The Death of Dance Reality Television

Are we nearing the end of dance reality television? It's hard to imagine America's Best Dance Crew continuing for another season if they plan to only draw from the available dance crews in our country. They'll have to open up their doors to crews from others nations, like what they did with Canada's Blueprint Crew in season 5, to keep things fresh. The challenge of this show is that while there are many highly skilled crews, there's only a handful that can translate well on television as entertaining personalities. The same is true for So You Think You Can Dance. After multiple seasons, this show can only go as far as their contestants' ability to connect with the audience. There doesn't seem to be any new ideas emerging from dance reality shows, which makes us wonder how long they can last.

From a business standpoint, these reality shows are kept on the air because they represent a demographic that's targeted by advertisers. For a network, maintaining a reality show is slightly more cost-effective than a scripted drama or comedy. That's why MTV evolved from a place where we watch music videos to a lifestyle branded channel filled with faux reality programs and lower-cost game shows. It's perceived that these dance reality shows attract largely youthful female audience although it's still valid to see the audience as coed. You can sense the intentions of advertisers through the frequent appearance of cosmetic and hair product ads that play during the primetime airings of these programs.

So if advertiser money is a justification for these shows, the only way they'll go away is if there's a ratings drop. Any new radical ideas for portraying our dance culture on mainstream television isn't likely to come from the usual Hollywood channels because of this business model. While networks may still choose to push these reality shows, creatively they're barely breathing. Would it be better for these shows to take a hiatus? Maybe let some time pass, reenergize the concept behind the show, and launch something new? Could we see cable channel networks create more documentary-style series investigating dance cultures across the world? Can we see a HBO or Showtime series focusing on dancers while giving them strong dramatic storylines to play out? There's a lot of creative territory that's unchartered but little confidence from networks that money can be made through these projects.

It still boils down to the same business question - what can dancers sell? Even for a show about performers like Glee, money can be made through the sales of songs via iTunes and the upcoming live concert with the cast. None of the dance reality shows have cracked this question yet for television. What dancers can sell is still an unanswered conundrum. And if it isn't answered in the near future, dance reality television will likely become extinct without a creative influx.

What's Happening in Middle America...and the Rest of the World

Even as we speak, there are dancers of all ages getting inspired by other dancers, filming themselves, uploading their videos online, and talking to each other about what they're working on. This global dance conversation is running 24/7, powered by video-sharing sites and social networking portals. It's nonstop. And it's amazing. More people than ever are discovering the joy of dancing for the first time. They're getting that first exposure, that first taste of what it's like to be free with the music. And a whole new world is opening up for them. But where is all of this heading?

Those of us who are trained in the traditional hip hop street styles may bemoan the lack of foundation among our peers who are just learning from Youtube videos. We predict the "watering-down" of our culture and fear the upcoming backlash when history repeats itself, and it's no longer cool to dance. On the flip side, newbies are frustrated that we don't share foundation and our training secrets more openly. Some of them are so hungry to learn that they will devote hours to watching online videos for any kernel of truth. It's a familiar situation of haves and have-nots.

So the newbies who throw themselves into dancing for the first time are trying out all kinds of ideas, whether they're half-baked or not. In middle America and around the world, kids are trying out moves. They're copying routines. And they're dissecting how their favorite dancer is moving in a poorly lit Youtube video. Sometimes, they have no one to turn to for advice except their online peers who share comments on their channel. It's a strange new way of learning dance - not by going to a class or a session - but by self-initiative through shared media. This is the dance revolution that's happening now on our laptops and smart phones.

The end result is that dance becomes commodified in a media conversation online in the same way that viral videos, Youtube musicians, and comedy bits are being traded, viewed, and distributed from one person to the next. Dance in the form of online videos have become part of that media fabric that invades our awareness through plugging in. It's becoming accepted as a form of online entertainment or at the very least, a visual curiosity to admire. Dance online is also becoming part of our human history. We can call it a form of cultural documentation that's sprawling worldwide through terabytes. It will be interesting to see how we look back at this period of time a hundred years from now. Will we reflect back and conclude that dance played a unique role in communication with each other online?

How Online Video Helps Undiscovered Dancers

More than any other medium today, online video is turning us on to unique dancers outside of the public spotlight. Prior to Youtube, we used to catch glimpses of talented dancers in short clips found in music videos or appearing behind music artists on television. But online video puts the primary focus on the dancers themselves. The whole Web 2.0 mentality has helped bring attention to dancers who might not be in the Hollywood audition scene. And that's a good thing.

