Probably because unlike traditional House battles, here, the selected dancers go hard for an hour straight in the cypher. So depending on where you come from, mentally, I mean, maybe geographically too (HA!), you could think of it as a harder challenge (1 hour vs 2 minutes) or as a rather natural experience (same as cyphering in the club). My past experience made me opt for the latter, but at the end of the day I didn't really know what to expect.
After participating in my first Abyss cypher in DC, I concluded that it wasn't as natural as I thought it'd be- probably due to the competition context (money at stake, judges' eyes, the thought of time management, etc.), but it definitely was the closest to the "real deal" in the sense that the cypher helps build an organic vibe among its dancers, true to its clubbing roots.
I may be wrong but I think we were all a little reserved when we did that first Abyss. We were half creating, half observing and understanding the dynamics of this "official competition cypher". Looking back at it, the reservation wasn't justified, we just had to go hard and that's all we should have thought about!
Lesson learned as the ISSF organizers come to Oakland to host an Abyss Qualifier at the Oakland House Dance Conference 2013. This time- no judges, the top 12 dancers (as opposed to top 8 the first time) still dance for an hour straight, but then they have to vote for who they think the best dancer of the cypher was. The winner then is flown to DC for the International Soul Society Festival for The Abyss 2013 finals, where he/she has the opportunity to win the grand prize.
In the Oakland Qualifier, I didn't enter for the win. I was honored to participate in The Abyss as a "wild card" - basically a dancer that jumps in the cypher for a short time just to spice it up!
To be honest, this Oakland cypher didn't even need to get spiced up (HA!), those 12 dancers were hungry and going hard from beginning to end! The music was definitely helping (props to DJ Tomahawk Bang on the wheels with the bomb track selection). I felt the dancers covered more range too (floor work, animalistic style, aggressive flow, very smooth gracious flow, etc). The cypher was very intense, in a positive way, and was clearly entertaining the whole room.
When the time came for the dancers to vote, two dancers stood out, they each had three votes so they had to "battle" for an additional half hour to determine who was the cypher warrior of the day. Maaaan o maaaan, I have the biggest respect for these two! Angelo and Odie gave their heart to the floor. The crowd was super encouraging, so much so that we all got some of their sweat on our faces as a thank you ;)) Odie went home with the W. Congrats again to him!
In conclusion (because I'm trying to make this short, but I see it becoming a book-HA!), my first Abyss experience was a dope one, but my Oakland Abyss experience was an even a doper one. I just hope that future, "Abysses" follow that exponential growth trajectory! This cypher is not only inspiring for its dance but actually rather for its vibe and energy. It is a real, raw and memorable experience to all of us and on our paths in this House culture journey, I wish us all many more!
Modern tap dance is most commonly broken up into 3 styles of tap. You have rhythm tap, which is the most popular style of tap; rhythm tap is easily separated from the two often presented a cappella rhythm tap is as much music as it is dance based in meters, bars, and of course rhythms. Broadway tap is another style of tap easily recognized, the distinction between the rhythm and Broadway tap is a much bigger style of tap it is perfect for its medium. The few sounds and big movements of Broadway tap work with the large musical numbers you usually find in Broadway productions.
The third style is competition or convention tap. Competition tap is choreographed, more so than the others, down to the movement of the dancer’s fingers. Competition tap is all flash steps and big smiles.
While there are three styles tap is broken up into every dancer has their individual style and many of the greats have even defined that style (for example, Savion Glover and his funk tap).
In the vein of the greats, I myself have spent the last few years developing my own style of tap. A style different than any style of tap to date, or at least different from any I have ever seen. Tap dance is usually lumped into the category of “classically trained” dancers. Dancers who learn tap usually learn jazz, ballet, modern, or contemporary, forgetting that tap is the original urban dance.
My style of tap is meant to bring tap back to its roots in hoofing with complex footwork- combining it with house, hip-hop, lofting, and popping. Admittedly this is the most difficult pursuit I have undertaken in dance in my long dance career and is still incomplete. I have been recording my pursuitand it can be traced at my Courtap page.
Meet the Author:
Che Shabazz is a college student at University of Maryland and artist withUrban Artistry.
