ROAD TO RECOVERY Part.1

Since I started in 2004, I’ve never been injured; last march I’ve suffered an Achille’s tendon rupture which needed an operation to fix it up. Ironicaly, it wasn’t from dancing but from Savate; that’s a long story for some other time. So for the first time in my dancing life, I needed to stop completely to heal; that was followed by intense physiotherapy to learn how to walk on it again and build fitness around my right ankle. It’s almost 6 months of hiatus from which I’ll need to get my dancing back.

This post is about following that journey through a serie of videos showing my progression during next year. This one is the first, it consist of me dancing from scratch with no training; now that I’ve got my overall fitness back, I can dance. This is me dancing on pure muscle memory coming from that injury; more videos will follow during the year to show progression.

My thoughts on Battles

Let’s be clear, there’s Event’s Competition Battles and there’s Street Battles; those are two different animals. The first is about sport, fame, competition, visibility, business, money, learning, travelling, etc. The second is about LOVE; the kind of Love that hurts.

COMPETITION BATTLES

- Monsta Pop vs Walid @ Summer Dance Forever 2017

Competition battles are events organized by group of individuals in different countries with different approaches to the dance and the culture of popping; it makes for a really diverse environment for the dancers where depending on the country, the crowd, the judges, the DJ’s, the organizers, the participants, etc., the dancers have to adapt their style and dances to perform accordingly. 

It’s an harsh environment where everything is at stakes and where, depending on the results, one dancer can start his career or not on a win or lose. Favoritism, reputations and politics are really strong in the culture of popping and to be famous and recognize as the best or one of the best, the popper gotta play the game, and he got to play it right.

I like judging these kind of events, I like watching the battles that interest me for different reasons; but I won’t follow a whole event or care much about the winners or losers. The reason is that really often, for the reasons mentioned above, the winner is not necessarily the best popper, he’s the one that’s been judged to have been perform best in THAT moment; sometimes the best dancers lose before the finals which can be frustrating for the dancers but for the audience as well. Events like Summer Dance Forever are great because the judging system is based on the crowd’s scream level. NO EXCUSES.

Monsta Pop vs Walid is the best competition battle I’ve seen since I started popping in 2004!

STREET BATTLES

- Devious calls out Otis Funkmeyer (2017)

Street battles are REAL; it’s the Essence of battling. Whenever people disagree or disrespect each other in some way, sometimes it has to go down otherwise respect can be lost and trust can be broken; popping culture is a street culture, a street mentality where Ego is omnipresent. In my book there’s one rule; whenever you’re disrespected or called out, YOU NEVER BACK DOWN.

In such an ego driven and competitive culture, street battles are healthy and necessary they help create bounds, trust and respect between dancers who without that, might as well not even recognize each other’s skills and knowledge. It allows everyone to have a chance to prove what they’re all about; the young kid coming up trying to make his place in his hometown’s scene or the veteran who needs to show that he still got it. Everyone is concern everyone knows the rules of the game.

But, to me, it’s all LOVE! Love that hurts and leaves mark but still Love. When Otis Funkmeyer started his youtube popping channel he was doing something new: public online popping commentary. Devious didn’t like Otis’s point of view about his dance so he called him out; he knew he was at Jsmooth’s party so he went and called him out in front of everybody. THAT’S HOW YOU DO IT. Otis is no rookie, he know the rules very well he’s been there before so he jumps in, and stand his ground; there’s no way around it. That’s pure LOVE from both side, Love of this dance, Love of this culture. Period.

In those battles winning is not always the goal; showing Respect is what’s really happening.

The Twist-O-Flex move comes from the military style of stepping and sharp turns the soldiers perform when they marches; then eventually get some inspiration from the mechanical movements of the action figures of the time. It’s also the trademark of a wristband for watches company; the design idea is that the wristband can actually twist and flex.The Twist-O-Flex is a fundamental move it’s everywhere in popping; really versatile, useful and surprising, it can be apply to all style and can be mixed to all moves as well. Just give it a Twist!