One of the most famous examples is the Kollaboration 2001 clip of a skinny Caucasian kid, wearing an orange shirt, moving as if his body had no bones or joints. That was David "Elsewhere" Bernal, a dancer who also appears in the much talked about Detours video collaboration with Kujo, Midas, and many other abstract dancers. Elsewhere went on to appear in a memorable solo in the 2003 film You Got Served as well as recently appearing as a motion reference for Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter character in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Solo dancers aren't the only ones getting noticed. Dance crews are making their presence known through an online following. Perhaps the most recent example is Poreotics, who recently was crowned season 5 champions on America's Best Dance Crew. Before the rest of America knew them, these guys were competing and showcasing at choreography events all across California. By the time, they appeared on the MTV show, they had a solid fan following that was vocal and supportive. Plus, they had a history of "credits" easily viewed by anyone on Youtube, including folks involved with ABDC.

So online video has democratized the dance landscape. It's opened the doors to a whole new audience for dance, informing them that there are plenty of talented dancers out there who aren't showing up at auditions but have something to offer. It's shown the average Youtube user that there's diversity in dancers around the world. And we've had to redefine our definition of what a dancer looks like. They're not all "hip" or "sexy looking" as what we may see in a typical music video. And that's great for the message of our dance culture as a whole. You don't need to look a certain way to enjoy dancing or to even be good about it. You just have to move with the music and express yourself.

Expanding Hip Hop's Reach Globally

We've heard the stories over and over again. Hip hop has gone global. It touches many corners around the world and has inspired the minds of people everywhere. But what about hip hop dance? Many of us are somewhat familiar with the original hip hop dance - breakin'. And now in modern times, poppin' and lockin' have been grouped with breakin' to be part of the same family. In almost every major city, you can find a session spot or a dance studio that's teaching some form of these styles. But how can we expand the reach of hip hop dance across the globe?

Some of the dance capitals of the world have thrived because of the energy coming from a vibrant dance community within their borders. Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Montreal and many others are favorite visiting spots for international dancers who want to train and to network. But what about the other thousands of cities out there who are trying to educate and to provide supportive communities for their youth? Very little media attention or outside support is given to them from folks who aren't part of their cities. We hear about teachers traveling around the world giving master classes and workshops. Dancers will flock to their local studio to catch a lesson. But is this enough? Are we doing all that we can do to encourage dancers of all ages to grow?

Conversations about hip hop dance, technique, history are happening at a much faster rate and on a larger scale than years before, thanks to connections made through the Internet. We know how to network, how to start collaborations, and how to make things happen. We're moving in the right direction. But unfortunately, there's still not enough financial investment in the arts to expand the reach of hip hop dance. There are few individuals who will teach and share their gifts for free. And so, often we fall into a familiar pattern where international dancers save up their money and travel to cities like LA, New York, and Tokyo to train.

Can we flip the situation and bring teachers from these cities to other locales so that dancers can save their money for classes and not burn it on travel expenses? Monsters of Hip Hop is doing that with their conventions, bringing a selected faculty of choreographers to teach in cities across the U.S. This is a model that we'd like to see more of especially with styles like breakin', poppin', and lockin' that aren't often offered to larger classes. Boogiezone has expanded their reach to other countries like New Zealand, Germany, and Norway, after establishing their class network in southern California.

Maybe we're talking about a cultural shift here. It used to be that parents enrolled their kids in sports or musical instruments to instill values of discipline, perseverance, and teamwork. But what if parents sent their kids to dance classes instead? Today's upcoming generation are more open to embracing hip hop as their medium of expression. If parents accept that, then more money will be poured into supporting classes, teaching networks, and expanding hip hop dance's reach globally. Parental support is not the only factor, but it is one important factor to consider for the future. Many young people aren't financially independent yet and will depend on their parents for money to take classes. Newer parents in the early thirties today will likely be more open to hip hop dance classes for their children since they themselves had exposure to hip hop in their youth. So it's possible that the cultural shift we're looking for is starting to happen right now as a generational shift is happening.

Grass Roots Hip Hop Dance Community

Sometimes, it's easy to take the hip hop dance culture in Los Angeles for granted. There are so many opportunities to train, to compete, and to be paid for what we love to do in this city. Films, television, commercials, music videos and the rest of Hollywood offer opportunities to do business. There's a strange dual nature to how hip hop dance evolves in LA. We have dancers who want to make a living by performing. We have others who just enjoy dancing as part of their lifestyle. And we also have dancers who embrace both paths. Sometimes, we have to take a look back and wonder what would our scene be like if money wasn't involved. What would happen if we went back to simpler times when our community wasn't influenced by money or professional fame?

