Lester Horton Dance Awards announced Los Angeles Times April 28th, 2008
'The award for outstanding achievement in performance by a dance company went to break-dance veteran Jacob "Kujo" Lyons' interdisciplinary dance and physical theater troupe Lux Aeterna for two works: "Underwater" -- which was indeed performed underwater -- and "Beached."' - Diane Haithman
This is a first, not only for us, but for the b-boy/hip hop dance world. The Lester Horton Dance Awards, presented by LA's Dance Resource Center (DRC), are usually reserved for the best of Southern California's contemporary/modern, ballet, and world dance companies, and nothing in the hip hop genre has ever been considered for an award, let alone actually won. The award for "Outstanding Achievement in Performance by a Dance Company" is the highest award the DRC gives each year, and we're humbled and honored to have received it.
The dual dance film & live performance work, for which we won this award, was performed at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood on October 5th, 2007, as part of our evening-length hip hop dance show, "Breaking the Cypher." The works can be seen on Youtube:
JUiCE Hip Hop Dance Festival CALL FOR WORK Deadline for submission is June 1st, 2008
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL: The J.U.i.C.E. Hip Hop Dance Festival is an annual showcase of cutting-edge street dance choreography and hip hop culture produced by Antics Performance and J.U.i.C.E. at the outdoor, 1241-seat Ford Amphitheatre. It will take place on Sat. Oct. 4th, 2008.
JHHDF unites the rhythmic virtuosity and extreme physicality of street dance to "expand [hip hop's] creative horizons" (Lewis Segal, L.A. Times). Artistic Directors Amy "Catfox" Campion and Jacob "Kujo" Lyons bring LA's freshest street dance choreographers to the stage to celebrate and to reinvent hip hop culture.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR: JHHDF is looking for street dance-based choreography that captures the essence of the hip hop and pushes the boundaries of creativity. We highly encourage the submission of multi-media performances that overlap street dance with live music, visual art, poetry, theatre, and/or film. Proposals should address how the artist plans to creatively take advantage of the particular features of the unique, bi-level, outdoor Ford Amphitheatre stage. Submissions for short Hip Hop films are also welcome. Pieces should be between 3-10 minutes long.
For a map of the Ford Amphitheatre stage go to: www.FordAmphitheater.com Click on the "Rent" menu, select "outdoor", then click on Ford 2007 REP PLOT and scroll down to view the stage map.
REQUIREMENTS: All performers must be available for dress and tech rehearsals during the week prior to the show (Sept 29th- Oct 3rd schedule tba). Music for each piece, as well as backdrop projected artwork and/or completed films must be submitted to Antics Performance one month before the show. Performers must have the rights to the music and images they provide. Performers must also provide bios and photos for JHHDF marketing materials.
WHAT WE OFFER: Each selected performing group will receive a stipend of no less that $500 to be determined based on the number of performers, particular needs of the piece, and festival budget. Performing groups will be listed in the press release, radio announcements, and J.U.i.C.E. website.
APPLICATION: To download the submission form go to: www.AnticsPerformance.com or www.RampartJuice.com Applications must include a completed submission form, a resumé, a photo of the performers, and a DVD of the finished dance piece, performance, or film to be considered.
Applications materials must be RECEIVED by Sunday June 1st, 2008. Applicants will be notified of decisions in July by mail. Please mail applications to:
Antics Performance Attn: JHHDF 2404 Wilshire Blvd. 4E Los Angeles, CA 90057
QUESTIONS? Contact Antics Performance: 213-739-1498 or AnticsPerformance@gmail.com
This is an article I was interviewed for at MoreThanAStance.com. The link to the article itself can be found here.
More Than A Stance Fresh 2 Deaf
We interviewed Kujo and two other deaf/HoH dancers to see how they take "feeling the beat" to a whole new level.
BY CALVIN SON
The resurgence of the popularity of "style" in b-boying has brought with it a slew of commonly shouted epithets and sayings. The general consensus seems to be that listening to the music is of the utmost importance.
"Rock that beat!" you might hear, or perhaps even, "This is dancing, not gymnastics." And if the dancer in questions obliges, then he or she is likely to be awarded with the ever-coveted chorus of WOOs from the audience.
But what if, hypothetically, one couldn't listen and rock it because he or she couldn't hear the beat?
Or the peanut gallery's commands to rock it?
Or even worse, those sweet, sweet WOOs?
"Despite not being able to really say much to each other, we shared this amazing silent connection and a sense of mutual empathy."
Strange as it might seem, it's an everyday reality for b-boys and b-girls who are deaf or hard of hearing, often abbreviated as HoH.
More Than A Stance interviewed three dancers across the country via e-mail in an attempt to better understand what's it like not only to stay fresh to deaf, but fresh and (at least somewhat) deaf.
