Welcome to the 519 School of Hip Hop To say that breaking is a style of dancing would be correct, but in truth breakdance and its culture is really much more. It’s a movement. The association of breakdance with hip-hop music is most commonly recognized and stems from a larger counter- culture development, a reflection of the youth at the time it emerged back in the late 70s and 80s. There was a real need for community and collaboration and people used dance, art and music to fuel this. As someone embarks into the world of hip-hop or breakdance they will soon discover a world where inclusivity through expression is at the forefront. 519 School of Hip-Hop owner Jim Francis Xavier, born Jihoon Han, came to Canada from Korea with his family back in 2001 when he was 14 years old. Like many kids at the time, the influence of boy bands in the 1990s was fierce, especially coming from the Daejeon, which was only two hours from Seoul. Jim’s new life in South Western Ontario and the diversity of living so close to the border had an impact on him along with his experience living in Windsor while going to University. From here his interest in the hip-hop community grew into something he would want to build on.
building on his dance skills working with the arts community in London. In 2012, he and his crew started working with the ‘Dynamic Dozen’ which would go into schools and perform flash mobs throughout the city. This caught people’s attention including creating a partnership with the London Public Library. All the while keeping the core values of the hip-hop culture present was key to Jim. “There is a gap between what hip-hop means for community rather than being portrayed as something consumable”. Jim’s crew started a campaign in 2017 ‘Stay Hungry, Stay Humble’ as they continued to build their hip-hop family. The crew provided lessons and programs for youth to find a place of belonging through art, music and dance. In 2019 they began looking for a new studio space which brought them to Old East Village. Though just south of the border on Little Simcoe St., 519 School of Hip-Hop opened its doors in 2020 with the pandemic allowing them to go deeper into their community work. Jim and his partners Greg and David continue to work
In 2008 he returned to London knowing he wanted to represent the 519 area code for hip-hop and dance. He and four other members formed a group called Ill at Will while he was studying marketing at Fanshawe College. School allowed him to build on his research for hip-hop programs for youth, while he continued
Page 6 Old East Villager January-February 2025
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