We're talking about a grassroots approach to dance community. It's still possible and there are many examples of this here in LA that we've touched on before. The underground dance culture will always thrive because young people want to connect with something deeper than what's being offered to them via commercial mainstream consumer culture. There, they'll find community and relationships that will help them to understand themselves on a deeper level as well as their peers. Young people always want to find something to call their own, to establish their own identity, and to express what they're going through in life. Hip hop culture, with all of its elements, has been that medium for many kids for over thirty years. For dancers, this grassroots culture has remained more grassroots than the other hip hop elements because it's harder to make a living off of it. But now, that's changing with the greater exposure that hip hop dance has in mainstream culture.

It's hard to see a new generation get into hip hop dance and then to be tempted by chasing fame in the entertainment industry. Sometimes, it seems like it would be better if they discovered this dance in another city where money and fame were distant factors. That way, they could come to this dance with purer intentions. Maybe this is where the older generation can provide guidance. They've seen it all since the bubble burst in the '80s. Without their advice, today's youth might go down the same path of being taken advantage of by folks who want to cash in on a dance trend. We'll need our elders' wisdom if we want to learn from past mistakes. By standing on their shoulders, perhaps we'll create a new era of hip hop dance that can stand against the destructive forces of greed and fame.

What Dance Movies & Superhero Movies Have In Common

Superheroes save the world. And dancers express music with their bodies. They're from two different worlds but in the entertainment industry, they may have more in common than you think. Superhero movies have become a familiar genre, especially during the summer blockbuster season. Everyone has become accustomed to rules, cliches, and archetypes of superhero stories to the point where it's part of our common pop culture language. Now, they're being reinvented. Are dance movies following the same path as superhero movies? Dance movies have stereotypes and familiar tripes, and we're reaching a plateau where dance is becoming more accepted in mainstream entertainment culture. Maybe a reinvention of dance in films and television is needed right now.

In the late 1990s, Hollywood was laying the groundwork for the comeback of the superhero movie. Marvel and New Line Cinema released the first Blade film. This was followed up by the first X-Men movie distributed by Twentieth Century Fox in 2000. Then, the king of all superhero movies in the early 2000s - Spiderman - unleashed its mantra of great power coming with great responsibility. We were in the golden age of superhero cinema. These films have become big business and they replaced the typical action-adventure stories of earlier years. Now, as an audience, we're so familiar with the idea of superheroes to the extent that filmmakers are taking chances and reinventing the genre. Whether it's Zack Snyder's Watchmen, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, or the recent Matthew Vaughn film Kick-Ass; the superhero movie is coming of age and maturing. Why can't we do that with dance movies?

There are some important differences between these two genres. Superheroes touch something deep inside our souls. They inspire us to become more than what we are and to change our surrounding world. They're empowering for those who feel powerless. And they're big business these days. Hollywood's business model has changed where franchises are sought after properties. They're willing to bet on something that has a following in order to get their money back. Dancers are not traditionally seen as storytellers, so it's hard for a studio to see a dance movie as something more than what we've seen in the past. Dancers aren't seen as touching people's souls or inspiring them to become more than what they are. They're not as ingrained in pop culture as superheroes.

But we're getting close to a point now where dance is becoming more of a familiar element in entertainment. Whether it's backup dancers in Fox's Glee or Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band, dancers are popping up more in the mainstream. The familiar reality dance TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew have filled the airwaves with dance on television. But where's the reinvention? Dancers are superheroes. So it's not a surprise that Jon M. Chu's LXD posits dancers with superheroic abilities and stories. For reinvention to occur, we need to convince investors and studios that dance movies are able to make a big profit. This will attract top notch filmmakers and actors who may not be interested in this genre at first. Look at Iron Man and The Dark Knight as parallel examples in the superhero movie genre.

One day, it's possible that dancers will become valued as superheroes in mainstream pop culture. Are we nearing that stage? If anything, it will be more feasible for an inspired kid to become a dancer than a costumed superhero in real life. That's a practical application.

Why Twitter Is The Dancer's Social Networking of Choice

It's been over a year since Twitter hit the tipping point and went mainstream. Not surprisingly, dancers of all genres are using it to network and communicate with each other. We're expressing personal thoughts, advertising our upcoming classes, and sharing photos of what we've seen. Twitter's 140 character limit has quantified elements of our culture into bite-sized tidbits, endlessly streaming through mobile devices and web portals. Why is it so popular with dancers?