There are as many potential causes for deafness and HoH as they are ads for instructional b-boy movies floating around on the Internet.
Reasons for hearing loss can range from physical trauma to disease to physical abnormality to genetic impairment to long-term exposure to loud noises.
For Jacob Lyons – known to most as the legendary Krazy Kujo, one of the leading members of the equally-legendary Soul Control Crew – it came as a combination of both nature and nurture. Now 31 and a choreographer/judge/dancer/dance student (among other things) in Burbank, California, Lyons says he was born deaf in his right ear because of a dead cochlear nerve. Ear infections and traumatic head injuries since then have left him nearly deaf in the left ear as well.
"I can hear pretty well with the help of a good hearing aid, but barely anything at all without it," Lyons writes. "Higher frequencies are the hardest for me to perceive."
It's a condition that allowed him to more fully appreciate meeting Seth Silvernail, who was originally born in Tacoma, Washington, and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"[Seth is] totally deaf and mute, and we could only communicate via handwritten notes," Kujo writes. "Despite not being able to really say much to each other, we shared this amazing silent connection and a sense of mutual empathy."
Silvernail, who represents Spada Monkeys, lost his hearing to meningitis when he was 15 months old. Now 26, he says people still avoid attempts to communicate with him.
"Now that I am an adult, i have found peace and it is not as hard," Silvernail writes.
And then there's Rachel Tan, 22, a native Canadian who currently resides in Pasadena, California. Though she now focuses more on house dancing, she says she still supports her crew End The Cycle.
"To be honest with you, no one were able to discover the causes or effects of my deafness," Tan writes. "I suppose it's a gift from God. Things happen for a reason."
Hip-hop heads traditionally like to make references to "feeling the beat."
By that, they usually mean "feeling" the music emotionally or mentally. They're usually not making a reference to "feeling" the actual vibrations caused by the beats traveling through the floor – one rumored technique that deaf people use to dance on beat.
But Lyons, Silvernail, and Tan all say they prefer the former.
"I've always had trouble hearing the beat and rhythm in music when dancing," Lyons writes. "It's a constant concern, especially at b-boy jams, because you can't really anticipate what the DJ will play. Usually if I hear a song I'm very familiar with (i.e. most b-boy anthems), it's not hard at all, but much of the time I simply can't distinguish the beat from the other aspects of the song."
And so the solution is surprisingly simple. In fact, it's something that most hearing b-boys and b-girls do anyway: they dance to a song in their heads.
"When I'm performing or battling, I simply can't afford to wait until a more audible beat plays - I have to dance when it's my cue, or my turn," Lyons explains. "So instead of getting frustrated by this, I'll just dance to my own tune, and hope that the power and intensity of my performance is sufficient to earn the audience's or judges' forgiveness for not dancing on beat."
Feeling for vibrations can get even more complex when the dancer goes down on the floor, Lyons says, and he speculates that for him, his movements further change the equilibrium in his ears, making it more difficult for him to hear or feel the beats.
"hearing bboys and bgirls think we can feel the vibrations," Silvernail writes. "Sometimes they would ask ' how can ya dance if you cannot hear music. ' actually, i have music inside me. i don't dance to music, i let music dance with me. i can figure out the beat when i see people dance with the beat. the beat moves through me and it feels like i can hear the music."
Lyons and Tan agree that visual cues such as tapping hands or bobbing heads can also be helpful in matching up beats with other dancers.
"Most of the time, I just dance away," Tan writes. "But, when I want to know what the beats are or anything like that, my friends would either use hand signals such as have it in fists and hit the beat, tap my back/shoulder or their body language. It's all about feeling the music. I even dance without the music because I can feel/hear it in my head."
So let the truth can be heard. Even deaf and HoH b-boys and b-girls rock beats – it's just a matter of whether they're internalized, borrowed from a friend, or both.
On the last track of his 2003 album "Shadows on the Sun," Minneapolis MC Brother Ali rhymes, "Right on, brother, we def as fuck/ "Not 'deaf,' like 'What?' but 'def' like 'WHAT!'
However, one might venture to argue that being "def" and "deaf" in the context that Ali uses them may not be mutually exclusive.
"Before they discovered that I'm deaf, they thought I was hearing because I danced on every beat most of the time," Tan writes. "Once they found out about my deafness, they were shocked and amazed. Sometimes they still didn't believe I was deaf until they realized we couldn't really communicate or someone signed to me."
And perhaps Asia One said it best with the naming of her movement: "No Easy Props."
While good-intentioned, supporters can tend to over-sympathize when they see someone with what they perceive to be a disadvantage, thus giving "easy props."
Our interviewees say they'll have none of that.
"I receive acclaim when I perform well, and I receive the opposite of acclaim when I don't perform well," Lyons writes.
