Ashton Lites, aka Stiggity Stackz

Hip-Hop Teaching Artist/Spring '26 Artist-in-Residence
Black and white close up of Ashton Lites looking to the side and laughing.

Ashton Lites, aka Stiggity Stackz, or just Stackz, is regarded as one of Boston's most renowned veteran freestyle dance specialists with over 15 years of intensive training in many different cultural and concert dance forms including Krump, Popping, Locking, House, Hip Hop, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Afro-Haitian, and beyond. Stackz is an experienced event organizer, instructor, choreographer, and is well-traveled in the underground Hip Hop competition circuit. Currently he runs a range of community-based dance and creative entrepreneurship development programs, events, and festivals through his organization StiggityStackz Worldwide, in partnership with notable companies and organizations such DS4Si, The design Studio for social intervention, The Boston Ballet, Red Bull, The Museum of Science, Artist for Humanity, The Mass Hip Hop Archive, and many more.

Stackz was a 2023 artist-in-residence with the City of Boston, and worked directly with the Parks & Recreation Department via the Mayor's office of Arts & Culture on creative programming to influence policy. Alongside community and organization work, Stackz is on faculty at Emerson College, Amherst College, and UMASS Amherst where he is developing and sharing curriculums dedicated to Hip Hop dance and culture. Artistically, Stackz has participated in a range of fine art, film, dance, music and creative technology collaborations with acclaimed artists and directors such as Rashid Johnson, Nick Cave, Mariona Lloreta, The Hairstory Project, and Masary Studios to name a few. Stackz is dedicated to supporting and centering his community in achieving artistic excellence, economic sustainability, and historical recognition with specific care and attention to Black creatives across generations and creative outlets.

Stackz is the primary artist collaborator for the OFA Dance Program's Infinite Possibilities: the history, culture, and concepts behind Freestyle dance.

 

Photo credit: Stefanie Belvnavis

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