First, dancers are very mobile. We have to frequently travel to take classes, go to sessions, or commute to jams in other cities. We're rarely tied down to one location. Maybe that's also due to our tendency to move. We don't sit still when we hear music. We're always expressing our emotions through our bodies. Since geo-tagging can be applied to tweets, it's worth looking at where tweets are originating from in cities, counties, and countries worldwide. It's a fascinating example of how our hip hop culture is evolving with technology. And it represents a historical documentation of our current times.

Also, Twitter is incredibly immediate. For a generation that's thinking and reacting faster in a media-drenched climate, Twitter fits our needs to momentarily capture a thought or impression without too much effort. The speed with which we can communicate online via Twitter is astonishing, especially with its accessibility from mobile smart phones. We can be at battles, showcase competitions, or practice sessions twittering away. It's a form of massive text messaging that offers the opportunity to be heard by a wide audience.

Maybe that's a third reason why Twitter is so popular with dancers. Fans and followers can follow our tweets and can just as easily not follow them with a click of a button. But dancers have never had the same media attention as actors and singers, so we haven't had a mainstream platform to connect with fans. Twitter allows us to do so. It still has that underground vibe, free of corporate control. We can put our thoughts, intentions, and agenda out into the tweetosphere without censorship. Twitter, in its earliest days, represented a raw form of rapid communication that broke down the barriers between people whether they were celebrities, fans, or casual followers. For a dancer, this medium is powerful and empowering. But Twitter's underground status may change since we're starting to see company-sponsored tweets and advertising in recent weeks.

It's wonderful to see dancers being empowered by technology. Within the entertainment industry, there's very little support for professional dancers. Anything that we can do to bring more opportunities to our doors is always welcome. Twitter is one tool that's helping us along the way, regardless of how long it will be around.

How You Got Introduced To This Dance

One thing that distinguishes many dancers today in the hip hop scene is how they were introduced to their style. Some saw a bboy get down at a neighborhood party. Others were inspired by a popper or locker from an online video. There are so many ways to get exposed to these dance styles today. It's amazingly diverse. One result of this diversity is that we're seeing the new school generation wrestle with several issues related to how they got introduced.

Perhaps the biggest issue is overcoming the fear of freestyling in a cypher. Some dancers who are introduced to these styles via a formal class may find it intimidating to create on the spot. If you're used to learning through routines and in a group, it can be incredibly nerve-wracking to allow the music to move you in new ways on your own. There's a safety in learning in numbers. With a group, you're not pressured to stand out and there are fewer eyes on you. So what we're seeing today in some circles are very talented dancers who are not cyphering because they are afraid of messing up in front of everyone else.

This puts a big damper on the growth of our culture. No one needs to be forced to go into a cypher. But if fewer people are free with their dance, then we're going to see a lot less creativity being shared. We won't be "talking" to each other with our dance. Instead, we'll have a lot of people standing around in a circle, afraid to share their true selves.

When you learn in a class, it can also make you lazy if you don't seek out other opportunities to train. You're easily given material to learn in a class. It's like being spoon-fed. But when you learn outside of a class, you have to seek out mentors and hunt for opportunities to train and session. It takes a more proactive mind to learn outside of a class. It isn't safe or within most of our comfort zones.

New school dancers have more opportunities to challenge themselves than ever before. But with more options, they have to be wiser about which training opportunities will sharpen their skills the most. Our dance education landscape has grown more expansive in recent years. But new schoolers need to stay hungry and push themselves. They can't get complacent. Otherwise, the raw energy of our culture will be lost.

Is This A New Style? - Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb

Earlier today, Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb posted a video of a showcase he did in Canada. The video is titled "The Appetizer." For most of the dance-viewing public, Pacman has been seen on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance and has gained attention through his solo videos, collaborations with other dancers like Moon and Hok, and his affiliation with Houston choreo team, Marvelous Motion. The "Appetizer" video is hosted on Pacman's Youtube channel and the description details it as a demonstration of different styles. But is this a showcase of different styles or a fusion of styles creating something new?

You can see The Appetizer video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ifzvItBZwI

Is Pacman doing poppin'? Bone breaking? Waving? It's hard to categorize what Pacman does as poppin' according to foundation established by OGs from the LA scene. He doesn't display hitting technique - the constant tensing and relaxing of muscles to the beat - that you'd see in dancers like Frantick, Madd Chadd, Jrock, and Pandora who are visible in mainstream media. Without hitting, it's hard to get the feel of poppin' in your dance. Pacman shows great flexibility which could be influenced by the flexers from Brooklyn. But it's possible that the originators of flexing might question if he is just taking a flexible move and making it part of his set without including other elements of their dance. And when it comes to waving, Pacman has spawned many imitators worldwide on the Youtube landscape with his quick arm waves that ripple in and out, but the mechanics seem to be different from OG wavers like Mr. Smooth, Coco, and Waveomatic or newschoolers like PopNTod, Funktion, and Jsmooth. When you watch these other wavers, you'll see the smooth, deep waves that have clean isolations.