"sometime they think i got talent," Silvernail writes. "sometime, they think i am judged easier 'cause i can't hear. i don't care what people think of me. if they think that way that's their thing. many people have never been around deaf and don't know us as a person or think we are smart or talented."
Tan writes, "I want to be treated equally just like others. I don't want them to think that I get what I want such as props just because I'm deaf. I want them to give me props because I earn it by working hard and trying my best."
When those unfamiliar with the b-boy scene first encounter battles or ciphers, they seem to be anticipating some sort of rap video version of West Side Story.
The fact that such events can serve as an opportunity to fellowship and break bread can be overlooked, overshadowed by the loud music, eye-dazzling moves, and overbearing MCs.
And before, between, and after battles, ciphers can begin to look like the last day of summer camp, with people scurrying around, taking off their gangsta demeanors, and trading MySpace's, Facebook's, blackbooks, or whatever.
But some of our interviewees say that these moments of interaction can be more difficult than the actual dancing at jams.
"In my life in general, the most difficult challenges have been interacting with other people - especially those unfamiliar with, or unaware of, my disability," Lyons writes. "Almost always, as soon as the person I'm speaking with realizes that I can't hear everything (or anything) they're saying, they immediately cease talking to me and walk away without so much as an apology or a farewell - I just become irrelevant and invisible. Short of advertising my deafness on my forehead, I have yet to figure out how to rectify this."
"i don't know what is going on at jams all the time cuz people are talkin and i don't hear it," Silvernail writes. "i have been going to jams for a long time, i see my friends and the bboys at the jams that i know. it's not so difficult for me to get thru it, some friends learned sign or write notes with me."
Tan agrees.
"It's difficult for me to meet new dancers because I wanted to hear about their experiences with dancing, etc.," she writes. "Moreover, I wanted to tell them about my experiences as well since I'm deaf. I wanted them to know that life is so amazing and beautiful."
The unnamed "they" say that if humans lose one sense, the other four will senses will reciprocate. In the case of Lyons, Silvernail, and Tan, it seems like their senses of determination kicked into overdrive as well.
Like anyone else, they began dancing simply because they saw it, they tried it with friends, they loved it, and they couldn't stop.
Lyons has said in previous interviews that he began dancing with a group of friends in high school.
Silvernail writes that he began dancing since he was five years old, doing the moonwalk among other Michael Jackson dances. In junior high, he began to dance with friends after seeing someone do a windmill.
Tan loved dancing even as a young child but didn't realize she wanted to be a dancer until she performed with her hip-hop dance team in high school. When she was 18, she found herself hanging out with many b-boys and b-girls, and it only made sense to begin dancing with them.
But even for these three, it can still be frustrating to attempt to communicate – whether it be through American Sign Language, writing, speaking orally, or dancing – as deaf/HoH b-boy or b-girl, only to have it fall on deaf ears.
Silvernail writes, "once when my name was called out for a battle at a jam and i didn't know my name was called, people would laugh and say, like is that dude deaf or what? haha."
Lyons adds, "I'm painfully shy, mostly due to my disability, and can only overcome that when I feel like I'm putting on a show. This applies not just to dancing, which is obvious, but to simple conversation - I often feel as if I can't even speak with people unless the very act of conversing becomes a sort of performance."
Nevertheless, they persist, each with their own reasons for living the break life, focusing on their abilities rather than what others might consider their disabilities.
"My motivation for dancing - in terms of both breaking and dance theater - is to cause a shift in consciousness in the minds of my audience members and peers," Lyons writes. "I do this through challenging their preconceived notions of what dance is, should be, and could become. I bend and break rules, blur the boundaries that distinguish dance and movement forms from one another, and derive my moves and choreography from a set of passions and ideals rather than from a handbook of rules and regulations - whether it's the b-boy handbook or the ballet handbook. I dance to elevate the status of breaking as a viable dance form on par with ballet, modern, and other forms of concert dance.
Lyons continues, "Perhaps if I carry on as a normal individual, the world will perceive me as normal - or, perhaps if I carry on as a supernormal individual, the world will cease to perceive me as subnormal."
Silvernail writes, "dance is my passion. i cannot survive without dancing. it gives me deep good vibes. i got my own dance moves. yes, i am want people in the world to know that deaf can do anything except not hear. so people will realize it doesn't matter if a person is deaf or hearing."
And Tan writes, "At first, I danced to prove that I can do it. As time went by slowly, I just dance because it makes me feel free and enjoy. Bascially, I just dance for me now. I'm not trying to train as hard as I can for the world. When I dance, it feels as if I'm in my own world."
