Shows
Beyond the Dance FloorSevrin (NOW OR NEVER/DRS/THINK TWICE)Today we talk with one of my personal favourite dancers to come from Vancouver, Canada, Sevrin repping Now or Never, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Think Twice. Sevrin is part of an earlier surge of younger dancers that now makes up what I would say is the current middle generation of dancers in Vancouver.
In this episode we get into his history and how he got into dance, his views on what Vancouver’s style is, thoughts on styles and how they develop, and connections between philosophy and breaking.
Sevrin is a deep thinking about dance and...2023-10-211h 11Beyond the Dance FloorCros One (FREESTYLE SESSION)Today we talk with Chris Wright aka Cros 1, the mastermind behind one of the most legendary bboy/bgirl dance events in the breaking world, Freestyle Session. In this episode we get into how he got into the hip hop culture in San Diego, the humble beginnings of Freestyle Session and how it grew to one of the biggest events in the world, what goes into creating such a large, international event, his freestyle mindset when organizing these events and more.
Thanks so much to Cros One for taking the time to share his thoughts and experiences. We d...2023-08-1949 minBeyond the Dance FloorArthur Tiojanco (FLOOR STORM)Today we talk with Arthur Tiojanco aka bboy artattacks representing Floorstorm crew out of Surrey, Canada. Arthur, for many years now has been, in my opinion, one of the pillars of the Vancouver breaking and dance community as a whole, throwing countless events for the community and has been instrumental in keeping the scene alive. We talk about how he got into dance, his crew Floorstorm as well as Surrey, the thankless job that is organizing and promoting breaking events, as well as some words about fellow crew member and one of the great Vancouver DJs, DJ Wunderkut (RIP)....2023-08-041h 06Beyond the Dance FloorFocus (FLOW MO)Today we talk with the one and only bboy Focus from Flow Mo crew out of Helsinki, Finland. Focus is one of the most internationally recognized dancers in the breaking world and is one of the first to really push online breaking education through his website and youtube channel. In the talk we get into his breaking history and coming from a small town, building the online learning platform the Bboy/Bgirl Dojo, the importance of mentorship, what footwork means to him and more.
Huge thank you to Focus for taking the time to share his thoughts an...2023-07-2359 minBeyond the Dance FloorDylioskee (FILTHEE FEET)Today we talk with one of the original members of my crew Filthee Feet, Dylan Thomas aka Dylioskee. In the interview, Dylan provides great insight into the early days of the Victoria scene as well as how our crew got started, creating in isolation on Vancouver Island, his own Coast Salish first nations art, as well as a great look into how goofy and stupid our crew can get.
A lot of great information in here and maybe a different look into our crew for some people. Thanks a lot to Dylan for taking the time to sh...2023-06-231h 14Beyond the Dance FloorAT (Finland)Today we talk with one of the best bgirls in my opinion, AT from Finland. In this episode we get into her history coming up in the Helsinki breaking scene, who her early breaking inspirations were, her perspective as a woman in a very male dominated dance, rediscovering herself and her style as a woman, mother, and human being, mentorship from Ata from Ghost Crew, being on the Finnish Olympic team and more.
Thanks to AT for taking the time to share her history and perspectives and I hope you enjoy the talk.
Peace
2023-05-1154 minBeyond the Dance FloorZig (FLOWROCK/FRESH FORMAT/STYLZ CORRUPT)Today we talk with Montreal veteran, Zig from Flowrock Fresh Format and Stylz Corrupt. Zig holds a very unique perspective on the dance because his history spans three separate generations of Montreal breaking with the older generation of Flowrock, the middle generation of Fresh Format and the newer generation with Stylz Corrupt. In the podcast we talk about his history, his crews, how he dabbles in other areas of dance outside of breaking with groups such as C4, passing on his knowledge to a new generation, as well as his involvement with Breaking Canada and helping to build Canada's Ol...2023-02-041h 03Beyond the Dance Floor英語・日本語 - Masanari (NAKED GUNZ)Today we talk with Masanari, a Japanese bboy/artist representing Naked Gunz crew out of Nagoya, Japan.
Masanari is an artist who combines the impermanent nature of the dance we call Breaking, and translate that into permanent pieces of artwork. We get into his history, what the Mie and Nagoya breaking scenes are like, his Master's degree in Fine Arts and how he connects his art with dance and movement.
Very cool talk about the connection between movement and art and I hope you enjoy the talk.
