Jona Biddle is the founder of J Biddle Enterprises and the artistic director of the BOSS Kids Commercial Dance Team and of the BOSS Xperience. Although Biddle has created a name for himself and has his own signature dance style, he has made it his mission to zero in on the youth. With BOSS Kids, Biddle supports the youth, not only through sharing passion for dance, but through confidence-building and familial bonding.
In BOSS Kids, Born Original Striving Successfully, children meet on a weekly basis to be trained in commercial style choreography. Commercial style choreography ranges from working with artists to doing projects. The training the youth receive allows them to follow their dreams of dancing professionally, whether that means dancing in music videos or dancing for celebrities on tours.
BOSS Kids is in its fifth season. It was started with 12 members and has now grown to about 90 members. The kids come from all over New York City and from some other states such as Connecticut and New Jersey.
“One thing I’ve noticed about young people nowadays is that studios they’re training at don’t give them much support, so we really are a family and community in this program. Some of these kids stay with me until they graduate high school,” he said.
Biddle was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey and he began dancing at a young age. He recalled being obsessed with movement and knew quickly that he wanted to take his love for dancing and turn it into a career as a choreographer. He said his mom put him into dance classes and he would also attend concerts and shows.
In his early 20s, Biddle moved to NYC in Harlem. While in Harlem, Biddle said he worked with new artists, developed work for music videos and developed work for commercials.
However, Biddle knew that his passion lay with wanting to also help children that were interested in dance, like he was, and help them become professional dancers.
“I did all this work, but I always loved working with children because growing up, I didn’t have a lot of support regarding the arts,” he said.
Biddle said he idolizes several figures that have made an impact on the world of dance. Janet Jackson, Alvin Ailey, Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul and Laurieann Gibson are just a few that Biddle said inspire him.
“I love strong teachers, people who not only teach dance, but they teach you a lifestyle. I teach my kids how to be confident in themselves and understand who they are,” he said.
Biddle’s specialty is teaching Hip Hop Fusion, his signature style. He has judged dance competitions and has been to many countries. As a result, Biddle has learned to fuse hip hop moves like popping and locking with other dance styles like ballet or jazz.
“A lot of my students come from a competition background or strict training, but they want something different. They don’t just want to dance for trophies,” he said.
When COVID-19 hit, Biddle became innovative. He said he used the pandemic and shutdown as an opportunity to grow his business. With the creation of Zoom accounts and the employment of new teachers, Boss Kids reached new students.
Biddle’s work with Boss Kids has been noticed and recognized by some big names. The team has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and in the 2021 Macy’s Parade. The group has been recognized by artists such as Cardi B., Missy Elliot, Ciara and Beyoncé.
He has largely credited his social media presence for attracting attention. “People in the industry know that when they need kids, they can call Jona,” Biddle said.
The dancers have also been featured on Wonderama TV and the Fox Family Channel.
Biddle hopes to continue expanding his program in metro cities. In April, Biddle said he hopes to open BOSS Kids Miami.
“I’m providing these kids what I didn’t have as a child,” he said.