Kim Sims-Battiste is the Executive Director of Culture Shock Oakland. Kim has been dancing for over 30 years. She has experience with working with many mainstream and underground hip hop artists, and her choreography is unlike any other. Through her love of hip hop and dance, Kim has made extreme efforts to infuse tomorrow's future with inspiration and possibility. Kim's primary goal with Culture Shock is to offer children an alternative to street life by providing a rewarding activity, instilling confidence and creating a successful environment where children can flourish. Culture Shock Oakland supports three youth troupes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their program incorporates more than 150 youth dancers and future leaders who promote creative expression through one of today’s most popular mediums: hip-hop, music, and dance. Kim is an amazing and inspirational woman and leader because she has and continues to bring together diverse families from all over the bay area to participate and support each other through the venue of dance. Kim has formed a dance troupe that transcends any dance troupe I have ever encountered because her dance troupe not only reflects multiple styles and diverse dancers, but it is truly a family based organization that supports positive engagement in all families in the bay area. Her dancers can range from a five year old dynamic diva to her 45 year old mother or father. Through positive dance and energy, Culture Shock Oakland, under Kim's leadership brings unity, community, and family values to a community that is ever struggling and ever evolving. But there is no shortage of laughter or sweat at Culture Shock's rehearsals or shows. Kim's troupe encourages finding commonality in communities that can so easily become divisive, especially in times when resources are tight. Her skills as a leader transcend her dance troupe - she is a community leader, a motivational figure, and a role model. Briefly, the dance troupes that are included in the Culture Shock family, all under Kim's leadership are: Mighty Shock, Future Shock and Afta Shock. Mighty Shock is a hip-hop training troupe for dancer’s ages 10-years and under. Children in this dance troupe build a solid hip-hop dance foundation, learn challenging routines, and grow as individuals working towards a common goal of performing great hip-hop routines at various community events and showcases. Future Shock Oakland consists of teens between the ages of 10 - 17 who take on a semi-professional dance role in the community and are considered the AMBASSADORS of Hip-Hop Dance and its Culture. Future Shock was first founded in 1996 San Francisco by Beth Fain and Sarah Rothman where they found their first set of girls dancing at the cable car turn around. Future Shock quickly expanded in San Francisco, Hayward, Tracy, Oakland, San Jose and Marin. Over 3000 youth have danced with Future Shock and are still making a positive impact in the dance world. Under the direction of Executive Director, Kim Sims-Battiste, the kids of Future Shock have traveled the country doing performances and workshops for a wide range of audiences. Through the power of music and dance (part of the Culture Shock Mission Statement), Future Shock motivates, inspires and creatively moves whoever they are in front. Afta Shock was created by Kim in 2006 for dancers ages 30 and above. But Afta Shock dancers make it very clear that they "give the younger generation a run for their money...because when you're dancin', age ain't nothing but a number..." All together, the Culture Shock family inspires energy, positive collaboration, and continual love and support. And its all possible because we have an amazing leader in Kim.