Tan continues, "to everyone even people who can't dance… just dance your heart away and don't think or worry about what people think because once you let it go and dance away as if you are in your own world, you actually feel so free and just being you. I used to be so shy and worry about what people think when it comes to dancing in the public, I felt stiff. I also worried about not being able to dance to the beat and people would think something negative about me … Now, I finally danced my heart away in the public and it felt good. It's all about your heart. Feel it and dance to the music."
Kujo is one of the LA Times’ "2008 Faces to Watch"
What a way to start the new year.
Kujo
Faces to Watch in Dance for 2008 JACOB 'KUJO' LYONS
BREAK DANCER-CROSSOVER CHOREOGRAPHER WHO'S NOT SLOWING DOWN
THE B-boy/break-dance scene is a world unto itself, and although Lyons has been a fixture in it for 15 years, the rest of us discovered him only recently, when he turned up as a stunt dancer for various local companies -- doing handstands on ice, for example, or fearsome gymnastic whirling balances that even L.A.'s hell-for-leather modernists don't attempt. But he didn't stop there: He slowed down complex steps for maximum control and even found a dimension of lyricism in them, and he premiered his inventive crossover choreography at some of the Southland's most prestigious showcase events.
At 31, he still dances brilliantly and heads his own company (Lux Aeterna), but he also helps create opportunities for others in such portmanteau events as "Breaking the Cypher," which he co-produced at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in October. He's obviously poised for breakout success in 2008, and it's possible that commercial dance will gobble him up ASAP. But some of us are hoping that his street style and aptitude for contemporary dance theater will keep him grounded and intent on exploring realms of physical prowess that no one in any academy ever envisioned. – Lewis Segal, LA Times
Dude, I almost never have time for these things, but lucky you - I'm in a good mood despite the fact that I'm sick, my body's falling apart, and I have an excruciating toothache. ;)
1. How long have you been breakdancing?
15 years, since the age of 15.
2. What's your favorite move?
I have a number of favorites, like merry-go-rounds, the tumbleweed, the sledgehammer, etc. But my favorite thing to do at this point is create absurd and obscenely difficult choreography for the dancers in my company. ;)
3. Where do you usually breakdance?
EVERYWHERE! From my living room to Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok to the Coliseum in Rome to the Lincoln Memorial to a tank in Fort Sill to Battle of the Year to various modern dance festivals and the circus - I literally dance anywhere and everywhere.
4. When did you start?
At the age of 15, in 10th grade - precisely May 27th, 1992.
5. What advice would you give to some beginners out there?
The opposite of what most people might tell you - be yourself, find your own path, discover what works best for YOU and know that what works best for someone else might not work for you at all. Find your own path - or better yet, go where there is no path, and leave a trail. Don't be afraid to bite - no matter what movement idea you start with, someone, somewhere, sometime created it, so no matter what, you're copying someone's idea - even if it's as generic as a 6-step or baby freeze. Embrace the idea that there is nothing new under the sun, only endless variations of ideas already done. Take all the ideas you need or want, and make them your own.
6. What was your motive to breakdance?
Ironically, I just wanted to fit in. I wanted to find a group of friends and a community that would accept me for who I am, not for who they wanted me to be. What's ironic is that so many in the b-boy world have rejected me and my ideas as being antithetical to what a b-boy is supposed to be, and refuse to accept me for who I am. So, I've never found that community, but what I've learned from my futile search is that I need no community to accept me - if I can learn to accept myself, then the universe/creator/light/God will accept me as well, and that's all I need. Any acceptance I might receive from the global b-boy community would be ephemeral and tenuous at best, but self-acceptance, and self-love, is timeless.
7. Who was your inspriration?Why?
My inspiration was less about "who" and more about "what" and "why." Of course there were many individuals who inspired me, and still do. In the beginning there were Lil Cesar and Wilpower of Air Force Crew, the Rock Steady Crew, New York City Breakers, LA Breakers, and tons of local b-boys. Later came Storm and the rest of Battle Squad, and the old school European b-boys in general. Then came the abstract, unorthodox b-boys, who in many cases I actually helped inspire, like Circle of Fire, Sour Patch Kids, Circus Runaways, Knuckle Heads, etc. And now my inspiration comes less from the b-boy world per se, and more from the circus and contemporary dance worlds - Cirque du Soleil, Netherlands Dance Theatre, Pilobolus, Diavolo, Collage Dance Theatre, etc.
But "what" and "why" - the answers to those questions go quite deep. Twyla Tharp once defined modern dance as "everything that ever was, everything that is, and everything that ever will be," and my perception of breaking is similarly broad. Breaking is, potentially, the pinnacle of all dance forms, encompassing many of the best qualities of every dance form and physical art form hitherto, as well as continuing to incorporate the best and most relevant qualities of various current dance and physical art forms, along with those that are just now being conceived and those that have yet to be conceived. I dance in order that I may be a living example of this process of malleability and adaptability, both in my improvising at the b-boy jams and in my choreography at the theater.
