Inspiring Show: Gemini's "The Case of Locky Lockiano"

In 2004 at BBoy Summit, a well-known locker from France named Gemini brought some of his friends to the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood for a show-stopping performance. It was magical to say the least. They presented "The Case of Locky Lockiano," which played out as a Broadway stage musical-style show with a storyline told through locking foundation and movements. The crowd was amazed. And you could hear them cheering throughout the performance as they were engrossed in a 1940's style gangster crime story unveiled by some of the best lockers on the international scene. (Photo above is from the Locking4Life project as seen on their blog.)

You can see a trailer clip of the performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6pBjvUSA_8

And you can check out the Locking4Life website featuring Gemini here:

http://locking4life.com/

There have been few locking showcases like this performance among the new school generation. In Los Angeles, the locking community is small compared to the popping and bboying communities. While there are dancers within the hip hop collegiate choreo and professional choreo scenes who embrace locking, there are only a select group of competitive lockers in street dance competitions who hold it down in cyphers. Locking needs to get some more love from our new generation. The exuberant energy, character, and feel for this soulful dance precedes popping and bboying in history. We can't lose it. Perhaps Gemini and his friends have sealed a memorable moment in street dance history through this "Locky Lockiano" show, as it wonderfully presents locking in a new storytelling context. Their daring performance only further argues for more showcases featuring street dancers.

"The Case of Locky Lockiano" also stands out because it featured great showmanship from its cast. Locking really shines when it is presented well to an audience. Gemini and his friends dressed the part, used visible props, and grooved to a catchy soundtrack that both told a story as well as moved the audience emotionally. That night at the Henry Fonda Theatre, we were witnessing skilled performers entertaining an international crowd. They were the whole package. It was well-executed, clever in its storytelling, and inspirational in its delivery. The show was a direct result of their love for locking. The performance seemed uncompromised by any desire to cater to a specific demographic. These lockers simply wanted to share their love for dance with us. And we were invited to come along for the party.

Since then, Gemini has launched the Locking4Life project along with his closest collaborators. They've traveled, performed, and competed worldwide. Does this represent a big jump for locking on the international stage? Our hope is that we can see equally stronger organization and performance groups emerging from the Los Angeles scene. There seems to be a renewed interest in locking among the youngest current generation of street dancers, especially among the college age community in Orange County. Now, the question remains is if these young lockers have the ambition to strive artistically as well as the perseverance to grow and mature their dance skills. Perhaps "The Case for Locky Lockiano" can be an inspiring milestone for them to ponder.

Listen In: Feist's "Sealion" (Chromeo Remix)

Music-wise, we're wrapping up this week with a Listen In feature on Feist's Sealion (Chromeo Remix). It's got a groovy bassline with Chromeo's trademark synth sound and vocals interspersed throughout the track. Nova Scotian musician Feist covered the pre-remix version of this song on her 2007 album The Reminder. Initially, the title was Sealion Woman, since that's title of the original American folk song. It was documented as being first recorded by Herbert Halpert in 1939. (Photo above is from the Wikipedia entry on Feist.)

Here's a version of the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DZ6t8X6uk

It's the kind of track that has a lot of layers you can play with as a dancer. Great opportunities for musicality. Enjoy!

First Person POV: Slanguage presents Brutalism at MoCA

Last night, there was an excellent outdoor performance at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) in downtown Los Angeles. Only a short walk away from the Walt Disney Concert Hall; MoCA hosted an all-night performance and party jam with spoken word poets, DJs, performance artists, and street dancers. It was a lively night marked by people from strikingly different walks of life meeting together in one place. They were experiencing a beautiful collision of art and soulful expression amidst the concrete jungle of downtown LA. Slanguage, an artist collective based in Wilmington, presented the event called Brutalism: A Dance Performance. (Photo above is from the MoCA.org website for Slanguage.)

You can see the website for Slanguage here: http://www.slanguagestudio.com

And you can see the MoCA website for the event here: http://www.moca.org/party

The evening was made possible by a grant from the James Irvine Foundation. It's wonderful to see these kind of events where performers of all ages can gather and share their passions. Hosted by MC Mario, there were performances by bboy crew Dub City Tribe from Wilmington, dances by the Black Squirrel Girls, a shoe-decorating workshop, performance sets by Mario "Dred Lopez" and Mario "Autoe" Cuen, freestyle sets by Homeland dancers like OG Iceman and Coco, and a broken word (bboying and spoken word combined together) piece performed by BBoy Don Sevilla.

