Gabriel “Kwikstep” Dionisio, also known as DJ KS 360

Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio is a New York–based b-boy, choreographer, director, educator, actor, DJ and percussionist who has shaped hip-hop dance from the streets into concert and theatrical forms over five decades. Born in 1968 in New York City, Kwikstep grew up influenced by *Soul Train* and neighborhood block parties, developing his breaking practice through the city's clubs and freestyle culture. In the 1990s, he worked as a principal dancer and co-founder with companies including Rhythm Technicians and GhettOriginal, bringing hip-hop movement into theatrical works such as *Jam on the Groove*. His screen and stage credits span PBS's Peabody Award-winning *Everybody Dance Now*, the *Great Performances* twentieth-anniversary special, and *September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill*—a trajectory that shows his refusal to rank community dance, broadcast performance and theatre as more or less authentic. In 1996, Kwikstep and his artistic partner and wife Ana "Rokafella" Garcia founded Full Circle Productions, a nonprofit hip-hop collective dedicated to theatre-making, workshops, mentorship, documentary work and community events rooted in hip-hop history. His later work includes directing and choreographing hip-hop theatre, producing music and DJing, and teaching in public schools, colleges and dance institutions. He received the American Dance Festival's National Teachers Award in 2017 and serves as an adjunct professor at Queens College.