Also, it might be good to consider the technical aspect of it; as a move that demands to be clean and sharp, it helps cleaning the dance of the popper by forcing the dancer to break down it’s movement and alternate with pauses that slows him down then show different part. It’s a really efficient move and all popper should have it in his arsenal IMHO.

Lastly, it starts as a basic move but then can evolve as a whole style; some dancers like Walid and Jrock, for example, incorporate it so much that it becomes part of the way they change direction and travel with their dance in general.

Jrock (Cirque Du Soleil, ABM, Electric Boogaloos Family, Groovaloos, Killafornia, LXD, iLuminate)

Waving is one of my favorite style in popping; the sensation and the versatility of it is what I like the most. It’s also something people relate to easily when they watch you dance because they’ve seen it before either from another dancer or in nature. It consist of emulating an ondulation like we see in nature either from water, wind or vibrations of matter of any kind; the idea is to emulate it by moving a sequence of body parts one after the other. By isolating them well the dancer creates the wave effect with his body.

It can also be considered a dance in itself because it’s composed of so many different styles within it: liquid, tracing, energy ball, wind, rubix cube, bouncing, etc. It can also be mixed easily with other styles in popping and all moves as well (for example, a Toyman waving Twist-O-Flex). 

I chose a Darryl Stokes video to portray it because I like how he keeps popping and dimestopping with the waves; besides being a legendary waver OG from Pomona Wavemasters, he’s also an innovator who created many waving styles some of wich are shown in this short clip. I also like this video because it shows how waving is a FULL body thing meaning that the dancer becomes the undulation; he can travel and dance with it.

There is many impressive wavers out there: my ULTIMATE go to to learn waving is WAVE-O-MATIC (RIP). He has great tutorial video: The Art of Dance which I recommend tremendously. A special post will be dedicated to him, his memory and how he changed my vision of the popping culture when I had the chance to meet and learn from him in 2005.

Here’s a short list of my favorite at the moment in no particular order:

Funktion (ABM)

PopNtod (iLuminate, Soulbotics Krew, Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, Substance Over Hype)

Namco (FBC)

In this IMPORTANT video, Otis Funkmeyer provides an amazing genealogical analysis of the history of popping through the evolution of steps and movement coming from the culture of that era. It provides a clear and honest explanation of where it comes from and where it might be going as well and how Dance cannot be separated from culture and geographical contingencies.

This is the video includind Otis’s analysis of Saccin; it is where he got the idea from which Understanding the History of Popping part.4 comes from. A super interesting history and analysis of a core movement and style in popping that is worth considering!

This is a complicated question; since Popping depends on that feel, since it’s a fundamental aspect of the dance and it’s culture, I’ll try to explain it the best I can. I come from the school of Parliament Funkadelic; I came to understand Funk from Fon’s teaching and musical knowledge but also through Bootsy Collins story of how he developed the slapping technique to play bass. In this video he describes the importance of accentuating the One; while showing the technique he gets so Funky that it’s hard not to grasp it, it’s just NASTY and strong. Funk is dirty, smelly and makes you scringe when you see it; we can’t give a textbook definition of what it is to be funky, I can only tell you how it feels when I see it. It is a subjective experience BUT it has a universal component in it that is undeniable. There’s something in the shoulders, in the pacing, in the neck, and the chest; it’s a weird and surprising feel that seems off balance but quite confident at the same time. The way the popper steps in unexpected directions as he enjoying himself through the music; it is also vibrant and has a rubber band effect as well where the movements of the dancers are kinda prepped a fraction of second before moving. I’ve said earlier on this blog that it’s possible to be funky on any kind of music and I do believe so; by accentuating the One and by reproducing the feel in the interpretation of the music, a popper can be funky on Grunge, Metal, House, etc. That being said, there’s nothing like Funk to bring the magic but I think that it can come out differently if triggered.

Les Claypool lead vocal and bassist from Primus is a great example of a Funky ass dude even though his music is not considered as Funk; that’s one example amongst many.