Thanks for allowing me to speak about these things. Peace! Kujo
So I've started a dance company! It's called "Lux Aeterna Acrobatic Dance Company," and it began as a final project in a university choreographic theory course I took in the Spring of 2006. That humble beginning has already blossomed into an actual company replete with amazing dancers and personalities, and we began performing our first work, "Navaras," in August of 2006. Our debut was at Los Angeles' "Spectrum 22" at the Barnsdale Gallery Theater in Hollywood, and shortly after that we performed an alternate version of the same piece at "Carnival: Choreographer's Ball" at the Key Club in West Hollywood. We most recently performed a pared-down version of the same piece for "San Francisco Hip Hop Dance Fest" at the Palace of Fine Arts in downtown San Francisco.
In between these festivals of varying sorts, we've also begun offering our services to bar/bat mitzvahs and birthday parties, and have already attained some modest success in this arena as well.
Following is a small compendium of the various press reviews we've garnered already in our short life as a performing arts company:
"...Combined flamboyant gymnastics with surging modern or jazz dance -components juxtaposed with ultimate flash in Jacob "Kujo" Lyons' large-scale showpiece "Navaras," in which the women provided the choreographic flow and the men the explosive flips and vaults." - Lewis Segal, LA Times
"The evening's last dance was a premiere entitled "Navaras." 11 skilled, athletic and energetic dancers, who moved to music by Juno Reactor, joined the choreographer/dancer, Jacob "Kujo" Lyons. Nicknames listed in the program for most of the performers in "Lux Eterna" (a movement within "Navaras"), added yet another dimension to the machinations." - Diane Monroe, Beverly Hills Outlook
"L.A.'s Lux Aeterna Dance Company was something else altogether, a septet of capoeira-trained daredevils who strut like Cirque du Soleil characters before launching into flips or holding Gumby-like handstands that make yoga look like child's play. Jaw-dropping? Yes. Hip-hop? Not in my book. But it takes a festival like Micaya's to show us -- and challenge us to reconsider -- just how diverse, amorphous and all-embracing hip-hop can now be." - Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle
"One real misfit was Lux Aeterna Dance Company from Los Angeles, a septet of sleekly buffed and painted. Theirs was an athletically showy but emotionally hard-edged physicality...." - Rita Felciano, Dance View Times
"Los Angeles-based Lux Aeterna (a great name for a company) bowed at the festival with Jacob "Kujo" Lyons' Navaras, a seven dancer opus involving sculptural tableaux, body painting, sudden dives to the floor, infusions of Brazilian capoeira and extremely effective lighting." - Allan Ulrich, Voice of Dance
Needless to say, I'm quite proud of what we've accomplished in just 4 months of performing. Can't wait to see what happens next!
Krazy Kujo is one of the most known and innovative B-Boys and dancers in the world. After founding his B-Boy Crew “Soul Control” in 1995 he caught a lot of international attention with his crazy and animalistic dance style. He was touring, performing, competing and judging competitions world wide. After appearing in the award-winning music video, Run DMC vs. Jason Nevins: "It's Like That," Kujo made an immediate impact on the world-wide B-Boy community. Kujo’s credits include working with names such as: Run DMC, KRS-1, Eminem, Pharaoh Monche, and Naughty By Nature. And also artists like Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow, the Wu Tang Clan, Big Daddy Kane, and Kool Moe Dee, just to count a few of his long list.
We were out in Los Angeles and talked with Krazy Kujo.
DancerZone: Hi Kujo, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You are known as Krazy Kujo, but what is your given name?
Kujo: My given name is Jacob Lyons.
DancerZone: Why did people start to call you Krazy Kujo?
Kujo: Well, that’s a funny story… “Cujo” was a character from a Steven King movie. He was a dog that went psycho and began to eat people. My friends thought it fit me because of my wild hair and beard. I was really animalistic and the dance style and persona that I presented in public was like the dog in the movie. And then when people saw me dance, they just said, “Did you see that? He’s crazy!” And there’s also a train station in Osaka, Japan called “Kujo”; I’ve got pictures of me hanging from the ceiling in front of it.
DancerZone: Do you mind telling us how old you are?
Kujo: I'm 29 years old, and I’ve been dancing for 14 years, since High School.
DancerZone: We know you live in Los Angeles right now, but where are you from - I mean your roots?
Kujo: My Parents are mainly European - Irish, English, Polish, French, and Dutch, and then we have some Native American blood, too: Cherokee on my dad's side and Lakota on my mom's side. So there are a lot of different influences.
DancerZone: How did you start to dance?
