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# French choreographer brings LA-inspired dance workshops to Santa Monica
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/french-choreographer-brings-la-inspired-dance-workshops-to-santa-monica/
- Published: 2026-10-12T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-12T15:59:59.000Z
- Author: Maaz Alin
- Tags: Lifestyle, Downtown Santa Monica

French choreographer Elite Parker will bring three dance workshops inspired by Los Angeles film, television and hip-hop culture to Santa Monica in October. The series is the first U.S. stop in what she describes as a broader international development for her company.

The workshops will be held at 1247 Lincoln Blvd. They are open to teenagers and adults from beginner through advanced levels.

Santa Monica Movies & TV, from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 24, is a choreography session inspired by the films, television, music and pop culture connected to [Los Angeles and the California coast](https://www.smdp.com/around-town-brats-blues-block-parties/). L.A. Hip-Hop & West Coast, from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 25, centers on groove, musicality, attitude and choreography drawn from West Coast hip-hop culture. L.A. Dance Mix, from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28, blends modern jazz, street jazz, hip-hop, commercial dance and open style, with influences from dancehall and K-pop.

"From the outside, Los Angeles has always felt like a place where dance is connected to many different worlds at once: music, film, television, street culture, fashion and performance," Parker, founder and artistic director of Elite Parker Dance, said in written responses to questions. "That mix is what interests me most."

"I did not want to come to Los Angeles and simply teach the same class I could teach anywhere else," Parker said. "I wanted the workshops to have a real connection with the city and with the culture surrounding it."

Parker, whose name is Géraldine Selva, said coming from France gives her a slightly different perspective.

"I grew up being influenced by American music, movies and dance culture from a distance, so coming to California allows me to connect those influences with the actual place that inspired so much of them," she said.

Although the workshops allow experienced dancers to explore interpretation and performance at a deeper level, Parker said they are also meant for people who might not usually feel confident attending a Los Angeles dance class. One of her goals is for them to learn a complete choreography and perform it by the end of the session. No professional dance experience is required.

"I would tell them not to worry about having to 'look like a dancer' before coming in," she said.

Each session begins with a warm-up, musicality and coordination work. Parker then teaches the choreography step by step and gives participants time to practice and ask questions before putting the full routine together.

"The atmosphere is energetic, but it is not about judging people or expecting perfection," she said. "For me, the most important thing is that someone can walk in feeling nervous and leave feeling more confident, more musical and happy that they tried something new."

Parker said she chose Santa Monica as her first U.S. stop because of its distinct identity.

"It is connected to Los Angeles, but it also has its own atmosphere, with the ocean, the Pier, the history of film and television, and a very international community," she said.

The workshops open her company's 2026-27 international season. Parker said London is already booked, and she is developing a New York project with a studio option in the Broadway and Central Park area of Manhattan.

"The goal is to build long-term connections with dancers, studios and artistic communities in different cities, rather than treating each workshop as an isolated event," she said.

Parker began dancing at age 5\. She has worked for years as a dance instructor and choreographer in France, teaching modern jazz, street jazz, hip-hop, dancehall and other contemporary styles. She also performs as a DJ, composer and recording artist under the Elite Parker name. Her music draws on hip-hop, electro, jungle and drum and bass, and reggae.

She said she began performing concerts at 21\. She also said she has collaborated with Kinetic 9 of Killarmy, a group she described as affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan universe. Before founding Elite Parker Dance, she worked as a model through agencies in Paris.

Parker said her work in music shapes how she builds a dance.

"I do not simply count eight beats and place movement on top of a track," she said. "I listen to the construction of the music: the bass, percussion, vocals, breaks, textures, changes of energy and sometimes very small sounds that can completely change the movement."

"Hip-hop does not make me move or choreograph in the same way as electronic music, dancehall, pop or another genre," Parker said.

She said she had been encouraged and invited several times to come to Los Angeles or New York, but the timing never allowed it.

"I had been thinking about L.A. for years, and I finally found the time to make it happen," she said.

She added, "And quite simply: I love L.A."

For more information, visit: [www.facebook.com/p/Elite-Parker-dance-100063664652245/](http://www.facebook.com/p/Elite-Parker-dance-100063664652245/)