Anyone who went can tell you that the night was filled with incredible energy. BBoys and Bgirls got down in the cypher. Poppers represented hard. And the DJs were getting everyone grooving all around the open air plaza at MoCA. It almost felt like a revival of the early days when Rocksteady Crew performed for art gallery crowds in Manhattan in the early 1980s. The night concluded with a dance-a-thon with many attendees hitting the floor in a fun-spirited jam session.

Props go out to the Slanguage collective as well as the MoCA affiliates for bringing street dance and art culture to a fantastic venue in the heart of downtown LA. It was a memorable experience. Perhaps we'll see more and more elements of street dance culture filtering into other venues of Los Angeles. There seem to be more organized events promoting love for our culture into areas outside of our usual borders. Is this a new era of change for us?

Inspiring Show: Expression Crew's "Marionette"

To love and to be loved in return is one of our deepest desires. Perhaps the greatest one. It's no surprise that this universal theme is at the heart of today's inspiring show - Expression Crew's Marionette. The show has been performed in many events and stages worldwide. But its simple message continues to haunt us even as new cast members have been added to the show. (Photo above is from Expression Crew's website.)

You can see a video clip of the show here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkUnoG-wmLU

And you can check out Expression Crew's website here:

http://bboymaster.com

The main story of Marionette is about a puppet who falls in love with a little girl who comes to see his show over time. She grows older and he yearns to express his love for her. But when she grows older, she stops coming to the show. It's touching, fragile, and heartbreaking. Expression Crew from South Korea has taken their international status after Battle of the Year 2002 and turned their talents to theatrical performances. In Marionette, they use bboying moves and transitions along with some popping-inspired isolations to create an imaginative world. Is it possible for hip hop dance to make you cry? Yes. Expression Crew has proven that point. Among mainstream audiences, it may be hard to believe that hip hop and street dance can cause tears since we often see explosive tricks and hard-edged choreography displayed in the media. But, there are plenty of us who are doing emotionally moving work with our styles. We're not limited to eye-catching acrobatics or aggressive swagger. Expression Crew aspires to be different and to reach different creative heights with Marionette, and we're all the better for it.

Check out the music for this show. We're not hearing the usual breakbeats and soul/funk tracks that you'd expect from your familiar bboy jam. Instead, Expression Crew goes with sweeping orchestral music and they play with toy-inspired sound effects that sound like they could emanate from a toy factory or a jewelry box. That's a big step for our culture because dancers like the Expression Crew bboys are challenged to interpret new music with their traditional movements. There's a lot of new ground that we can break here. It's similar to those of us who freestyle to music outside of our comfort zone. For example; dubstep, glitch, and drum 'n bass have been filtering through the Los Angeles popping scene for several years. That's a movement that can only inspire new interpretations with popping styles. For Expression Crew, they're consolidating their ideas about moving to a different style of music into a coherent show. That only makes it more powerful upon viewing.

Moving bboying and street dancing onto the theatrical stage is an important step for our culture. It forces mainstream audiences to see how our styles can work in a cohesive performance. It allows them to be emotionally moved and to feel the storytelling potential of our dance. We can freestyle. We can do routines. And we can move your hearts with our stories. Imagination can flow through our bodies as we take the floor. Expression Crew has done all of this with Marionette. It's a beautiful thing to watch unfold on stage. The theater allows for our styles to expressed and explored in new ways that weren't possible beforehand. It doesn't mean that we have to lose the raw street sense that our styles already possessed. No, it allows us to grow in a different direction that could enhance the initial beginnings of our hip hop dance culture. Presentation of your dance is a key performing skill that we can all develop and refine over the years. Why not sharpen it with a theatrical showcase? Not only can we build upon the journey of our global dance culture, but we can leave influential impressions on a world hungry for meaningful stories.

