Saturday, March 24, 2012

Artistic Director Ryan "Future" Webb on "FINDING BALANCE"

Finding Balance

Artistic Director Ryan Webb

Growing up, my family and I were constantly traveling. Both of my parents were flight attendants and naturally I just went everywhere they did. On top of these travels, we also moved a lot. Starting in Houston, Texas, we moved to Wake Forest, North Carolina, and ended up settling in Ashburn, Virginia. As soon as my college years started, I began moving and traveling again. My freshmen year was spent at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. The rest of my college days were spent in Oceanside and Fullerton, California. All of these travels and moves are apart of my long journey to find a place that I could call home. Not just somewhere to sleep, but a place that felt right for me! It may have taken a while but I found this home in Urban Artistry.

As some of you may know, Rashaad and myself have been traveling for dance quite often in the past few years. From Korea, Japan, London, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark, we have gotten to experience multiple cultures overseas. The more dance experiences we are gaining, the more reassured I become that Urban Artistry is the most healthy learning environment for any dancer. The fact that House decided everyone must battle, compete, perform, teach, mentor, and direct has always been an ingenious idea for me. All of these aspects of dance are so important in giving you balance! Most of us in Urban Artistry don’t even realize how lucky we are to be learning ALL of these things.


For example, Rashaad and I traveled to London last year for our first major theatre show, “Human Robot”. It was performed at the Sadler’s Wells, which is one of the most well known theaters in the world. Although the stakes were high, for us it was just another day at work because we had been prepared for it through Urban Artistry.

When you begin paying close attention to each countries dance scene including our own here in the United States, you will see just how much each scene can learn from each other. Some countries lack cypher culture, others lack performance ability, the problem comes when people get stuck specializing in certain areas. The reason having balance is so important is because when you are traveling, knowing what the dancers are missing allows you to give them what they need. I could go on and on about each dance scene individually but the main purpose for this blog is to inspire you all to do everything!

Don’t just be a performer or a battler. Be a mentor and a cypher head as well. Never sell yourself short and remember that the things we learn in dance are also teaching us about everyday life. The better dance teacher you become, the better your communication skills will be. The more you perform, the more you learn about presenting yourself in front of others. Everything in life is a battle! Competition is everywhere so if you learn about battle techniques in dance, use them at your day job or while in debate with someone. It’s fun! Use what you know from dance in your every day lives, because the truth is if you are a balanced dancer, you have the ability to be a balanced person as well.

In closing, I just want to say; let’s all try to keep each other motivated to do everything as a dancer. Not only will it help you find balance, but it will prepare you for future dance travels as well. Traveling is amazing and a great learning experience, but let’s not forget how good we have it here at home guys….

Urban Artistry is a great group of people, and I appreciate you all for helping me find the place that felt right for me.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Simon Maxwell Eason and his new-found Family


Throughout my whole life I have done so many things. I have played almost every sport, Soccer, Football, Basketball, Baseball, Lacrosse, Track & Field, Tennis, I used to Film all the time, write poetry all the time, play video games very heavily, want to be a Chef, and many other things that I used to always do, or want to do. All of these things have ended the same way; I either quit, or just stopped doing them. But I feel like finally I have found two passions that I don’t think I’ll let go of until the day I pass, Dancing and Djing.

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt so much drive in the two activities, though like everyone we have our moments of laziness and disinterest. I try all the time to think of the reason why I love these things so very much, and just haven’t really been able to come up with an answer. It could be because within these two art forms, I have found something more than just “something to do” I have found a whole entire culture I never knew existed while I was sitting on my butt in Frederick. I also have found a love for music, a loving friend and mentor, and best of all a group of friends and family I can honestly say I love, and I don’t say I love very many things. CAB Crew and Urban Artistry have helped me not just within dance but also within life, because so many people within these groups have so much wisdom at their disposal. I feel so grateful that these people share this information with me because like I said, it has helped me so much in life.

