def SOL Productions

Urban Dance & Hip Hop Culture

Saskatoon SK Canada

     (800) 761-9379

About def SOL

events  ~  training programs  ~  techniques  ~  company programs  ~  workshops  ~  culture

about def SOL  ~  def SOL for Hire ◦ performance ◦ consultations ◦ adjudication ◦ workshops ◦ choreography ◦ schools

What we do . . .
def SOL Productions is Saskatchewan’s first street dance and performance company.  Since 2005, def SOL has brought Hip Hop and street dance to a larger audience with our "Street Stylez" dance showcase by combining original and entertaining student performances with guest appearances by local DJs, MCs, Graffiti Artists and B-Boys. 

Artistic Directors Bio: Amanda Murray

Specializing in a variety of street, club and funk styles, we offer instruction for beginner to professional dancers from ages 4-adult. Also home to four extremely talented performance crews and stacked with the provinces top street dance instructors and choreographers; enrolments and requests for workshops and performances are consistently increasing across Western Canada.
We currently work out of various venues in Saskatoon.

Professional instruction - authentic technique!

Why the name def SOL? (pronounced ‘def soul’)
def SOL was named after, and in admiration of, new school Hip Hop artist Mos Def and the golden age Hip Hop group De la Soul. Characterized by Afrocentric stylings, these artists represent the more conscientious voice of Hip Hop, providing an alternative to the ‘ignorant’ gangsta rap that has become so popular today.

In the same way, def SOL aims to promote awareness of the Hip Hop culture and take it back to its roots where it originated --- as an outlet for positive self expression. As for the spelling, the name def SOUL was already taken, therefore ‘SOL’, the Spanish word for sun, was interchanged to represent the rise of true and original Hip Hop.

def SOL’s Vision . . .
def SOL was initially created as a ‘cultural project’ by Amanda "M-Rae" Murray, and her vision of promoting ‘true, original’ Hip Hop culture. With the commercial appeal of today’s ‘rap culture’ which focuses heavily on material wealth and the objectification of women, original ‘Hip Hop culture’ is gradually being lost.

Starting with a youth camp called ‘Summer Hip Hop School’ back in 2004, def SOL offered interactive classes on all elements of Hip Hop including: deejaying, bboying, emceeing, graffiti art and beat boxing. Learning from top local Hip Hop artists, the kids were able to experience the original elements of Hip Hop as well as learning the history of the culture and how they can use hip hop as a positive source of self-expression.

While the company gradually shifted to a larger focus on the dance element, Hip Hop culture and the promotion of true Hip Hop knowledge will always be at the heart of def SOL. To be a bboy or street dancer in any style, it is important to know the roots of the art you practice, and def SOL provides the resources for you to do so! 

‘Hip Hop is not something you do, it’s something you live’- KRS 1