyle and folk genre of breakdance but also the more classic styles of ballet and modern led him to create a particular technique he perfected after years in both dance worlds.

"It was in my late teens that something was embedded. The seeds were implanted for what I would create. After high school I continued interesting formal dance training. I was interested in Rudy Perez, the beginning of the postmodern movement in New York. I became his protegee. I got a contract with Twyla Tharp. I spent 5 years in New York dancing in contemporary ballet,” Quijada said, reflecting on his dance training.

By combining the various styles, he was able to create something that perfectly reflected his dance experience but also challenged many of the rules and boundaries Quijada felt were far too rigid.

"I went to an art highschool and I was exposed to more classical dance styles. It was a major landmark in my life where what I had grown up with, this folk dance form I was seeing what Art with a capital A was and how did that compare. It inspired quite a lot of thought. What was it that hip-hop as a culture can do? I was inspired by people like Picasso, painters, writers, composers, who changed the way people thought about an art form,” Quijada said .

Vic’s Mix works as a compilation of all of Quijada’s dance training and creative influence.

"We’re bringing a repertoire program to Philadelphia, it’s called Vic’s Mix. 60 to 75 minutes. It’s a collection of various different pieces. Next year will be our 15th anniversary. I was compelled to bring the classics, the questions that I had in the beginning versus the new pieces. I’ve taken work that I created for other companies and reconstructed it for my company. It’s a two act program. It gives an overview of the different directions that the company has explored over the last 15 years,” Quijada said.

Vic’s Mix is set to run until October 16th.