Peac...2022-12-2349 minBeyond the Dance FloorJuan (DANCE BROOMZ)Today we talk with Juan from Dance Broomz, one of the most creative dancers from the Pacific Northwest in my opinion. In the talk, we get into his history and how he got into the dance, his creative influences, how his crew approached routines, some of his most memorable battle moments, his work as a chaplain in the US military and more.
Juan is a really down to earth guy and it was great hearing his stories and experiences in the dance and beyond. I really enjoyed the talk and I hope you do too.
Pe...2022-12-0446 minBeyond the Dance FloorGeoff Reyes (BREAKING CANADA/YOU BE ILL)Today we have Geoff Reyes, who some of you might not know but he’s a very important person in the Canadian Breaking scene. He’s one of the main people behind Breaking Canada which deals with Breaking in the Olympics and You Be ILL which is his unique event series.
Geoff is, in my opinion, one of the people responsible for really elevating the scene as well as building necessary bridges for the future of breaking in Canada. In this episode, we talk about how You Be ILL started out, Canada's breaking programme and connecting with the la...2022-11-131h 09Beyond the Dance FloorSpooks (DANGEROUS GOODS/ALPHA KIDS)Today we talk with Spooks from Saskatoon, Canada representing Dangerous Goods Crew and Alpha Kids.
Spooks is in my opinion one of the most original and interesting dancers to watch in Canada. In today's episode we get into a bit about his history and how he got into dance, the Saskatchewan scene, connecting with the Dangerous Goods crew, traveling and getting outside your bubble, the mental game of breaking and its comparisons with Smash Bros and more.
A real pleasure to talk with Spooks about this stuff and even though he's not a "famous" bboy...2022-10-261h 18Beyond the Dance FloorRoxrite (RENEGADES/SQUADRON/REDBULL ALL STARS)Today on the podcast, we have the General himself, Roxrite of the Renegade Rockers, Squadron and Redbull All-Stars. A true honour to have a breaking veteran like Roxrite share his experiences and knowledge with you all. Unfortunately halfway through I made a recording mistake aka I forgot to hit the record button again so we lost the original second half of the talk. Luckily Roxrite was nice enough to hop on a second time and we recreated the conversation as best we could, Reality TV style. We talk about his history, getting into Renegades, the formation of the Squadron, what...2022-09-291h 06Beyond the Dance FloorHeatrock (DEL FUEGO WOLFPACK/CYPHER SONS)Today on the podcast, we have one of the best bboys when it comes to toprock, footwork and just dancing in general, Ivan Cofield aka Heatrock from Del Fuego Wolfpack and Cypher Sons. He gives us a look into his dance origins growing up in Georgia, the beginnings of his Breaking journey in Boston, becoming known for toprock and footwork, his rivalry with bboy Samo and more. Really great talk, with a ton of detail down to the specific jams, people and places. Big thanks to Heatrock for taking the time to share his experiences and perspectives.
Hop...2022-08-212h 07Beyond the Dance FloorRudy Rexx (HAVIKORO/FUNKY FANATIX)Today on the podcast, we have bboy Rudy Rexx from Havikoro and Funky Fanatix. Rudy's been one of the people I've really wanted to have on because I always respected his style, approach and mentality towards breaking, dance and music in general. Super down to earth guy and I’m really glad we got to chat. He shares a lot about his history and how he got started, his personal influences, Austin and Texas breaking history, Bleeding the Block series, Latin music and percussions, and Brazilian jiujitsu and opening his own business. Thanks again to Rudy for taking the time t...2022-08-0555 minBeyond the Dance FloorJurskee (TURN IT LOOSE)Today we talking with Jurskee of Turn It Loose out of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Serving as the moderator for the IBE talk shows among other things, Jurskee is someone who’s done a lot to promote the cultural aspects of breaking as well as get people talking and thinking about this dance that we all love. We get into his history, the Dutch breaking scene, IBE and his involvement in the talk shows, his experiences using the Trivium judging system, his breaking vocational study that he helps run in the Netherlands and more. Thanks again to Jurskee for sharing his knowl...2022-02-141h 51Beyond the Dance FloorDJ Tee (READY TO ROCK)Today we talk with one of the pillars of the Japanese breaking scene, DJ Tee. Tee shares his own personal history of how he got into the DJing, how he got his first turntables which he still has to this day, the early days of the Osaka breaking scene, Machine Harada and the events Dance Delight, Old School Night and Be.Bboy, wanting to keep the party aspect of breaking alive and more. Thank you so much to Tee for taking the time to share his thoughts and knowledge and I hope you all enjoy the talk.