While being a part of UA and CAB I have met dancers nationally and internationally and I have only been coming around for a year. I have traveled to many different states, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, and we always go together just like a family does, and it provides me with such a sense of belonging and happiness. I had the good fortune of being a part of last year’s Soul Society and saw so many things that just made me smile and enjoy myself so much. I can see why so many wonderful members have gravitated towards this group and stayed around for as long as they have.
I ask one thing of everyone, to never let me quit! Because if I did, there wouldn’t be a day that goes by that I wouldn’t think about Dancing or Djing. I feel that with all these supportive and loving people around me I will never even think of quitting, because I don’t have much else that I have a passion for. I look forward to many more accomplishments and opportunities I have to come with my Crew and Company. Thanks to everyone for EVERYTHING! And I mean that with every ounce of my being. Michael McClain I’m very grateful that your introduced me to UA because you put these wheels in motion.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Megan Keefe, Director of Digital Media on Global Projects in bboy culture



As of today Invisible Children's "Kony 2012" viral video has been viewed more than 41 million times on Youtube. It has been talked about over social media, major tv networks, NPR and probably a few beers at your local watering hole. Whether you watch the Kony 2012 video or not it is important to learn about the history of Ugandan youth. Why? Because they are our brothers and sisters and their history is our history. Their pain is our pain.

In 2011 Junious and Hannah and I went to a screening of Bouncing Cats at the National Geographic Society. Junious and I recently returned from a trip to South Africa where Junious taught South African youth about the history, culture, and movement of House Dance. This film about Uganda brought tears to my eyes because I suddenly saw the positive impact of urban dance culture in South Africa and Uganda. It's something that's happening in Africa without thousands of dollars of investment or the visibility of the western world. It is stronger than money or political power. Dance will always bind us together. When greed, racism, violence and fear work to tear us apart, dance will bind us together. It's always been this way.

http://vimeo.com/12234800

Find out more about the film and how to make donations to Breakdance Project Uganda by visiting the Bouncing Cats website: http://www.bouncingcats.com/synopsis/

Watch John Legend talk about the film: http://vimeo.com/20751293

Other links:

https://www.facebook.com/bouncingcats

https://twitter.com/#!/bouncingcats

http://www.bpuevents.org/

-Megan Keefe-

IntersectionsDC.org & MetroDC Dance Awards

This year Urban Artistry joins PDM, Public Displays of Motion lead by Peter DiMuro in a collaborative project for the Intersections Festival March 8 & 9 at 7pm in the Sprenger Theater at Atlas on H St. NE Washington DC.

FUTURE PRELUDES is part of the Atlas' INTERSECTIONS: A New America Arts Festival. Peter DiMuro and fellow dance artists Asanga Domask, Christopher K. Morgan, Urban Artistry and NOW A NEW ADDED STAR among the constellation: ANNA MENENDEZ will perform their specific forms and genres of dance (including Hula, Sri Lankan, urban dances of all kinds, flamenco, dance/theatre) to the music of Rachmaninoff. The show is a tribute to "firsts"- preludes being the key - as the 19th century pianists would improvise and "sample" from their own and others music as a warmup to their own concerts. We'll do the same with movement- borrowing from each other, and making these 21st century preludes for a glorious future of dance.

This is the debut event of PDM: Public Displays of Motion.

Two shows; March 8 and 9, 7pm.
intersectionsdc.org for tickets

info:
peterdimuro@gmail.com
intersectionsdc.org

http://www.facebook.com/events/258540110885202/?ref=ts



Following the show on Friday night stay for the
11th Annual Metro DC Dance Awards!

http://www.facebook.com/events/198051980294299/


Urban Artistry, Coyaba Dance Theater, Megan Keefe, Bus Howard and Capitol Tap is a finalist for Best Overall Production -Large Venue for their work in "ORIGINS: One Heart Beat."

If you have not seen the project, check out the trailer by Megan Keefe at www.originsonehearthbeat.com