First Person POV: Michael Jackson's "This Is It"

There's only a few more days until the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It leaves theaters. While many of us have lined up early to see this film, there are plenty of our peers who have mixed feelings about it. Already there are discussions in close-knit circles and online about if the film should be considered a money-making venture capitalizing on MJ's death or if it is a respectful gesture to leave a lasting impression on his fans. None of us will ever get to see the final This Is It concert series that was planned to debut in London. That is, unless we invent a time machine or step into a parallel universe. Where does this leave us? Perhaps with time, we'll be able to reflect more on how this film adds to MJ's legacy. (Photo above is from the Wikipedia entry for this film.)

So this article is not a film review of the documentary. In the end, we individually have the right to make a decision if we want to see the film or not. The article is more about what the film means to us as fellow street dancers and as MJ fans. After all, there are many of us who will have our emotions stirred up just by the mention of his name or a glimpse of the footage from this film. It's undeniable. As a musical artist and entertainment icon, Michael Jackson was a presence in our hearts. It can be strange to reflect on how we mourned his passing earlier this year. Most of us probably didn't know him personally. We knew his persona as seen through his music, media appearances, and charity work. So when he passed away, the emotional reaction across the world was huge. We had fans who were devastated. We had detractors who criticized the outpouring of emotions. And we had folks in the middle who were neutral on the subject. For many street dancers, it wasn't that we knew MJ personally. It's that his music formed a bond for all of us to relate to each other. We shared in his musical triumphs. His songs gave us a means to express ourselves through dance. And now that he's gone, we feel a rift. It's as if the bond that connected us has been compromised, maybe even lost.

Where does this leave us? There won't be an endless series of new music from him. Yes, we may hear new songs from his archive but it will be limited. As with other influential artists who have passed away, Michael Jackson's music will be his most memorable legacy. Thanks to digital technology and archiving, his songs will be remastered, reissued, and rediscovered by future generations. But for those of us who lived in the era of his creative height, we have to keep moving on. We can't give up the artistic endeavors in our lives that were inspired by his music. Whether you are a dancer or a musician or an artist of another craft, we have to dig deeper into our own creative selves. We may not be seeking the legacy that MJ left but we can enrich the lives of our friends, families, and communities with our artistic gifts. Why not continue the mission that MJ so lovingly embraced with his charity work and his creative projects? Let's give purpose to our creativity outside of ourselves. It's easy to seek self-promotion and personal glory through our art. But can we be different by making the well-being of others are greater priority?

Maybe this realization is one of the most powerful suggestions from This Is It. We do see Michael Jackson pushing his dancers and musicians to be better than where they are in their artform. He wants them to do their best because only as a team can they deliver a mind-blowing experience to the audience. We were a global community of MJ fans through the past several years. And now, we find ourselves in smaller communities measured by our peers, our interests, and our closest relationships. How do we help each other to be our better selves? Let's keep asking that question as we move on.

Inspiring Show: Salah's "The Dream of Gluby" (2008)

Have you ever seen one man command the attention of hundreds of people in one room? That's what Salah did with his one-man show of "The Dream of Gluby" at Freestyle Session 2008. We're taking a look at that inspiring show, which happened in late August at Club Circus in Hollywood. Known for his dynamic tricks and character work, Salah has emerged among the elite of new generation poppers in the past decade. Hailing from France, he has earned the admiration and respect of all dancers worldwide, but it is his Gluby character which may be his legacy. (Photo above is from his myspace site.)

You can see a video clip of one rendition of the Gluby performance here:

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

And you can see Salah's myspace site here:

http://www.myspace.com/spidersalah

Salah has both his fans and his detractors, but regardless he stands out by the strength of his personality when he dances. He engages the audience. He plays with their imagination and expectations. And he delivers surprises. Perhaps the character of Gluby is the culmination of all of his refined skills. With Gluby, he can express many emotions, storylines, and bring a new sense of character to showcasing that draws from the best of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Marcel Marceau. Watching Salah perform is a treat because he makes you feel like you are part of his world. We're not simply sitting in the audience watching a show. He is interacting with us and revealing bits and pieces of his colorful world through his mannerisms, comedy bits, and energetic moves. Many of the greatest performers on stage had their alter egos. Chaplin had the Little Tramp. Marceau had Bip. And Salah has Gluby. It's a perfect stage for him to showcase what he wants to do with his dance.