Kujo: I started dancing in High School. I was 15 years old and I started with a group of hip hop dancers who I went my school with. We basically started in the streets and they showed me some moves. Mostly I learned by watching. We practiced on the grass, on cardboard, and in the streets. We had no dance studios and no videos - nothing like that. We had to make everything up, to figure out how things could be done by making a lot of mistakes - crash a lot, get hurt a lot, things like that. After High School all of my friends stopped dancing, but I felt like I had something more to offer to the B-Boy world. I picked up moves really quick, especially the harder, more acrobatic moves. So, when I went to college I found another group of people - 101 Tribe and Master Movements - and I took things to the next level, partly with their guidance and inspiration. Later on, in 1995, I formed my group, "Soul Control,” after meeting another group called “Soul Swift.” My previous crew was called “Floor Control,” and we combined the names.
DancerZone: Yeah, Soul Control is a name itself. But what was before all of that? What did you do before you started dancing?
Kujo: Before I started dancing I was a troublemaker! *Kujo laughs* I was just a young, angry, and very rebellious kid who was looking for trouble, though not with the law. But I was definitely going that way. I had a lot of friends who were doing bad things, and some went to jail for a while. A lot of my friends were gangsters. But my parents caught me before I got to that point. It was enough fun just to hang out with crazy people like that. I didn’t need to be one of them; I never joined a gang, never went to jail, and have never even been arrested.
DancerZone: What stopped you from crossing that line? Was it your self-discipline?
Kujo: No, I had no self-discipline then! It was partly because of dance, but even before that, my parents caught me and stopped me. They put me in an institution - not jail or anything, but something like a psycho ward. It was a rehabilitation center, but there were crazy people in there. They put people there who were alcoholics, drug addicts, or a danger to themselves or others. It was meant to be preventive, not punitive. So I was in there for a while, and it was there that I discovered Hip Hop culture through magazines I had access to. When I got out, I started High School in a new city, and I met all these people who were part of this culture I’d just adopted, who wore the same clothes, and who listened to the same music. And that was it…I thought, “Here I am! This is what I’ve been looking for!”
DancerZone: So, the Hip Hop culture kept you out of trouble?
Kujo: It went both ways. It kept me out of trouble, and it gave me something positive to focus on. But it also got me into more trouble. All that stuff about dancing being a channel for violent energy is bullshit! B-Boys are, and always have been, violent people. It’s just a fact. When you look back at the old Bronx B-Boys from the 70's, they were all gangsters, and they all fought. Any of them will tell you that. When I started dancing in '92, it was the same thing. When there was a battle you had all your friends with you and they had their friends with them. There would be one dancer going against another dancer, and at the end of the battle, they fought. And it wasn’t just the two who fought; everybody rumbled. As we got older, though, there was less of that, and dancers just battled. But in high school it was like that, at least here in L.A. and the San Fernando Valley.
DancerZone: You told us that you have already been dancing for 14 years, but do you have any professional training in dance?
Kujo: In Breakdancing, no! It’s been 14 years of being self-taught, and just watching people and learning by example. I looked up to certain people, though never quiet idolized anybody. There was never just one single teacher who showed me everything, but certain people showed me some stuff here and there, like Little Cesar and Wilpower (Air Force Crew). They gave me a lot of motivation, right at the beginning. Fresh and Freez (L.A. Breakers), Ace (Master Movements), and of course my own crew Soul Control - we all taught each other everything. We all tried to learn from each other, so we shared all of our moves and ideas. As far as formal training, I have been doing things like Gymnastics and the Circus Arts, during the past 4-5 years. More recently, I began doing Modern dance, which I studied for two years, and I also studied Ballet for another two years.
DancerZone:Wow, Ballet. You don’t hear that very often from a B-Boy.
Kujo: I know it sounds very strange for a B-Boy to say, and that’s exactly why I did it! For my entire career, I’d been doing whatever I felt like doing, with no one to really correct me and tell me if I was doing something right or wrong, and even when people did try to correct me, I would ignore them and do it my way! So I realized that I needed some structure, and what better place to start then the most structured dance on earth? Plus, I was very motivated to join Cirque Du Soleil at the time, and Ballet is practically a requirement for every artist they hire. So it was a career move as well. There’s much more to it than this, however; I was also keenly interested in the principles of Classical Art in general - how it impacts the performer and the audience intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, and how it impacts us in a very different way than, for example, popular art. But I could go on about this for hours.
DancerZone: That means you don’t take everything as given. You try to change things. Why?