When I first started to collaborate with Urban Artistry, I was touched by their openness and the warm welcome I and my fellow Irish step dancers received. I decided I wanted to study with this group of artists who had created one of the healthiest and happiest dance communities I had ever encountered. I had to ask myself: what does it take to invest in a community, a cause, and a culture? Should you be from it, of it, or in it? I knew from being involved in several different dance traditions that there are various ways to enter a new dance scene - I also knew from studying the idea of "community dance" in general that different approaches often determine how and how long people remain engaged. I appreciate many of the ways that Urban Artistry creates and maintains a real community.
Investment in a common “topic” (whether political, aesthetic or social) seems to lead people to a space and time where their interests can be shared. This is obvious. What might not be so obvious to scholars and dancers from very formalized areas is that structures and rules already exists within dance communities that are self-sustaining. The shape of a culture's organization might not look familiar at first, but when I look carefully I have found parallels between urban dance cypher culture and traditional Irish music etiquette, for example. Understanding that rules exist, perhaps below the surface or by other names, has helped me identify and follow them with sincere efforts toward respecting leaders and peers. Dancers who come from one dance culture to a new dance culture, say from contemporary or modern dance to urban dance, might have assumptions based on their own training that will be challenged in a new environment. This is healthy, fun, and produces artists with broader minds and skill sets - it's a good thing for everyone. I am learning from Urban Artistry members that there are three "T's that promote investment - "Time," "Transparency," and Tension."
It might behoove community dance practitioners who come into a group from the outside to spend an extended amount of time observing the existing aesthetic values. What do the people you are there to serve consider beautiful or excellent? Rather than pre-programming an agenda based on an imagined need, we can ask questions, both subtly and explicitly. We can do this as students of a new style, discovering fresh goals, or as teachers in a new setting, realizing we have a range of tools and skills to offer. Many leaders in the field of "Community Dance Practice" establish this as one of the most important of their "best practices."
The community should expect a high level of transparency and accountability on the part of incoming dancers. Visitors should respect prior community members and protect them from oppressive or irrelevant judgment. I find entering a new world of dance is a great opportunity to learn about my own preferences and assumptions. There is no need to project shortcomings on other dance forms because they are not my favorite. I don't need to change, rescue or enlighten anyone so that everything can be my favorite thing - and I don't need to pick just one thing. I like crossing over between different dance communities and building bridges for collaboration and play. I also see most other members of Urban Artistry spearheading these kind of projects, without public funding or support. This is inspiring. My hope for the field of Dance Education is that with real attention and respect towards established dance artists in a variety of backgrounds, project-based community dance that's enriching to existing communities can be funded to have lasting and sustainable impact.
Where many different people are all invested in a similar aesthetic/political/social topic, a certain amount of tension is inherent. We don't have to look at tension or disagreement as a knife dividing communities into sub-groups. We could look at the sub-groups or individuals in a community as charged particles orbiting around a single nucleus. The tensions are like the electro-chemical charges that keep things alive and in motion around the common theme. Just as some structures can’t be built or achieved without a certain amount of tension (hanging a hammock for instance), there might not be true community without internal dissent on some level – maybe. There are stories from disparate individuals coming together to make group, creating counter-narratives across generations and backgrounds. Creating safe space for dissent (instead of only trying to foster consensus) would definitely constitute another "best practice" for community dance.
The safe creative spaces that are bound by the three "T's,"- time, transparency, and tension, are not necessarily value-free spaces. I have to admit I have personally spent a lot of time complaining about aesthetic hierarchies that discriminate against urban and folk arts (like those that might show up in higher education). Still, I do see that within most communities certain organic hierarchies are present.
Continuing the metaphor of particles in orbit, there are certain pathways and spheres of orbit that are closer to the nucleus than others – this is how I see hierarchies of artists manifesting within some communities. There is a music jam at Augusta Heritage Center's Old-Time week called the “Onion Jam” where the instructors are in the center, and it radiates by skill level from there - respecting existing hierarchies might be a best practice, too.
These are not linear, vertical, list-like hierarchies, but mobile, changeable proximity to the source of the art form. In Good Foot Dance Company, my partner Matthew Olwell and I sort of orbit around each other- interacting, playing off of one another- creating our own pathways and yet following traditions. This is also a necessary kind of motion in a dance company - you don't always maintain the same role, and you're not always the one on top.