What Pacman has achieved as a solo dancer in terms of exposure and connecting with an audience is admirable. He has made all the right moves to get his name out there and to be seen. But it can be problematic if an uninformed audience starts to label what he does as solely "poppin" or "bone breaking" or "waving." Here's the issue. He may be doing moves that are similar to or inspired by these styles, but are the feels and grooves of these styles in his dance? Doesn't this cause confusion for a future generation of dancers when they want to learn the history and foundation of street styles and discover that Pacman is doing something different?

This is where we have to make a distinction and create a dialogue. Pacman has the freedom to dance anyway he wants to, but if an audience labels it as a particular established style, this will actually confuse the growth of our street dance and hip hop culture. It would be less confusing if we saw what Pacman does as a new style - something that isn't specifically poppin', bone breaking, or waving. Give it a new label. Allow it to grow and mature and establish its own foundation.

We're left with the realization that no style ever results from just one dancer's contributions. It always takes a community and a collaboration of many dancers working together. There may be individuals who stand out and become leading innovators, but creativity is never done in isolation. Poppin', lockin', and breakin' are all examples of this amazing growth. For Pacman, he is part of a new generation of dancers that aren't exactly representing these street styles. But they are taking influences from street styles while fusing it with other things that interest them. There are no OGs in their world to correct them, challenge them, or show them how it was originally done. This is symptomatic of the choreography world that Pacman inhabits. So without the guidance of a mentoring generation, these new dancers can do whatever they want to do. It's exciting and also potentially confusing for others.

If what they do becomes a newly established style, it will have to stand the test of time by creating foundation and a distinctive feel. The style has to be a unique expression of music that allows dancers to communicate with each other in a cypher. This is one of the key qualities that distinguishes street styles from the individual style of a choreographer. Breakin', poppin', lockin', waackin', house, krumping, flexing are all styles where their dancers can truly converse with each other. A choreographer who teaches in a studio can create their own style and flavor but it falls flat if two dancers don't know the "grammar" and can't converse with it.

So ask yourself this: can you have a dialogue with another dancer using your newly created style? And can an informed audience understand the dialogue as a true conversation?

Back to Basics: Poppin' Pete's Class @ Evolution (04/17/10)

This past Saturday, Poppin' Pete of the Electric Boogaloos taught a two hour class on boogaloo and poppin' technique. It was a master class from a true master of dance. For those who attended, the class was an eye-opener where Pete talked about returning to original technique taught by Boogaloo Sam. Several moves were covered including the neck-o-flex, the Romeo Twist, and straight hitting technique with arms, legs, and neck. While these are moves that the EBs have taught for years, it seemed like Pete was pushing the "reset" button and helping us see them in a pristine way. There was a refreshing air of "getting back to basics" at Pete's class. He even talked about wanting to correct some of the technique he taught in previous classes after he had recently reconnected with Sam. Being there Saturday night reminded all of us that we're always learning. Being a student never ends as long as you're humble enough to learn from someone better than yourself.

Maybe that was the biggest lesson that Pete taught on Saturday night. Dance is a physical venture, but it's also an emotional and psychological journey that's different for each of us. If you're a freestyler, you know how it feels like to start off for the first time. You can feel awkward, self-conscious, and frustrated by how hard it is to master technique. Time must pass before you mature into your skills. It takes strong character, perseverance, and determination to push through those hard periods of discouragement. Pete prepared all of his students on Saturday night by giving a pep talk about what it means to be a dancer who does poppin' as a style rather than being just a popper. He freed us from being afraid to jump into a cypher filled with strangers. And he gave us confidence to stand tall when we go into auditions. We can be fearless against the judging eyes of a choreographer because we're able to do things no one else can do. That's true empowerment bestowed from an OG to the new school.

World of Dance Aftermath: Westbound

To wrap up our week looking back at World of Dance 2010 in Pomona, we wanted to end with a crew that hasn't been on people's radars: Westbound. We're not even sure if they appeared on the flier for the event. They appeared to have a few bboys along with some poppin' and lockin' influences. Their costume choices were all over the board - perhaps they were going for a toy or puppet motif since their performance set started with all of them frozen in puppet-like poses.