Kujo: Well, yes, I’ve always tried to find ways to take things to the next level and not to be stuck in the past. So I’ve begun to combine traditional and non-traditional dance with a scientific approach. I’m a full-time university student studying Kinesiology, which is based largely on Biomechanics and Physiology. Simply put, it’s the study of human movement. So I’m beginning to understand, scientifically, how and why we move the way we do. I’m also able to figure out how to move more efficiently in the various movement-forms I study, so everything makes more sense to me now. I’m bringing this understanding into Breaking, Ballet, Modern, Circus, Gymnastics, and everything else. So I’m approaching these movement-forms scientifically and creatively, instead of limiting them to the traditional approach. This has led to a revolution in the way that I teach, as I don’t teach Breaking from a traditional standpoint - Toprock, 6-Step, Baby/Chair Freeze, etc. - but from a creative and scientific standpoint, where you’ll learn certain movements and positions with a certain technique not because they were done with that technique for 30 years, but because, scientifically, it makes sense to use that technique… it’s biomechanically efficient, whereas the traditional technique might not be. My classes and workshops reflect this: I teach my techniques because I know they work, not because they were discovered by accident 30 years ago, and I show and prove this in every single one of my classes.
DanzerZone: You didn’t have always the science background. And when I look at some of your old battles, I wonder if you have had a lot of injuries?
Kujo: Ohhhh yes, I’ve torn ligaments in both of my thumbs, sprained both thumbs, broken two toes, and sprained both of my wrists more times than I can count. I’ve also had more concussions than I can count. I had one concussion where I hit my head so hard that I sprained my neck and went blind for a day. I’ve torn both my eyelids, and I even got blood poisoning from stepping on a hangnail. I was trying this one style of Breaking where you do footwork and poses by stepping on your hands. My dirty shoe must have infected my finger, and it spread all the way up my arm, to my armpit. It was really scary, because I could have died! I had to keep an IV needle in my arm for two weeks, and I injected the antibiotics myself. Of course, I kept dancing with the IV in my arm. It was great.
DancerZone: Do you think it’s possible to make a living from Breakdancing?
Kujo: Yes, it’s very possible. It depends on what you get into. Here in Los Angeles it’s very possible, but it’s very hard and only a few people can really make it. But the ones who do make it do very well. I think Europe is a great place to make a living from dancing as well, because you have the support from the government, especially in France.
DancerZone: But what is with the time limit as a dancer, especially as a B-Boy?
Kujo: Of course we have a time limit on our careers, and it’s much shorter than that of a regular job. So we have to get as much done as possible in a relatively short time. You have to make as much money as you can, while you still can, but at the same time prepare a back-up plan for later. This is why I’m back in school pursuing a Kinesiology degree, and going to Massage school at night, and putting a lot of the money I make into investments!
DancerZone: Speaking of money, how did you finance your life before you started dancing professionally?
Kujo: I was a poor kid, a real poor kid, and I grew up on welfare. I also had the poor kid’s state of mind: I didn’t think I’d ever grow up to be anybody significant. So I was lazy, unmotivated, and had no ambitions, other than to just dance and enjoy myself. I got little jobs here and there, whatever I could get, but nothing I’m proud of. It was the same kind of crap that most dancers do on the side while they focus on making their dream a reality. Finally, when I started to get offers to travel - first to Germany, in 1998 – I realized that I could really make something of myself through Breaking. Then in 2000 I released my first video, “Kujo: The Flying Water Buffalo.” I finally began to generate an income from dance, and was able to quit working 5 years ago. I’ve been earning a decent living from dance ever since.
DancerZone:Kujo, what is your opinion about DancerZone?
Kujo: My first impression was how professional the site looked! It looks like it’s going to be a great way for European and American dancers to connect, and eventually, dancers world-wide as well. Keep it up.
DancerZone: Kujo, we would like to ask you what is your next step? Where can we see you again?
Kujo: Well, I’m working on several new DVD films now to bring my name, and my crew’s name, back into the scene, and to piss people off! I’ll be doing another project of my own, and we’ll be doing a Soul Control video/documentary. First and most importantly, though, will be a DVD tribute to Pablo Flores, the air flare pioneer who passed into the next realm in August, 2004. Our crew member Charles - Pablo’s brother, partner, and student - is spearheading this project, and we’ll all take part to make it happen. I will also be battling a bit more, with and without my crew, though not very often - I’m almost 30, and some of these moves really hurt! My crew hasn’t been very active during the past few years. We’ve gotten older, and most of us now have children and/or careers (no kids for me yet, though). But we still have so much talent. We’re all so much better than we used to be! We’ve grown and matured a lot over the years, both as individuals and as dancers. So we’ll be back out there soon. We’ll battle a bit, do some shows and workshops - just be out there - working, dancing, networking, inspiring and motivating people - like we did when we were younger.
DancerZone: That’s great, that means we’re going to hear your name more often. Is there someone who supports you?
Kujo: Currently I’m sponsored by Scifen Clothing, a big-name brand in the Hip Hop world (but not so much in the B-Boy world), which was created by, and is owned by, a crew member of mine named Barmak. I’m also sponsored by Wild Style Technicians, a B-Boy/Graffiti clothing company in based in San Diego, California.