Beat Retreat Teaser
Perhaps the saying “you get out what you put in” explains the fact that artists who invest the most in the form seem to be more central in the scene. They are fed by the art form emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and hopefully materially - but perhaps one can only be nourished by the form and the community by being responsible for oneself. Being transparent about your intentions and background helps to set a tone that inspires generosity in others and helps create the safe space for the community and the individual. The space, perhaps filled with a healthy tension, between the individual and the group, holds our communities together.
Meet the Author: Emily Oleson:
Emily Oleson started as an intern with Urban Artistry, and has become an Artistic Director because of her background in the connections between Irish and European step dance, Appalachian flatfooting, and tap. She recently graduated with an M.F.A. from University of Maryland and is the co-founder of Good Foot Dance Company, which specializes in remixing American vernacular dance into innovative “Trad Dance Theatre.” Emily's article, "Two Shoes, Same Foot: Vernacular Dance and Concert Dance" was recently published in Dance USA. She also has an upcoming performance at Flurry Fest with Urban Artistry's Executive Director, Junious Brickhouse in February.
This week, Urban Artistry has the honor of helping the State Department welcome Kamikaz Crew, a hip hop-inspired performance group that frequently uses their talent to uplift Algerian youth, including orphans, children who are ill, and children living with disabilities. The Kamikaz Crew was recently voted the most talented group after participating in a competition sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Algeria. They also recently won the Algerian National Dance Championship and the 2011 Algerian Talent Competition.
Kamikaz Crew is participating in a 3-week study program coordinated by Global Connections, titled "Youth Empowerment through Hip-Hop" for the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program. They will be touring D.C., Mississippi, L.A., and New York, and we hope to expose them to the many sides of cultural dance that D.C. has to offer during their short time with us. On Sunday, they were invited to our company rehearsal. Their passion and charisma amazed both our Artistic Directors and the youth in our company. Diyanna, an Artistic Director with Urban Artistry and first year student at Trinity University, said, "They were dope!" We'll have many more opportunities this week to bond and break bread with Kamikaz.
Tuesday, December 4th @ 6pm
Explore one of the U Street Corridor's newest artsy and casual additions- Satellite Room. Kamikaz and Urban Artistry will dine in the diner-inspired setting tucked back behind the 9:30 Club. It's a perfect spot for a pre- or post-show burger thanks to its late-night hours. Then we'll head over to Bus Boys and Poets for Open Mic Night.
Wednesday, December 5th @ 9pm
Along with @OKAYAFRICA, Tropicalia DC and DJ Underdog, we welcome you to be apart of the essence of progressive African rythmes and house music at "Okayafrica DC". House Dance, Azonto, Zouk and stretch out with dj's Underdog, Native Sun, DrewCool, Kimozaki and Nykoskiie.
Thursday, December 6th @ 6pm
Kamikaz will join Urban Artistry students and family for our weekly classes in Bethesda, MD. Arts education is a key component of our mission, so to learn from and with Kamikaz is an honor.
Friday, December 7th @ 11am
Kamikaz will be guests on our weekly live radio show, The Urban Artistry Show, which airs live on WLVS: http://listenvision.com/listen_live. This will be an opportunity to share Algerian hip-hop culture and dance traditions to American and international audiences. While dance itself is a language, and a way of communicating, one can gain different understandings of the movements through discussion about where and when they came from. Urban Artistry has begun having more conversations about dance on our new live radio show. It is a chance to interact with DJs, musicians, visual artists, historians, dancers, and educators who continue to shape the culture that is dance. @11pm: Finally, to celebrate the end of Kamikaz's week in Washington, DC, and to wish them well on the continuation of their journey across the United States, we have invited Kamikaz to join us for a night of dancing at U Street Music Hall. As excited as we are to show Kamikaz how we experience urban dance styles in Washington, D.C., members of Urban Artistry are even more interested in seeing, hearing, feeling, and being inspired by the similarities and differences of the experiences of Kamikaz.
A man once said it's not all about dance. In the dance company, Urban Artistry, there are individuals from all walks of life with extremely diverse backgrounds. I tend to find myself thinking quite often about how this all came to light. It's really profound how one individual that had a vision, despite the negative backlash of several nay-sayers, created and sought out individuals who shared the same vision but didn't know the ways of making it come a reality.
I used to work with my now, mentor, Ryan Webb.In the beginning, our shifts didn't coincide. He worked in the morning and I worked in the afternoon. We were cordial, and then we became friends. Eventually, he taught me popping and we spent the whole next summer practicing and hanging out everyday. In turn, he took me to a dance studio in D.C, where I took a few house dance classes from Junious “House” Brickhouse.
