Shallow (2006-04) Question: Where are you from and where does your style/flavour come from? Answer: When I first started dancing in 1978 Iwas influenced by a dance group called The Robonauts from Cambridge Massachusetts where I was brought up.They were a five member crew that were the best dancers from my neigborhood. They did many styles. But there was one particular member who taught
me my basics in popping. The first style I learned was waveing and puppet
style of popping. I used to practice with puppet strings back then and
create certain moves when I took them off. Its funny cause a lot of
the stuff I was being taught was similar to boogaloo style now. Then
after The Robonauts I was influenced by the dancers on Soul Train and
the Electric Boogaloos. After that one of my biggest influences was
Popin Pete and Poppin Taco in Breakin. Since they didnt show a lot of
Pete I ended up studying Taco's hitting and waveing Techinque. Not moves
but Technique. So then I started going on my own and adding my own movement
with waves and isolations.now after all these years learning more about
the boog style I trained myself to put all four stlyes together; waveing,
isolations, dime stopping and the boog movement. It took me just about
a year to get comfortable to be able to make all those styles mix with
mine. So I guess you can say I did my homework and took the best of
both worlds with the isolations of Taco and waveing with Popin Petes
hip rolls and boog movement while freakin the beats. Of course I do
it with my flavor though not biteing either of them. Cause lets face
it, there theres only one Popin Pete and one Poppin Taco. Question: In what ways are you active in the Hip Hop community? Answer: I'm very active in the Hip Hop, breaking and
poppin culture in Boston and I hope I have influenced many young kids
that are dancing now and back then. I've been supporting these dances
my whole life. Educating people, performing them and definitely representing
them. Cause I do all three of the dances I break, pop and dance hip
hop. I've taught kids and adult classes for years, I've performed all
across the world and I've even taught kids for free and just sat down
with kids and just let them know what these dances mean to me and a
lot of other dancers before me. I've definitely paid my dues. Question: Tell us about this upcoming event of yours, "Unity & Respect". (What's the background, yours goals, etc?) Answer: It's an event I created a couple of years
ago that was a very big event in Boston where I brought together and
unified all the top dancers and enemies of other dancers or crews to
show that even though there might be disagreements on the dance floor
and we all want to be the best and show that we are in competion. We
are still unified as poppers n bboys and definitely a Hip Hop culture
and no matter what race, country or background we can't be ignored.
People will respect what we do as dancers and a culture. I always said
I wouldn't throw another event unless I had people with me that feel
the same way I do. Question: What kind of music will you play in the competition? (Funk has really taken over the last few years. Will Hip Hop music and Electro make it's way back at your event?) Answer: The music we will be playing has no boundaries
from Hip Hop to Breaks to Electro, even freestyle music cause back in
the 8o's we dance off everything... the dj's are some of the best in
the world also Shaky Shake from the Bronx, DP ONE from Brooklyn, DJ
Leanski from Boston, King Uprock from Brooklyn (one of the original
uprockers from back in the day). Question: What's your most memorable event? Answer: My most memorable event? That's hard. There's
been many. Out for fame Boston with cross 1, BBoy Summit 2005, United
Styles Question: Anything else you'd like to point out? Answer: I just want to give a shout out to all the poppers and bboys around the world, you have my respect if your doing these dances! Peace Shallow Boston out!
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