The Groove Theory

The Groove Theory

By

Anthony "Neo" Tirado

Do you remember the time when you hear that first song, and it was so good that you couldn't control your body movements?

The funky beat that made you move your feet. Your body would twist, and sway from side to side as if you were doing the humpty hump.

In that moment you've just experienced the "groove theory" and the sounds that vibrated through your ear drums just gave you your first 'eargasm.'

On his 40th birthday of June 24th, KS-360 had an epiphany. He and his wife Rokafella put together a roof top party at Seward Park High had an idea that later became what we all know now as Behind The Groove.

KS-360 also known by many as Kwikstep of Full Circle Souljahs. His talented wife Ana "Rokafella" Garcia and Turntable Annihilist DP-One bounded together and brought the world Behind The Groove monthly jams at Le Poisson Rouge or "LPR" located at 158 Bleeker Street in New York City, where the parties are a dancers' paradise.

BTG (Behind the Groove) where souls fly free and the music is the food for our bodies.

I had the honor to have a conversation with this talented master artist and get the exclusive ins and outs of BTG.

D4D:  So who are the members that help organize the BTG experience?

KS-360:  The official creator of BTG was me but I partnered up with Rokafella to host the parties and fellow brethren Dj DP-One to DJ the party with me.

D4D:  When you created this monthly event, what was the purpose or goal?

KS-360:  Plain and simple; it was to create a platform for all the dancers to shine in the community. 

It's about giving the dancers the opportunity to let go of their emotions and express themselves on the dance floor.

D4D:  How important is it to have a wide range of music and versatility? And how does it effect the flow of the party?

KS-360:  It's extremely vital to have a wide range of music because, we have a wide range of emotions and people.  I never plan my sets, although I do practice day and night.  I feed off the dancers and in turn the dancers feed off me.  It's what I need to keep the groove going.  You see it's a full circle. We're all connected.  BTG is a creative extension of Rokafella and myself. It's about bringing all elements such as: bboys/bgirls/lockers/poppers/waackers/house heads/voguers, MC, DJ, Grafitti (visual aspect) and knowledge. 

D4D:  Essentially all these elements including other genres like house, funk, soul and Latin are a direct link to who you are?

KS-360:  Exactly! BTG's motto is, "getting behind you" to push you, to help you let go of your dance fears and get behind your groove.

D4D:  How do you keep up with your expenses?

KS-360:  Well it's a process.  We do rely on the bar and what we make at the door.

We all know that most dancers are struggling artists.  So I have to come out of my own pockets to pay for venue and performers.  So we do fundraisers and BTG All Stars Angels who donate money to BTG.

D4D:  That's brilliant where do we go to donate and how?

KS-360:  We have created a go fund me account for those interested in donating for the BTG cause at www.gofundme.com/getbehindthegroove.  So far we have raised about $1,675.00 and out goal is $30,000.

D4D:  That's awesome I did notice artists like Strafe (Set It Off) and hip hop legend Marly Marl had left some positive feed back on the site.

KS-360:  Yes indeed to quote the words of Strafe "Behind the Groove it's like a family and a family that grooves together can build together."

D4D:  Interesting that you would say that because, if you do the math correctly; if you have a room with about 200 dancers and each have can invite 900-1200 people via Facebook or social network sites; and donate $10 to $20 each person per year, that can bring the BTG goal way passed it's year end goal of $30,000 by mid year.

KS-360:  Exactly my point, I even give something back to those who donate.

1. $20 Authentic BTG bracelet 

2. $50 Authentic BTG bracelet and mixtape 

3. $75 Authentic BTG bracelet, mixtape and BTG T-shirt

4. $100 Authentic BTG bracelet, mixtape, T-shirt and entrance to all BTG events for a year

D4D:  With all this going, what's next for BTG?

KS-360:  Wow we have so much going on.  We just recently performed at the New Victory Theater with Full Circle Crew and it was an awesome turnout!  Our next event we'll have an "NYC meets Brazil" at Lincoln Center on July, 22, 2014.  We will be doing a BTG collaborative with Passinho, which is a hybrid of Samba and Frevo with elements of breaking. This event will be the first in New York City.

