Photo by Michael G. Stewart
I am the culmination of many folk traditions: Popping, Breaking, House Dance, Locking, and Hip Hop, to name a few of these forms, rooted in African American communities. My training began in '77 with my mother teaching my sister and I to do the Latin Hustle and The Funky Robot in our living room in Norfolk, VA. I vividly remember wanting to see how this movement lived outside of our housing projects. Eventually, I would depend on the kids in my neighborhood and the adults in my family to help me imagine what contributions I could make to these art forms. Today, these traditions continue live in me, with the same excitement and curiosity I had as a child. This curiosity is accompanied by the urgency to develop these traditions and ensure they are sustainable for generations to come. I know there is still much work to be done, but my commitment is unwaivering.
