On February 5, notable hip hop artists Johnny 5 (Johnny Lopez) and SpecialFX (Quentin Robinson) presented a cypher featuring hip hop dancers, performances, competitions, and classes. The event was made possible with the help of numerous dancers, community members, multiple CSUSM organizations and CSUSM staff.
The event ran from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. It started with a brief history of hip hop and turfing which led to dance workshops with dancers Venom, Krow, Intricate, and SpecialFX.
Johnny5 served as the MC of the dance battles. A Mexican professional Turf Dancer from Oakland, he is the founder of TURFinc–an Oakland/Bay Area-based company dedicated to positively changing the community through dance.
The co-host, SpecialFX, is a father of two and a Marine Corps Veteran. He is the founder of Movement4Movements which is an organization dedicated to dance and movement therapy treating trauma related to poverty and violence.
At the beginning of the event, Johnny 5 and SpecialFX, along with two other dancers, introduced turfing and hosted a Q&A as a panel.
Many professors, students, and faculty members participated in the discussion, asking questions that the panel answered in full.
Zach King, Lecturer and Production Coordinator at CSUSM’s School of Arts, asked the panel about their experience with integrating one style into another:
“Now we’re in a period where…a lot of dance uses other elements of dance, but there was a time when a lot of the styles were separate, maybe intentionally, like gatekeeping but by area.”
The panel described how “turfers,” or members of the turfing dance community, often mixed dance techniques and styles to create their own unique, signature style. However, it is also important to remember and recognize where certain styles, such as popping or breakdancing, came from.
Panelist and dance battle judge Krow emphasized the importance of learning the root or foundation of each style before converting it into something completely your own.
SpecialFX talked about the legitimacy of hip hop as a dance style in the professional world:
“Ballet, contemporary, modern, those are the dances—jazz—those are the dance that they consider a professional dance style; not hip hop…I went to a modern show and saw nothing but hip hop.”
However, SpecialFX says the hip hop dancers competing in the category of hip hop were not awarded scholarships like the modern dancers were.
“I can do one dance move from the popping community. I can go online right now and find you a 12-year-old white kid, or white girl, doing that same exact move and that gets a million views over, and it says she created this new style of dance or this new move.”
SpecialFX says that companies often favor white artists and dancers, while the creators and artists of hip hop often go uncredited and ignored.
SpecialFX also talked about his experience in dance competition Vibe International Ballet Experience:
“I got the highest score ever recorded in the history of that competition ever, till this day,” SpecialFX said, “But I didn’t get a scholarship, I didn’t get any prizes, I got a plastic trophy and a t-shirt. Everyone around me got scholarships. I wasn’t even invited to the gala…Because the style I picked was popping.”
The Dance Battle:
The preliminary rounds of the dance battle started at 6:30 p.m. and the final battle rounds started at 7 p.m.
Jojo Vandereb, a DJ from Oceanside, presented his skills at the event.
The judges were Amaleke Bradley, a.k.a KIDD the Monster, Krow, Intricate, and Midas, a.k.a Cameron Murphy. 16 pre-chosen dancers, in addition to several dancers from CSUSM and the community, competed in the dance battle.
For more images: See Arts and Lectures Instagram Post
Notable dancers include Zubox, Capjay, Kiki, and Evian—the only turfer in the competition. The battles were explosive, community-oriented, and entertaining, a real treat for students and staff alike.
To little surprise, Jaryan Bague, a dancer based in LA, won the entire battle. It was an impressive feat due to the many incredible dancers he faced. In every battle, he brought his infectious energy and incredible skill set.
This event was co-sponsored by Dance Studies, Theatre Arts, Center Artes, Communication & Media Studies, the Cross-Cultural Center, and the Black Student Center.