(Video from last Lincoln Center event)

http://youtu.be/wqlZZn2rHgA

http://ilovefreeconcerts.com/event/batalha-passinho/

On July 24, 2014 we will have the official BTG party at LPR In the Main room located at 158 Bleeker Street. There will be an exhibition battle and live performance by legendary hip hop icon Slick Rick hosted by Video Music Box radio personality, Ralph Mcdaniels.

We also have a BTG live and direct block party on August, 19, 2014 at Marcus Garvey Park.

D4D:  If you had a dream event for BTG, where would it be?

KS-360:  I'd say Central Park Summer Stage that would be heaven for me.  To have singers like Stephanie Mills and Janelle Monáe perform live on stage.

D4D:  I can see it already happening.  The crowd going wild, hands in the air and dance fever.

So there you have it, world KS-360, behind the groove and its groovlings will be dancing their way into your hearts.  So bring out your hand towels and bottles of water. Prepare to sweat and bring out the "dancer in you."

Thank you KS-360 for your time and knowledge. To his amazing wife Ana "Rokafella" Garcia, and Turntable Anihilist DP-One for giving us the fuel for our souls.

To Full Circle Souljahs and Full Circle Kadets get on the good foot and roll out.

Reflection

As I sit at home listening to my music I have vivid flash backs of when I started dancing. I would be at all the great parties, Events, Shows. I would be rocking that dance floor like never before with no care of whats happening outside of that circle. I ask myself how can I possibly ever walk away from this amazing world? How can I turn away from the very thing that made me who I am as a dancer? How can I come back and feel that passion and fire that flowed throughout my body? Have I truly lost the spark that gave me that 'I can do anything?' I'm sitting here listening to Liquid Agents DJ Carlisle and it occurs to me that I have not Lost that spark, that I can still do this. That feeling when your dancing and everything around goes dark and all you hear is the music the spot light is on you and the very hair on your neck stands up. It's that moment when all your emotions are pouring out of your body, your sweat beads down your face like tears except your not crying, your falling in love.

I ask myself what happened and why did I stop? Well I decided that I will tell all the world that the dream is never over and that it's just sometimes put on hold. This piece will be about me and how I decided to accomplish my goal as a dancer..

I have a passion for dance but music is the root of who I am. As I go through my IPhone I look for the perfect track, if I can't find it I use sound cloud and hit search. I discover the Liquid Agents and I'm hit with flashbacks and images. When I started dancing I had no clue what anything was if I liked the track I'd listened to it until my ears hurt. I never cared the genre, all I knew was that I had to dance.

I was that kid in the club that no one knew except the DJ. I was there for the music I never cared about the chicks nor did I care about hooking up. I was that kid that sometimes wore wide legged slacks and button down satin shirt (very lame but it was in at the time) and shoes. Other days I wear fresh jeans and fresh kicks. The DJ would see me and say "was up?!" and I would go to my normal corner at the club where the mirrors were. I'd dance in front of that mirror all night every weekend Friday to Sunday. I would just let loose until someone realized I had skills and pushed me out of the corner to the middle of the floor.

From then on I never danced in the corner again. Just thinking of how passionate I was makes me tear cause it was so invigorating. Random people would come up to me and say, "damn dude that was so fresh!" Almost 12 years later I have conquered many shows and events that I have had the privileged to dance in videos, movies and other awesome projects. 

I've been out of the dance scene for several years now and I feel so lost, that now I found myself going back to that corner again that I started in years ago. I see so many awesome dancers that now I find myself intimidated by them. All these amazing Bboys and house dancers have taken dance to another level. The intricate movements and flawless styles. I now find myself feeling like, I am not that great anymore. The funny thing is I'm not even that old, I still have years left but feel like my passion has dwindled.

There are days where I am feeling it and say to myself that I can do this and I totally let loose. But then I see someone who's so insanely fresh and then I shut down. I do have a major flaw and it's that I never continue and finish what I started and honestly for the first time I can ask 'why?' The reason I do is boredom and I get intimidated on what others are saying and I've been told sometimes I take things way to personal. 