DancerZone: Is there someone you want to thank?
Kujo: Way too many! *Kujo laughs* But of course, the people who inspired me. My parents, my crew, Air Force Crew, L.A. Breakers, Master Movements, Battle Squad, the few teachers I’ve had, and especially my detractors: all those people throughout the years, who wish I would just quit dancing and left the scene altogether, have only made me a much better dancer, and only intensified my desire to succeed. They’ve given me the most motivation to keep going, and to do as much as I can to create, inspire, and shape future generations of B-Boys and B-Girls.
DancerZone: This was the first part of our interview series with Krazy Kujo. Next month we are going to publish the next part.
On Pope John Paul II, courtesy of Big Mama Buffalo
This is a letter written to me by my Mom detailing some church and pope history, as I'm currently in Italy and the pope passed away the day after I arrived here (thus forcing the cancellation of some of my jobs here). This also shows why my Mom is just so damn dope. Enjoy.
Kujo
________________________________________________
Hi, Curly! Yes, I've lived thru a few popes' deaths & successions, & it's alwz a big deal. Esp in Italy. So don't be s'prised if it continues to affect yr trip. Y'll be hm bfr they pick the new 1, tho. That's gd news & bad news. It'll be chaotic but historic over there. It'd be neat to witness it 1sthand. The new 1 is chosen by secret ballot, so secret that they take an oath of secrecy bfr voting & then burn the ballots immediately afterward--a system that the Bush family must envy! Autopsies of popes are also strictly forbidden...more abt that below.
I don't rmmbr Pius the something-or-other, who served during WWII, but he's been criticized ever since for remaining silent abt the Holocaust. Many felt he was comfy w/the Church's historical anti-Semitism. John XXIII, the people's pope, followed and convened Vatican II. It was only the 2nd conference of its kind in almost 2,000 yrs. He used it to mk radical changes in the Church so it'd be more user-friendly. The most famous was changing mass to the vernacular. Bfr that, mass was alwz in Latin & was the same all over the wld, except for the sermon (now called a homily). I missed the Latin wn I went to mass at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris in 2000; I'd have understood it in Latin! ( I got used to that in high school.) Another thing that changed w/Vatican II was that nuns in most orders didn't hv to wear habits anymore. He was pretty liberal, even making some small but significant changes in the church's notoriously outdated policies on sexuality. The world really mourned his passing. He was followed by another 70-something Italian cardinal who tk the name John Paul I, to honor his 2 predecessors. JP I was showing some signs of modernization on such matters as priestly celibacy, etc., when he suddenly & inexplicably turned up dead. This was after serving only two months! The no-autopsies policy was criticized around the world, and the belief that conservative cardinals had him poisoned is still widespread. Anyway, the conservatives got their man in John Paul II. He was young & healthy, hence not likely to die bfr cementing the power of the conservatives who'd put him in pwr, and also quite personable. He was also a Taurus who hated change. He did everything in his power to undo the spirit of Vatican II. They knew it was time for a non-Italian to be pope, but it had to be somebody who wouldn't make waves. And he didn't. As a result, the Church hierarchy and its rulings have come to be ignored by all but a tiny minority of Catholics. When I was a teenager, most Catholic couples did not use birth control. They either had big families or suffered sexual deprivation. Now the rules are the same, but the world has changed & everybody just laughs at the Church's rules, or good Catholics shake their heads in dismay that the institution they love is so clueless. It'l like having yr father get Alzheimer's: you love him, but he just can't keep up! Anyway, JP II did do a lot of gd things, working for peace & trying to bring out the best in people. Many agree w/former Solidarity leader and Polish president Lech Walesa that w/o JP's influence, the Iron Curtain wd nvr hv cm down, or at least much later & w/lots of bloodshed. JP II went to his home country & showed support to Solidarity, which was closely allied to the Catholic Church in Poland. After his visit anti-communism just snowballed, & finally Gorbachev released the people of Eastern Europe from bondage. Also, this pope went to the synagogue in Rome, the 1st pope to do so, & made amends for the Church's silence during WWII. ( He declined to attach any blame to Pope Pius, however.) Then he went to Israel & established diplomatic relations w/the gov't there. He also supported a future Palestinian state. He did a lot for the rights of men thruout the world. He did next to nothing for the rights of women....
Well, enough abt religion. I'm sorry u had trouble w/flights, luggage, etc. Very, very glad abt the 14-hour nap! I didn't understand 1 thing tho: why were you in shock wn u woke up? I was puzzled wn u wrote that, cuz u didn't explain. Anyway, glad they had a party for u. You deserve it! I miss yr tired ass. Tk care & write agn soon. Love, Mom