You can check out a clip of Westbound here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DPKEBpjM9U

Towards the end of their set, all of their members started to freestyle across the stage in what appeared to be a chaotic jumble of movement. This was probably intended but it was a little hard for the audience to read. Regardless, we admire this crew for putting themselves out there on the WOD stage. If they're a young crew, we're excited to see how they develop over time.

World of Dance Aftermath: Antics

We haven't heard a lot of folks talking about Antics. They're a group of bboys, poppers, and lockers who had a great intro in their performance set at WOD Pomona. In the first few moments, they introduced each dancer with an audio track using spray can effects. As each dancer rose from the ground, we got a sense of their individual skills. What followed was a showcase revealing the strengths of this team: foundation in street styles.

You can check out a clip of Antics here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xosSdwqVPso

It's unfortunate that there hasn't been as much buzz online about this team since their WOD performance. Is the reason because the audience was primarily a choreo audience who wanted to see something else besides street styles? We'll never know for sure. But we loved Antics for representing who they are regardless of the crowd response. Even their color scheme set them apart from the other teams. Each of the Antics dancers wore bold, monochromatic outfits that helped them pop out of on stage. Like the colors emanating from a spray can onto a graffiti mural. And like a mural, we hope that Antics keeps making lasting impressions in the future.

World of Dance Aftermath: Academy of Villains (AOV)

We've been waiting to see this group perform for some time. Academy of Villains, also known as AOV, came down from the Bay Area to show southern California what they're all about. Directed by Pharside of Machine Gun Funk (MGF) and Krystal Meraz (Lost Kids), this choreo team showed strong presence and a clever sense of staging at the World of Dance Pomona 2010. They placed 3rd in the upper division while making a visible impression in the minds of the audience.

Poppin' influence is clearly seen in AOV's set - from their tuts, waves, and speed changes. They embraced breakin' as well, using key moments in their choreography to highlight specific bboys. More than most of the other choreo teams that night, AOV displayed a strong understanding of foundation in street styles while adding their own flavor on top of it. Their performance will be remembered.

You can check out the official clip of Academy of Villains here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6QcYLuXJDg

So what's next for this team? We know that AOV has affiliations with other "Academy" teams on the West Coast and in Hawaii (there's a connection with ABDC's Hype 5-0). With a widespread network like this, maybe we're going to see a movement in the choreo world. Perhaps more collaborations with different styles merging together to create a unified piece?That would be cool.

World of Dance Aftermath: Movement Lifestyle

Have you heard of these names? Shaun Evaristo. Keone Madrid. Mari Martin. Pat Cruz. George Anazlado. Bryan Subijano. Jeka Kalotkin. These top choreographers debuted as Movement Lifestyle this past weekend at World of Dance Pomona 2010. Not surprisingly, their collaboration was highly anticipated by the choreo crowd in attendance. Glimpses of what this group promised have previously been seen in a few teaser trailers online. At WOD, we got to see them live.

Movement Lifestyle showcased the strengths of each of these choreographers in solos, duets, or trios on stage. We didn't see a ton of people on stage. It was spare, succinct, and to the point. These choreographers have been idolized by many in the choreo scene. Their attitude and stage presence translated well even if you were watching them from the back of the hall.

You can check out a clip of Movement Lifestyle here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TBOIjEZ4js

Will we see more collaborations coming from Movement Lifestyle? We hope so. Their members aren't showcasing foundation in street styles - they're freestyling with their own flavor, expressing musicality that is unique to themselves. We'll be watching to see if they create their own foundation and movement language, that can last over time.

World of Dance Aftermath: Klaamation

So World of Dance Pomona kicked off its first tour stop of the new decade this past weekend. New crews debuted, veterans returned, and there were some surprises along the way. The bboys gathered in a separate building for 2-on-2 battles with rows of vendors stretching across the floor. Surprisingly, the event was less crowded than last year with fewer people watching the choreo performances and a thinner bboy turnout. What does this mean? Are folks saving their money during these hard economic times? Or is the hype for the hip hop dance scene dying? Maybe both are valid reasons. WOD opened their doors at 3pm and the event ran until past 11pm. That's a long stretch of time, which was exhausting for a lot of people. After this past weekend, we might look back at WOD Pomona 2010 as a mark of things to come.

But in the meantime, we can enjoy what the choreo teams presented on stage. Klaamation popped on to a lot of people's radars with six members taking the stage - three girls and three guys. Was this their whole team? It seemed that their performance was just a teaser for what the crew can do. We got to see some interesting use of tutting-inspired concepts. Klaamation showed they're about creating eye-catching pictures on stage with just a few bodies. This approach helped them to stand out from other teams with twenty to thirty members performing at the same time.