It's 2014 and I tell myself I will not let myself stop dancing. I have these feelings that I'm meant for this and this is my calling I just have to stay strong and focus. I do have one fear and that is to feel like a "dinosaur". In other words, be that dancer "that used to dance". I then remember a conversation that I had a few weeks ago with a mentor also a good friend of mine Kwon. He mentioned on how some of these dinosaurs are trying to come back and relive their 15 minutes of fame by saying they were part of some historic crew when they really never were. He also cautioned me on how these pioneers made it seem they were huge back in the day by retelling a performance from 20 years ago. In other words they were trying to relive or revive themselves by using that 15 minutes of fame. I am not the best bboy or house dancer in the world but my will is stronger than ever and I refuse to relive something that happened already. I refuse to be that dancer that says "I used to dance with this person/crew" or "I did this show back in the day", because honestly that is all irrelevant now.

I was watching a video by well renown Artist/Dancer Ejoe, and everything he said was right on the money. "History repeats itself, the only thing that changed is the fact we're doing it in our generation and modernized the styles". This was really inspiring to me watching clips from his "Forever" dance event. He said exactly what I've tried to say. I've come to the conclusion that I will never be a dinosaur because the passion of dancing is still in me. His spiritual demeanor was just so strong, mind you I have never formally met him, but I have danced in the same room. Unfortunately I never approached him because I was intimidated by all these great dancers at the dance session. Ejoe stated something else that really got my attention, "Music and dance is a social thing, stop moving around and stay connected to each other". That hit me right in the central nervous system and pretty much woke me up. 

As a dancer I've noticed everyone has their social groups and crews and if your not part of that you're usually an "outcast". Unfortunately, that is how I feel as a dancer. I belong to no specific crew or social group. It did bother me though sometimes having to search for events or sessions and practices because here I thought I was part of a dance community or crew when I really wasn't. I did realize though when I first started I didn't know anyone, yet I still found my way because of my knack with networking and socializing about dance. So I decided that I will make my own path and network like I used to and may the path of music and dance led the way. 

Although we may live in a new era where dancing has evolved and become almost super hero like with insane body movements and precision, know that it has been done once before and its that what we are doing in our generation. These words echo in my head and have brought me to a higher platform as a dancer, "Dancing is the constant vibrations of the same combinations"...

I will end it with this: Dancing and music is apart of every human being in this world, no matter who did what or who said they bit your move, everything repeats itself. The thing that changes is the time of when it was done and the evolution that follows. You're only a dinosaur if you let yourself become one. Life is full of unimaginable beauty and it all starts with you/us. Trust and believe in yourself as a dancer because the only person that fails is you and you can go as far as you choose.

Create your own history and dance together..

Motivation Vs. Intimidation

It's the end of the week and it has been a long interesting week for me. So I decided that this weeks news will be about self motivation. As a dancer I know it can be grueling and challenging to be the best and to get noticed. Living in NYC which is one of the top cities in competitive dancing.

NYC is constantly keeping you on your toes with all the new dance trends and choreography. So many styles such as: Bboying/Bgirling, Popping, Locking, Rocking, Choreography, Dance Hall, Latin Styles, etc. You even have these new dance trends called foot work and lite feet that can be very intricate. 

Some of these dances are now being fused with each other creating intense and extremely creative. The precision and dynamics on some of these choreographed pieces are so amazing, that some dancers sometimes become intimidated by what they are seeing.

I am first to admit it, to this very day I still tend to get intimidated by these amazing dancers that I have seen performed and or battle. There are several things that make a quality dance, they are: Precision, Accuracy, Dynamics, Style, Attitude, Movement, Musicality, and most importantly, Passion.

The most important thing of being a great dancer is to have fun and just dance your heart out. I have always loved to dance and although I have never ever been into Hip Hop Choreography, I would always try to learn it no matter what.

All dancers began as amateurs, some were extremely shy and some had no fear at all. I certainly can say that most dancers have had that feeling that they were not good enough at one point or another. This feeling is what you call intimidation. Some dancers are intimidated because they feel they can't do certain moves or movements compared to other dancers.