On the second day of Freestyle Session 2008, Salah performed in a large club filled with hundreds of bboys and bgirls. It was amazing to see the entire room captivated by one man on stage. Rarely do we see solo street dance performers get the time of day with a large crowd. But Salah entertained and had the crowd cheering for him. They even interacted with his Gluby character. The crowd was amazed by how he pulled off different illusions with his body like simultaneously doing waves with one arm while doing tuts with the other. Or they marveled at his quirky cartoon voice that was high-pitched, slightly grating, yet endearing at the same time. Salah looked like he had stepped out of a Vegas performance with a shiny, slivery loose long-sleeved shirt and a bowler hat. When he first stepped on stage, everyone in the room was wondering where is he going to take us now? This Gluby performance stood out at Freestyle Session because it re-introduced character work in showcases that are often shunned in favor or well-executed group routines and tricks. True, this kind of performer also needs to have some acting ability. And it can be hard to dancers with trained backgrounds in acting. But Salah's experience in performing for crowds was paying off with this Gluby showcase.

Is this an exciting new development for poppers and street dancers worldwide? Will we see more character performers taking the stage and using their styles to further their art on stage? Let's hope so. It only shows the depth with which we can take hip hop dance as we explore deep-seated emotions from fear to anger to love. As humans, we're wired to tell stories and to seek meaning through hearing stories of others around us. Maybe with Gluby, Salah has struck a chord by creating a jolly fellow who speaks to the playful child inside each of us. He wants to share parts of his inner self with us. And that is often the greatest gift we can give to each other.

Inspiring Show: Ichigeki at Battle of the Year 2005

Let's jump forward from 2003 to 2005 now. And we're at Battle of the Year in Germany. Our inspiring show for today is Ichigeki's showcase at BOTY 2005. This bboy crew from Japan has most recently been documented in the film Planet BBoy. Highlights from their show are in that film along with some of their personal stories. On the international bboy stage, this one showcase has inspired many bboys and bgirls worldwide. (Photo above is from the Dance Delight website where Ichigeki won BOTY in Japan prior to going to the final competition in Germany.)

You can see a video of their performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBuqq6KdOzc

The central concept of the show was a DJ on stage using his turntables to motivate the movements of the other dancers. The other Ichigeki bboys were arranged in two circles, laying on the ground, as if they were the actual records on the turntables. As our lead DJ started the music, the dancers then moved in circles along with the beat. They dynamically leapt, stopped, and turned at specific moments. You can imagine how the crowd went wild for this presentation. In Planet BBoy, the crew had been documenting practicing the routine in walkways of the subway system as well as sharing their personal thoughts on what the show meant to them. They went on to win the prize for best show at BOTY 2005 as well as battling in the final round against South Korea's Last For One. Although this 2005 team has retired from the bboy scene, their turntable-inspired showcase continues to live on in our memories. It was cleverly staged and made excellent use of bboy footwork and ground transitions to create the turntable movement. There were dramatic climaxes and punctuation marks that peppered their performance. They simply weren't doing a show. Ichigeki was making a statement.

Perhaps the documentary film revealed their intentions at its best by sharing their journey to the international competition. They wanted to really put themselves out there - to share who they are without regards to pressures of winning the competition. Now that's artistic freedom. These bboys were brave enough to be themselves and to bare their creative souls. That's pretty rare nowadays especially when it's so easy to want to please others with our craft. Too often we find ourselves compromising our artistic spirits by seeking comfort and protection in what is safe and known. We base our decisions in fear. And when we act out of fear, creativity is crushed. That's why Ichigeki is so inspiring with this BOTY 2005 showcase. Yes, it was a great concept. Yes, it was well-executed. But it was their understated willingness to be true to themselves, which stands out. Imagine if more of us were willing to take that risk. What if more of us stepped into cyphers and freestyled regardless of what others think? What if more of us competed in contests with a healthy sense of being willing to improve after receiving constructive feedback? Our culture might actually be filled with new voices that haven't had the courage to speak up until now.

In the end, Ichigeki's show represented some of the best work that bboys were doing in showcases up to that point. Several crews have gone on to contribute equally stunning work at Battle of the Year as well as other top tier competitions. But the 2005 Ichigeki crew ended their careers on an artistic high, which will likely be studied and remembered for years to come.