You can see a clip of Klaamation's performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MScjOlZI9a4

Intricate. Sexy. And willing to stand out from the crowd. That's Klaamation, from what we saw on Saturday night. For a while since 2008, Kaba Modern has been seen as a model for sexy, intricate choreography coming from their public image created by MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. Can Klaamation give Kaba Modern a run for their money? Or will they forge their own path? We haven't seen a lot of them in other videos online, but this performance at WOD Pomona 2010 might spark a buzz for them in the dance world.

Hip Hop Identity Crisis: Purpose

When someone asks who you are, do you say, "I'm a dancer?" If so, what does that really mean? Does dance say everything about who we are inside or is there more to us than just dancing? Most of us would easily answer the "who are you" question by saying we're dancers. It's part of our identity. It's our passion. It's our lifestyle. But what happens when dance leaves our lives against our wishes? Who do we become and where does that leave us?

Whether you're a choreo dancer or a freestyler, your life has likely been consumed with practices, sessions, and continual training that eats up every waking hour of your life. Even with jobs, school, family and social obligations; somehow we find time to keep dancing. But are we losing out on other areas of our lives? Is it possible that we're not allowing ourselves to fully mature in the face of life's challenges by turning to dance too much?

Many of us are young and have fewer responsibilities. Some of us are older and are juggling marriage and supporting a family. We're forced to adapt as our lives are shaped day after day. Only purpose can give us a consistency in our dance journey. If we know why we dance, then that answer will help us to understand if the only thing that defines us is dancing or if there's something more. There's nothing wrong with being passionate about dancing. It just becomes an issue if the rest of our lives are empty shells.

Maybe it's better to see ourselves as people who can dance, not "dancers." There's a slight distinction in terminology but the subtext can be deep. Challenge yourself by asking how you value your self-worth. Where does your confidence come from? What are you most afraid of? The next time someone asks who you are, ask yourself who you are without dance in your life.

Hip Hop Identity Crisis: The Spotlight Effect

Why does fame change us so much? Deep down inside, we crave validation. Since dancing is often not a skill that's highly valued by others, it can be easy to want your dancing to be recognized, talked about, blogged and twittered about by an appreciative audience. All dancers struggle with whether we dance for personal reasons or for the applause of a crowd. For some, both are valid reasons enough. Does that change the purity of our reasons for dancing? Being in the spotlight has its advantages and disadvantages.

We're familiar with the old story of someone "selling out" when they become famous. Someone blows up and you no longer know who they are. Maybe they don't either. Somewhere along the way, their reasons for dancing get twisted, compromised, and you can see it in the way they move. But this isn't a reflection of whether they are a good dancer or not. A person will negatively be affected by fame because there was something about their character that allowed for it to happen. Someone who has low self-esteem can suddenly feel validated, even superior to others, when they step into the spotlight. They think it fulfills an emptiness lingering inside of them. But it's a mirage.

Does it matter if you are a dancer who loves your artform but has never appeared in videos on Youtube? Professional dancers used to lug VHS tapes and DVDs of their reels to get hired for gigs. Now, all you need is a Youtube link. Youtube essentially killed the DVD reel. However, one advantage to online video is that for the media-saavy dancer, you can use it to promote yourself and to build a fan following. This is especially true for Youtube where fans can find you by searching for your name in tags.

For those who step into the spotlight, the positive result can be that they have a window of time to influence a generation of aspiring dancers. They've been given the mic to speak, teach, and educate a worldwide audience who is uninformed but willing to listen. That's what fame can do - it can open up opportunities to elevate a culture and to inspire the future generation. As long as a person's heart is in the right place, their words can hold great weight and power when there are millions of eyes focusing on them.

Hip Hop Identity Crisis: Realness

What is "realness?" Since the beginning, hip hop has always had an issue with truthful representation. We make judgements on who is repping and who's not. It's a strange dilemma. Even with hip hop's fingerprints in mainstream culture, we're still underground and the lifestyle of our DJs, emcees, graff writers, and dancers are still unseen by the masses. When you're dealing with a subculture, it's hard to establish a barometer of who is really hip hop.

While it's important to seek authenticity in our culture, the drawback that's happening is when fellow dancers judge each other negatively. We live in a world of endless comparison. You can imagine how difficult it can be for a new dancer to feel like if he or she is measuring up to everyone else. This isn't a phenomenon that's unique to hip hop dance. But it's something that's tearing apart our unity.

Can our culture be different from the rest of the world? Hip hop espouses unity and diversity - the power to bring people together from all walks of life. There's potential to bring real cultural change. But it will take less judgement and a little something else to help us along: humility.

