THE SHOW PREMIERES ON SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2007 @ 7:30pm ON MTV.
TWEETIE is available for phone interviews on Tuesday 6/12 & Wednesday 6/13, 2007.
Please contact Ra-Fael Blanco at 646.326.4803 or via email at TwoRsEnt@aol.com, to arrange your interview.
(Photo images are available upon request)
New York, NY - June 11, 2007 – Coming off of a successful appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, as Oprah and Gayle’s hip-hop dance instructor, Dancer/Choreographer TWEETIE has landed a show of her own, "Dances From Tha Hood". “Dances From Tha Hood” will be premiering on Saturday, June 16, 2007 @ 7:30pm on MTV.
“Dances From Tha Hood” is hosted by TWEETIE (from the successful MTV Mobile short-form series of the same name) and is Executive produced by Sway Calloway, Sean Lee, Dave Sirulnick and Ocean MacAdams. This half-hour hip-hop special mixes the energetic vibe of a straight up basement dance party with fun instructional segments and user-generated videos of kids at home trying the latest hip-hop dances themselves. At different points throughout the show, the music breaks down and TWEETIE teaches the party (and the audience at home) some of the hottest, most up-to-date street dances from the world of hip-hop. “I feel very blessed at being able to do what I love doing and having fun with it on a major scale. This is MTV we are talking about here! I am just thankful,” smiles TWEETIE.
On the first episode, the show will feature dances that include the "Aunt Jackie," the "Lip Gloss," and the "Toe Wop." With non-stop grooves controlled from the laptop of her party-roving musical director Smoov. Throughout the season TWEETIE also visits with some of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B who, in turn, break down the dance elements of their hit videos. In this episode, Tweet Boogie chills with rising rap star Lil' Mama, who's taking over the charts this summer with both her hits "Lip Gloss" and Avril's "Girlfriend Remix." These star visits - combined with our user-generated "Getting It In" competition (clips that viewers can judge from home via live text voting throughout the show) - ensure that the dance party stays fun and unpredictable.
Also prominently highlighted throughout "Dances From Tha Hood" is a call to action from TWEETIE asking viewers at home to submit (either by upload or wireless device) videos of themselves doing the latest dances to the show's sister site, www.dancesfromthahood.mtv.com, in addition to uploading their own dance clips, kids can rate, comment and rank each other's videos. The highest ranked dance clips on the site are then featured in the aforementioned "Getting It In" show segment. The site will also feature the latest "DFTH" mobile episode and include exclusive messages from TWEETIE to her online dance community that will update periodically.
TWEETIE was born Lenaya Straker in the Bronx , NY. As a little girl inspired by many aspects of the arts she aspired to become a gymnast. Being raised in a single parent household did not stop her from achieving her highest potential. She found the much needed support and inspiration at home from her mother. At the age of 12 years old she joined an after-school dance program and one day during practice the name TWEETIE” was born. “It all started out as a nickname when someone said I looked like a bird, and since so many people were having problems pronouncing my real name, I kept TWEETIE”, she chuckles. That same year she got accepted into Fiorella LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. While there she majored in ballet, modern, jazz, and was able to showcase hip-hop dance in various local talent shows in the area as part of All Stars Talent Show Network.
“My first professional dancing opportunity came when one day, I decided to skip class and go to the audition that everyone was talking about. That audition was to be a featured dancer for R&B Songstress and now radio personality, Miss Jones”, says TWEETIE. “I just knew I had to get that gig”, she adds. Tweetie’s journey to success had just begun. Her dedication and determination enabled her to graduate school and later work with the likes of Jay Z, Destiny’s Child, N’Sync, Mya and Angie Martinez, just to name a few. Her first love however, is the live stage. Her concern for the image of women in hip-hop fuels her passion to be the best and improve her skills continuously.
Tweetie can also be seen as a featured dancer in the Stride Gum Campaign and stars as the spokesperson for “Dances from Tha Hood Mobile Phone Series”, available on Sprint, Verizon, Cingular, Amp’d and Helio phones. She is also appearing in the NIKE Women spring/summer collection and in the new IPOD commercial featuring Wynton Marsalis. Tweetie’s passion for dance is endless as she continues to teach weekly dance classes at The Alvin Ailey Extension and the Peridance Center. She has had the privilege of being a guest instructor at some of today’s most notable dance schools; Rennie Harris’ Illadelph Legends Festival, Central Park Dance in Scarsdale, NY and the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow, just to name a few.
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If you are interested in scheduling an interview with TWEETIE or for more information, please contact
Ra-Fael Blanco at 2R’s Entertainment & Media at 646.326.4803 or via email at TwoRsEnt@aol.com.