This feeling can sometimes make you feel low and sometimes it can make you want to give up. I am a true testament to this because it's happened to me several times over the years. I really started dancing in my mid-twenties and although I had never attended a dance class, dancing was in my blood. when I started Bboying back in 2000 I had no fear, I was constantly practicing and traveling to sessions all over NYC. I was training and dancing with Honey Rockwell, Speedy Legs, Speedy D and many more, and they always told me never to give up no matter how hard it may seem.

I went to a session last week at PMT Studios located in Manhattan on 14th street and 6th ave. It was a dope Bboy/Bgirl session with fresh break beats. I saw a Bgirl there and she just watched us and I noticed that she was getting intimidated because all the other breakers were more advanced than she was. I was there for 2 hours and she only danced for 5 minutes then she walked out. She was there for at least 30 minutes watching and I could see the frustration and intimidation in her face.

I was dismayed that she had got up and left, but I've seen this far to many times. This is a classic definition of being intimidated, and unfortunately breaking is a very male dominated style. But almost half of the bgirls I have met throughout my dance lifestyle have made a name for themselves in such a male dominated scene. This just doesn't go for bgirls but for bboys as well, especially for those that are beginning to learn.

I sometimes get intimidated because these dancers now are doing things far beyond I can fathom. The dynamics they are throwing and the fact they are literally breaking gravity. Some are even lucky to have great teachers, crews, and some even start off as young as 3 years of age.

My goal in this weeks blog is to let every dancer know, do not be discouraged or intimidated by any other dancer. Utilize that fear as a re-enforcement to train harder, work harder to be a greater dancer. Try using different techniques or try to understand the mechanics behind the movements.

If you fear what you can't understand then you have already lost the battle, so why not try to understand it by learning, reading, and trying. You will fail 100 times before you succeed once, but the moment you have accomplished that goal, the fire has spread in you and the dawn of a new dancer has begun.

History of Dance through my eyes

NYC the land of opportunity and 8th wonder of the world of the dance community. Now let's go back into time the roaring twenties where dancing found a home. NYC with it's gritty look and awesome fashion trends, music and ahh..Yes, dancing.

The 1920's was the beginning of fashion with daring outfits that one would look at you with dismay because it was considered atrocious. The end of the Victorian era and the birth of anew. The Charleston one of the first commercialized dance styles that was created, although this dance was predominantly in broadway shows. It was the foundation of where dance came to be.

The U.S. in those days began to sponsor dancers all over the world and competitive dancing was born. These events which gave opportunity to dancers world wide to be creative and bring their best by creating funky new moves, awesome acts, and new dance trends. 

The Blackfoot dance was birthed in that very same era and morphed into something we now call Lindy Hop which came from Harlem, NYC .

 Lindy Hop was so innovative and catchy that the younger generation did not realize that this very style of dance would forever change the world. This particular dance style would become a lifestyle for many. These dancers were living, breathing, and eating dance. Which later on adopted by many musicians and beloved performers.

Life as we know it literally came to life after the Great Depression, most needed an outlet to let go and express themselves through this movement. 

The 1940's and 1950's was an astounding era where dancing was used to overcome WW2. The Afro Cuban Latin styles called Rumba, Swing was which then adopted by the white middle class. It evolved from Lindy Hop, Jazz dances into a huge phenomenon and became a success with musicians such as Sammy Davis Jr., Nicholas Brothers, Gregory Hines and the late great James Brown; the man with the funkiest moves. 

The 1960's was a new era and new dance crazes were forming, such as: the twist, the mashed potato, the monster mash, and yes, the funky monkey the dog and the frog. In that same year President Wilkenson had given a controversial speech to ban dancing.

1970's Disco! Disco! Disco! One of my favorite eras of dance. You had the hustle, the bus stop, YMCA and one of the grooviest dance moves; the chicken dance. These dance styles would eventually take the world by storm and applied to such great movies such as Saturday night fever, with John Travolta and of course my favorites' Grease. Although I was not even a glimmer in my parents eyes, these eras touched the center of my soul. 

