Serouj Aprahamian

bio

Dr. Serouj Aprahamian has been active in hip-hop dance since the mid- to late-1990s, gaining notoriety under the name “Midus” for his unique, abstract style. In 2002, he helped produce a highly influential experimental dance video called Detours and, together with his group Style Elements Crew, has contributed to such cross-cutting concepts as threading, tracing, freeze framing, and mannequinism. He has taught, performed, and judged at leading hip-hop events throughout the world and continues to give workshops and presentations at universities and community-based events.

On the scholarly front, Aprahamian has uncovered numerous myths in hip-hop history and offered new information on the beginnings of the culture. His first book, The Birth of Breaking: Hip-Hop History from the Floor Up, was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2023 and his writings have appeared in the Journal of Black Studies, Dance Research Journal, Oxford African American Studies Center, The Oxford Handbook of Hip Hop Dance Studies, and Power Moves: Dance, Culture, Politics. The interdisciplinary nature of his research and interaction with hip-hop’s founders also led him to edit and posthumously publish a collection of sketches and writings by the famed aerosol art pioneer PHASE 2.

Aprahamian serves on the Editorial Board of Dance Research Journal and is a member of PoP Moves, an international research group focusing on popular dance and performance. He also co-edited a special issue on dance and protest for IASPM Journal and is regularly consulted for news reports and educational initiatives on hip-hop dance and history. His work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Toronto Arts Council, Province of Ontario, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).

Aprahamian’s current research focuses on the role of movement in hip-hop music, mediated representations of popular dance in the West, and the relationship between space, place, and performance in community-based art forms.