The weekend of July 4th, 2006, Ryan invited me to go to a house club off New York Avenue in Washington, DC called Mirrors. House, Tasha, Emily, and Ryan were there.
Within 15 minutes of being there, I was dancing, and my knee turned one way and my body turned the other way. I was on a dark dance floor, with music blaring, and I was hunched on the floor. Eventually, people realized that I wasn't doing a floor move, and that I was really hurt. The music stopped; the lights came on, and some one called an ambulance. Unbelievably, one of the patrons who was just hanging out and having a drink was an Orthopedic Surgeon! The dancers and her stayed with me on the floor of the club until the paramedics came.
House, barely knowing me, only as a student who took his class once or twice, volunteered to ride in the ambulance with me, even though he hates riding in them. He held my hand the whole time and consoled me. Tasha and Emily, having never met me before, followed suit with Ryan, behind the ambulance. They all stayed with me at Georgetown Hospital throughout the night while they took x-rays and treated me for the injury.
As I mentioned, this was fourth of July weekend, so needless to say, there were characters throughout the hospital. These wonderful individuals could have continued partying “all night long” a la Lionel Ritchie, at one of the biggest party nights in one of the big house clubs in D.C. Instead, they chose to spend time with someone they barely knew who needed help. We were there at the hospital from about 11pm that night to 5am the next morning. I was taken aback by how empathetic, caring, and compassionate, these individuals were, especially House, who stayed with me during the whole ambulance ride an in my hospital room.
I thought to myself, “this is something that I would do for another,” but I had never witnessed such a great selfless act like this before, on my behalf. Earlier I mentioned that I believe in fate... from that night on, I knew that there was a connection between me and these people coming from both sides. The caring for me continued as I recovered from the injury. I knew that I could trust them because the loyalty had already been built from the ground up... not only from the dance floor, but also in real life. The people in this group had a foundation for relationships that I always wanted in my life.
I didn't want to stay away. I wanted to get to know this circle of people even more. I was fresh off this injury when open auditions arose to join Urban Artistry in 2007. Coming fresh off an injury I had many doubts and concerns about whether or not I was ready to do normal everyday things, like walking, let alone dancing. But, I took a chance and auditioned, despite my fears and doubts, as a leap of faith...in fate... There's that word again.
I made it into Urban Artistry, and I was ecstatic, but unsure because this was my first time being part of a dance company. It was foreign to me. I was challenged to perform on stage, doing solos and choreography. Battles ranged from international sensations to beginners. I was vulnerable in the cypher and all of these experiences were helping me build character. I also joined the operations team, helping with event planning, website organization, rides for the kids to compete in jams in other cities, hosting of international guests during soul society and party planning for birthdays and baby showers.
Urban Artistry is not your typical dance company. It is designed to keep you honest, extremely honest... even when you try not to be. This honesty is not just with where you are as a dancer/performer/artist, but with where you are as a person, in all aspects of you life.
Urban Artistry stresses the importance of family.
With these lesson and support, I became strong enough to be completely honest in all aspects of my life, including my sexuality. This was a big step for me and gave me a new sense of freedom.
It also brought joy into my life.
We find humor in life, positivity, and we are just down right goofy at times.
Most importantly being with this group makes you deal with your fears and take them on. No more escaping and hiding from a task that ultimately makes you more courageous. It makes you see that you are capable of so much more than what you have ever imagined.
That wise man who said it was not about the dance was Junious. I have learned now that dance is a tool to unhinge the best person that you could possibly be, and to fasten yourself to dreams that you thought were not attainable. They can be reached, and once reached, more goals grow... a perpetual, rhythmic cycle of rebirth. During my six years with Urban Artistry, I have grown into a stronger me, both on and off stage. I am better equipped, both with friends and with colleagues.
As I look at this group of once five loosely connected people, to a group of 50 close knit people, I am touched that people are discovering their own paths of growth with the common goal in mind.
I always struggle to find the words to describe what I feel about the mission of Urban Artistry, and what the people in it mean to me. I cannot find the words to express my gratitude and appreciation enough for what each person in UA has shown me about myself.
To my friends in UA and new members I have not met yet, I thank you.
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.
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