Les Claypool from Primus

Judging if a popper is Funky or not is really hard and will always be a subjective value judgment; there’s a lot of super FUNKY poppers out there making a list is irrelevant. Here’s SOME of my favorites; I picked them three because their Funkyness is just undeniable IMHO:

PopTart

Hitmaster Fish

Greenteck and Shadow (CFA)

C-Pop

Moves: The Walk-Out

Popin Pete and Boogaloo Sam breaking down the Walk-Out EB style.

The Walk-Out is one of the most fundamental move in popping IMHO; it can be done in many different variations and to all styes. It is the basic step in this dance; the basic way to move and travel as a popper. It’s inspired from the pimps’s walk on Fillmore street in San Francisco; this street used to be the pimps mecca back then, their specific way to walk, described in American Pimp (1999) is key to understand the cultural aesthetic behind the Walk-Out.

The Pimp walk, see the American Pimp (1999) movie.

 To me the Walk-Out tells everything; it shows the ONE in the music, the dancer’s FUNK and the dancer’s understanding of the dance. A Walk-Out demands timing and relevancy; it is transparent of the popper’s level because it’s used to organize his travelling, accent the music and express his charisma through Funk. Therefore, by watching the popper’s Walk-Outs you get to feel all that at once. Walk Tight. 

Mr. Tick A Lot @ OG Poppers Picnic (2012)

Mr. Wiggles (Rock Steady Crew, Electric Boogaloos, The Cool Five, Zulu Nation, FC, FBA, IBMasters)

Slick Dogg’s History of Popping video is another great source of informations; all sides of the story are important. Slick Dogg is also a great teacher; his explanations are clear and straightforward.

Scarecrow is a EB style; it consist of emulating how a scarecrow would dance. It has a chest bounce at the core BUT the back kinda needs to be like it’s a wooden stick giving the dancer a really stiff feel while the arms are wide open in all directions. Keeping that stiff feel while adding different wide arms variations is key. Also, the hands need to be kinda stiff as well otherwise it can be confused with the Puppet style; I always see the hands as bended at the wrist and stiff as well, kinda like if they’re hanging at the end of a pole, just like it would be for a scarecrow.

Well done, this style can be impressive; Jaygee nowadays is a good example of that. Poorly applied it can be boring and lazy looking; Scarecrow style is always a commitment when the dancer do it because it’s undeniable everybody recognize the trademark, you can’t hide it. Therefore, it needs to be well delivered otherwise it fails IMHO.

I’ve learned it with Skeeter Rabbit’s The Cure dvd; still the best tutorial in the game today IMHO. Jrock’s tutorials serie is a REALLY good source as well for that matter.

Here’s a short list of my favorite poppers who I think portray the scarecrow style well. In no particular order: 

Jay Gee (Real Marvelous, Mo'Higher, Dive1ne Recordz, World Fame Us)

Jrock (Cirque Du Soleil, ABM, Electric Boogaloos Family, Groovaloos, Killafornia, LXD, iLuminate)

Fon learned a lot from Frank Boogie and introduced me to him in 2005 at Funk Fo Yo Feet in Toronto. He became a MAJOR influence in my popping journey; like many others I was fascinated by the way he listens to the music, like a jazz dancer somehow. Being a student of Jazzy J, he had a crazy foundation and a crazy ass flow that was explosive and unpredictable going up and down the levels like nothing. I had the chance to learn a lot from him still today; always jumping on the opportunity to meet with him and Tony when they come to Montreal, these moments are Gold everytime. His contribution to the canadian streetdance culture is HUGE. A true Ambassador, thank you!

In terms of POP effect, muscle control and isolation, Kid Boogie is up there with a clean, strong and textured POP. He is able to dance with the POP as he throw moves and flow within styles; he ain’t lazy with it, POPPING to all kind of sounds in and out of his movements. High Level. 

The POP has to be consistent with the beat and textured to complement the sounds as well; being able to do that on all levels and in a relevant matter considering styles, moves and the music is key IMHO.

What is Popping?