Humility is never easy. But if we can put aside our own egos for just a moment, we might realize that "realness" is about taking off our facades, our masks, and being willing to believe in the best in another person.

Hip Hop Identity Crisis: Our Love-Hate Relationship with Hollywood

Will we ever have peace with Hollywood? Hip hop dancers go back and forth between yearning for the opportunities to dance before the camera and then despising the general media-making machine for portraying our dance in a cheap fashion. Every dance movie seems to run on a formula. Reality TV dance shows have become a staple on the airwaves, but they're running out of new ideas. And yet, hip hop dancers still flock to audition for the meager opportunities that are thrown our way. Many of us dream of making a living by dancing, but the success rate is very slim. Maybe even harder than being a working actor in Los Angeles.

So the love-hate relationship with Hollywood continues. The opportunities for us to perform are so few that we're often willing to be part of projects we're not so proud of. And the studio executives and producers aren't going to bet on a revolutionary new dance movie that deviates from the norm unless they're sure it will make money. That's why dance movies have fallen into cliches over the years - although we bemoan their formulaic nature, there still is an audience that pays to see it. As long as a movie can make it's money back from the audience, these films will continue.

The most refreshing strides taken have been through independent filmmakers and projects whether it's Benson Lee's Planet BBoy or the promise that's held in Jon M. Chu's LXD project. These projects have more flexibility to break the mold simply because they are labors of love with a keen eye on making some money back by being different. Maybe we need more of this. Otherwise, how will we ever take control of our own stories and how they're told on screen?

Hip Hop Identity Crisis: Terminology

Our hip hop dance nation is in a critical state. What do we call our dance when there's so many different terms out there? A recent video from strife.tv posed the question to Poppin' Pete (Electric Boogaloos) and Teresa Espinosa (Groovaloos, Beat Freaks).

You can check out the clip here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc0KGeu4Tyw

So where does that leave us? If "hip hop" as a dance has been misconstrued and misunderstood by the greater public, how can we educate the masses? Does "street dancing" confuse things even further when we know that bboyin' is the original hip hop dance? For the choreographers who teach their own flavor in studio-based classes, shouldn't they take responsibility and label what they teach with a different name?

Even today, "breakdancing" still makes some bboys cringe. An uninformed public lumps poppin', lockin', and bboyin' all into the same umbrella term of "breakdancing." It still stings. What happens when promoters, studio owners, and choreographers themselves start to create new terms for their work like "r&b animation" and "iso style?" How do we distinguish the difference?

In the end, it seems that foundation for a style will help it stand the test of time. Trends come and go as much as popular choreographers do. But styles like poppin', lockin', and breakin' have survived challenges because they were embraced as a lifestyle. Hip hop culture is over thirty years old now so this confusion over terminology is natural. We're going to face a lot more discussion as different camps become more vocal and have a discourse.

World of Dance Pomona 2010: Essence

These ladies are on a mission. Through workshops, performances, and showcases; the women of Essence have become storytellers under the leadership of choreographer Gigi Torres. She established the performing company in 2005. Since then, Essence has united many big names in the choreography scene, including alums from Kaba Modern and Pac Modern. Their styles aren't typecast to any particular genre, which gives them a powerful edge over other groups.

Here is the Youtube channel for Essence:

http://www.youtube.com/essenceladies

Here is their Myspace site:

http://www.myspace.com/essenceladies

These ladies from the West Coast are holding it down. At WOD, we're hoping that they'll share some new stories with us.

World of Dance Pomona 2010: Sick Step

Sick Step is performing on the WOD stage, and they're not new to this experience. As a crew, they've appeared on NBC's America's Got Talent. A few of their members are also part of Poreotics (Poreotix) including Matt "Dumbo" Nguyen and Lawrence Devera. And it's been reported that former members of Sick Step went on to found Quest Crew. So, it seems these guys were born to perform in the spotlight. Their strength is bboying, but they are capable of handling other styles of choreography.

Here's their official website:

http://www.sickstep.com/

Here's their Myspace site:

http://www.myspace.com/sickstep

Here's their Facebook site:

http://www.facebook.com/sickstep

And here's their twitter site:

http://twitter.com/sickstep

You can see members of Sick Step performing at WOD San Diego 2009 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrcQILk1kWk

Their focus is definitely to perform in entertainment showcases. The question is - what sets them apart from the rest? They don't have the same charm that Quest displayed on ABDC. Will 2010 be a new year for Sick Step where they'll show a different side of themselves? Hopefully, we'll see something along those lines at WOD.