1980's, what can I say except, holy crap.. Before hip hop had it's name, which was coined by the great Love Bug Starski, the invention of the scratch by the great Grand Wizard Theadore, and along with great musicians and DJ's such as, Michael Jackson, Cool Herc, Afrikka Bambattaa and you can't forget Grand Master Caz. Pop Master Fable and Mr. Wiggles went on to fuse and create the funkiest beats with innovative dance styles by using live percussion music, beat-boxing, and lyrical poetry also known as rap. Within these styles came what I call a sleeping dragon style. With movements so powerful from it's ticking, hitting, strutting, waving and the infamous wiggle walk. Popping a west coast style so devious that when it came to the east coast hailing from the west coast, people would be stunned by its benevolent strength. Locking was not only dominated by males but the females were adding fuel to the fire. Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut Popping Peaches was a force to be reckoned with performing with Lockatron John. Her persona her demeanor her extreme agility to get you funked up. 

Breaking then came to light better known as B-Boying or B-Girling with it's acrobatic/martial arts movements applied to break beats (the break of the record where it was just music or instrumentals). 

The Women in Dance started to refine movements so intricate all you can do is just drop your jaw. Ana Rocafella and Honey Rockwell two of the fiercest B-Girls on the breaking scene. 

The B-Boys that would phenomenally take the world by surprise is Ken Swift with his foot work and style. You would think he's the re-incarnation of Bruce Lee. Now imagine a B-boy so dynamic, so fluid, he was labeled as "The Man With A Thousand Moves," Spy along with other great B-Boys Wayne Blizz, and Frosty Freeze.

Never mind NYC but this was world wide from as far as Japan to South America. Now mind you while this was happening around the world other dance styles would also be evolving such as salsa, merengue, mambo, cumbia and my favorite and dear to my heart HOUSE DANCE.

 House dance music was founded in Chicago in the early to mid 80's. House music is the very blood that courses through my veins and of course B-Boying, but house is where my roots lie. Although house has many styles of music from techno, acid, funk, soulful, progressive, latin house, neo soul and the list goes on. The interesting thing about house dancing in my opinion, is its a feeling a love that you embrace and it literally takes you to a higher conscious  level. While there is no particular formula like B-Boying or Hip-Hop choreography it still has it's unique foundation as all dance styles do. 

House music is a feeling that's so overwhelming that your body gets lost in space between the musical notes and vibrations till the point where all your emotions come to light -- (I'm literally tearing thinking how house makes me feel). 

Someone asked me: "What is HOUSE music?"

My answer: to understand house music is that you have to first listen to it. Love it. Embrace it. At the same time open your mind because time pauses and space is unimaginable.

 The sounds that pulsate through your pores in your skin vibrate through your eardrum into your cerebral cortex to give you the ultimate eargasm. That is what house means to me. 

Then you have the 90's and beyond to the present where dances are so diverse and creative that all you can say is "OMG!" "What the hell was that?!" From the most intricate foot work sets to choreographed routines and unimaginable death defying acrobats with precision timing, these dance styles have become a way of life for both children and adults in more ways then you can think of. 

I've been dancing for 12+ years and yet I cannot get enough of dancing. The invigorating feeling I get while I'm performing, entertaining and sharing that wow factor to the public. This blog will be very detailed for dancers or those interested in dancing in NYC, that are looking for rental space, teaching, training and volunteering. This blog will not just be limited to that but also videos, information for sessions and practices will be listed along with special events and everything involving dance. 

This is for everyone who ever loved to dance or still dances and doesn't know where to go from B-Boying, (breakdance) to house to hip hop and so on and so fourth. This blog is for the dancer by the dancer. So as James Brown would say, "Get on the good foot," and shut up and dance!

Check out this dance link for things-to-do:

www.dancedeets.com

Check out this link for places to stay if you are planning to travel:

www.dance-wiki.appspot.com

Resources:

Photo in article is not my artwork 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_music

http://lite987.com/five-iconic-dances-of-the-70s-videos/

http://www.the60sofficialsite.com/Dance_Crazes_of_the_60s.html

http://theroaringtwentieshistory.blogspot.com/2010/06/evolution-of-twenties-dance-styles.html?m=1