I have a straightforward and honest definition of this dance; it’s honest because it’s what I understand so far, it’s a definition that leaves no popping traditions behind, it is inclusive and general at the same time:

“ Popping is a funky dance that consist of accentuating the music with a POP effect that comes for the contraction of the dancer’s muscles. This POP can be continuous or not but it must be there; that can be done utilizing all kind of styles that constitutes this dance (Robot, Puppet, Animation, Tutting, Waving, etc.) and to any kind of music. “

I think that a popper can be funky on rock music as he can be on funk; I think that all popping styles are great as long as they respect the funk, the music and the POP. That’s my definition of Popping; I keep it simple even though it’s not because so many concepts have been used and so many names have been used as well (Hitting, Hits, Popnlock, Poplocking, Banging, etc...) I’m not leaving those behind; since I can’t relate and understand where they come from, I accept them as part of the culture and I do think they understand popping under these three principles as well: FUNK, MUSIC and POP. Here’s great examples coming from different backgrounds and traditions.

Kid Boogie (MGF, Animated vilains) GREAT popping tutorial and description.

Frantick (MZK)

Gucchon (Fab5Boogz, Co-Thkoo)

Playboy Stix (Playboyz inc.)

Otis Funkmeyer is THE historian of Popping; he does a great history analysis in these videos. I strongly recommend to watch it and learn from past mistakes.

Like many other young blood at the time, I was taught the Fresno style of Popping; it was so dominant and popular that it was even considered corny to do other styles like: tutting, waving, glides, animation, etc. It was so strong and political that it got to all of us like: « We have to dance that way otherwise IT’S NOT POPPING. » The pandemic was real, it got political, technical, methodological, cultural, ideological, dogmatic and super discriminative. We had to dress a certain way, to wear Hush Puppies, to listen to certain funk tracks and learn from an EB or a EB family member was mandatory to be respected and recognized. 

The Electric Boogaloos

The result was SCARY, well it was not at the time but looking back on it today keeps me humble and on edge because I saw and I’ve been part of a culture that was similar to a dictatorial theocratic regime where everybody dressed the same (copying the EB members fashion style), everybody dance the same (like clones and zombies gathering and moving similarly together without noticing that something was wrong), everybody thinking about the dance the same way (everybody judging each other on the same standards, the EB standards). The only way to survive in that kind of artistic environment was to imitate and apply the norms, rules and foundations of the EB’s, in that case, in order to win competitions, cypher battles and basic recognition.

The 2000′s popping fashion.

Coming back to me, the effect was terrible; I got so deeply conditioned to that ideology that I became a clone like the others, since nobody want to recognize that, I denied it for many years and got stuck in that situation for many years. When HitmasterFish brought G-style in Montreal; he managed to make me understand and accept it for what it was, by opening my mind he allowed me to become critical toward my dance. The problem was that I had to (1) start all over again and (2) the only way to do that was to deprogrammed the years of technical and ideological conditioning this pandemic imposed on me.

I was not alone many poppers kept it and pushed it further, some backed down and gave up and some, like me, tried to change their whole dance and start fresh building on the foundation;  leaving the boog style aesthetic and ideology behind as a relic of the past. 

Where it all began for me; by organizing Montreal’s first Pop Shop in 2004, he allowed many of us, rookies at the time, to gather together, get to know each other and learn under a reliable supervision. Back then, that was a luxury for the new poppers all around the globe since no social media was available yet, it was hard for us to be exposed to good popping and learn correctly. He was a true Mentor and a Friend for many; he was all that and more to me, my gratitude is forever in my dance.

As a dancer I have an intimate relationship with Style; it’s part of the dancer’s journey to express, discover, emulate, imitate, live, search, observe, experience Style for himself and through others. I am a popper and I do popping; I am true to the artform as much as I can and I didn’t create any particular popping style or method. Last year I decided to design my popping utilizing different cultural tools the dance is providing; my goal was to look the way I wanted to look, to embodied a specific aesthetic with my dance. So I chose a couple popping styles I found would look good together according to my body composition, my musicality and my taste then started to work on it. The idea was to design my dance intentionaly and to eventually embody that intention with my dancing; in other words I utilized conceptual tools (popping styles already existing in the artform) to intentionaly design what i wanted to be, to design Myself by myself. This video is a testimony of that; one year later or so I’ve reached my objective. Hope you like it!