Creative Reaction Dance Company Feature Story
When people think of the performing arts industry, they often think of Los Angeles and New York City as the places to be, but what about Philadelphia? If you are looking to find out about the dance industry in Philadelphia, you have found the right place!
(Picture of Creative Reaction Company after they filmed their first visual in the studio)
Akia Deyvon founded Creative Reaction Company, in 2017, in Philadelphia after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and Dance at Bloomsburg University. The company’s name is a twist on Deyvon’s favorite pair of sneakers, Creative Recreations, that he would always wear to his dance team practices in high school. With every company performance, Deyvon and the dancers on his team aim to leave the audience with a “creative reaction”. Originally, only dancers 18 and over were allowed to audition for the team, but I changed that by making it onto the team at only sixteen years old. Since then, the company has opened up auditions to those 16 and over. The team includes dancers of all different ethnicities, races, sexualities, ages, etc., who have all come together for their shared love and passion for dance. Creative Reaction Company embraces the diversity of its team members and works to create a welcoming environment for all dancers. The team meets twice a week for around two and a half hours on Sundays and Wednesdays. One of the team’s biggest accomplishments includes opening up for Pharrell Williams at the Something in the Water Festival in 2019.
Creative Reaction Company is a group of hardworking and supportive individuals. Everyone on the team is supportive and encourages each other to work hard to reach their individual and team goals. The company has reached great success and will continue to achieve more success together because of the creeds the team lives by. One creed that the team lives by is to always keep a positive mindset. Whether some team members are having a bad day or not, everyone is expected to come to rehearsal with positive energy. The team is instructed to leave whatever they are going through at the door and walk into dance rehearsal ready to work with a positive attitude. This is important because if one person is feeling down that negative energy will spread to the rest of the group which won’t make for a successful rehearsal. Instead, the team works to spread good energy to one another and bring each other’s spirits up when a teammate is having a tough day.
Members of the company have referred to other dancers on the team as “family”. Akia Deyvon, the founder, always stresses the importance of holding each other accountable for creating a family-oriented environment. If someone needs help getting ready for a dance competition, every member will jump at the opportunity to help. This could mean helping a teammate finish their makeup before a performance, helping a teammate steam their costume before they go on stage, or helping a teammate practice and review the dance routine. One of the company’s captains, Peyton Bellman, recently encouraged members of the team to “Lead with love, lead with kindness, and lead with genuineness in every situation thrown at you. Only up from here.” Peyton is a great leader and the team will miss him when he moves to Las Vegas in a few months for a professional dance job. The team is big on celebrating successes and supporting one another. Each member aims to represent Creative Reaction to the best of their ability wherever they are.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Creative Reaction company couldn’t compete in any competitions because many of them were canceled. However, the team made great use of this time. In 2021, Deyvon took the Creative Reaction brand to the next level and opened up Creative Reaction Dance Studio in Philadelphia. Creative Reaction Company hosted its grand opening in February 2021 and has since hosted dance master classes taught by celebrity choreographers such as Jeremy Green, Jared Jenkins, Keenan Cooks, Ryan “Flo” Miller, SayQuon Keys, and more. These masterclasses are open to the public and dancers of all ages and levels.
(Picture of Creative Reaction Company after they filmed a concept video to “SHOTTAS” by Moneybagg Yo)
The team also used this time to create numerous dance visuals that they released on social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube. They also hosted their studio’s grand opening in February 2021 and hosted the Next In Line Choreographer’s Showcase in September 2021.
Just recently, in 2022, Creative Reaction’s founder, Akia Deyvon, performed alongside Kendrick Lamar in the 2022 Superbowl. The dancers hosted a watch party at the dance studio to watch Deyvon’s performance and cheer him on. A couple of weeks ago, on April 9, Creative Reaction Company placed 1st at Prelude Dance Competition in the Bronx, New York. This was the team’s first time competing since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the team is super proud of themselves for winning first place. Quentin Williams, professional photographer, and boyfriend of the team member, Alexis Trainor, vlogged the team’s experience at Prelude and the last rehearsals the team had leading up to the competition. When asked about his experience filming the competition, Quentin Williams said, “This weekend made me find a new appreciation for dance and it was cool to experience the dance world and see all the hard work come together behind the scenes to put on a great performance and win first place”. He is currently editing the video and it will soon be posted soon on the company’s Youtube Channel. Currently, the team is preparing for their next competition on May 14th. They will be attending World of Dance in New Jersey and hope to continue their winning streak.
(Picture taken at Creative Reaction’s first Next in Line Choreographer’s Showcase in September 2021)
If you want to stay updated on what Creative Reaction Dance Company is up to, you can follow their Instagram account @creativereactioncompany or subscribe to their Youtube Channel named Creative Reaction Company. Wish them luck at their next competition! And if you are looking for a dance studio to take dance classes at in Philadelphia, PA, then definitely make sure to stop by!