...2021-12-141h 04Beyond the Dance FloorStorm (BATTLE SQUAD)Today we have the great honour of talking with the legendary Storm from Battle Squad. A breaking pioneer in Europe and someone who helped revitalize the scene in North America after everyone considered it dead in the 80s. Storm has done it all, and it's this wealth of experience that he shares with us today. In this episode, Storm delves into how he got into dancing, his breaking philosophies, judging, cognitive biases, accountability and growth for judging, keeping the culture alive while still advancing competitions and more. One of the few truly deep thinkers in our scene and someone that...2021-11-081h 29Beyond the Dance FloorDJ Static (WE FUNK RADIO)Today we talk with co-founder of WeFunk Radio, Mike Lai aka DJ Static. Static has been DJing since the early 90s and helped create the very popular internet radio program WeFunk along with his partner Professor Groove. We talk about how he got into DJing, the importance and influence of the Krispy Bisket Show, starting WeFunk and its international success, the art of DJing, helping to organize Vancouver Street Dance Festival and more. Static is a great guy who has always been about the hip hop and street dance community and I'm really glad to be able to help sha...2021-10-041h 09Beyond the Dance FloorSwitch B (MEC/FAM)Today we have the return of MC, beat producer, former Skillz-O-Meter champion, and one of the best bboys in Canada Switch B. This time we have a much more casual chat about breaking, flip flops, pro-wrestling, stories and emotional connection, concept jams, sacrificing now for a better future, judges staying relevant and more. Switch is one of my favourite people to catch up with and it was really nice to just have a more laid back and free flowing chat with him. Hopefully as time goes on these kinds of episodes can become more and more common. Shout out to S...2021-09-271h 42Beyond the Dance FloorAmjad (7$ CREW)Today on the podcast we talk with the mind behind Circle Kingz, The Concrete Jam, one of the best hosts in the world and a true man of the culture, Amjad from 7 Dollars Crew. We get into his and 7$'s origins, Switzerland hip hop and being a hub for European hip hop, how Circle Kingz started, why it ended, and why the Concrete Jam was the future for him, and so much more. It was a true honour to have him share his knowledge and experience on the podcast. Amjad is in my opinion one of the important voices in...2021-09-201h 40Beyond the Dance FloorNick Robinson (GWS)Today we have the Lead of Strength and Conditioning for Breaking Canada, Nick Robinson who will be helping Canada's bboys and bgirls get ready for the battles at the up coming 2024 Olympics in Paris. Nick Robinson, member of Groundwork Sessions is a bboy originally from Whitehorse, Yukon but now resides in Toronto, Ontario as a personal trainer. Nick gives his insights into what it takes to be an Olympic athlete from his direct work training them, his role in working with the future Canadian breaking olympians, training for breaking specifically and what that entails, and just general fitness and da...2021-09-131h 11Beyond the Dance FloorVicious (SWEET TECHNIQUE)Today we talk with co-founder of Sweet Technique and member of the breaking Olympic committee, Victor Sono aka Vicious out of Montreal, Canada now residing in Finland. We got to get into some Montreal/Sweet Technique history, the importance of travelling to build their name, building with the East coast of the US, getting brought on to Breaking Canada the Olympics and more. It was really great to hear about the early days of Sweet Technique and how it grew as well as shed some light on some of the lesser known members who had an impact on Vicious sp...2021-09-061h 24Beyond the Dance FloorTwelve (GROUND ILLUSIONZ)Today we talk with Matt Kang also known as Twelve, a dancer from Ground Illusionz out of Toronto who now works as a videographer/interviewer for Forbes. We talk about his breaking origins in London, Ontario, how he connected with Toronto and Ground Illusionz, carrying on tradition with the crew, his journey into journalism and working with Forbes and a whole bunch of other stuff. Matt definitely had some great insight on a lot of things and is another perfect example of what this podcast is all about: taking that drive and lessons learned through breaking and applying them to...2021-08-301h 38Beyond the Dance FloorEmstro/Medeio (MEC)Today we talk with Emstro, real name Rei Misiri, a dancer with Maximum Efficiency Crew based out of Toronto. In recent years Emstro has been making some noise in the art work and has transitioned into a full on art career under the name Medeio. We talk about his early days as a dancer in the Toronto scene, how his particular art style developed, the connection between his dancing and his art, his art career and making that work, not being afraid to fail and using it as a tool to help guide your future and more. Really great to...2021-08-231h 26Beyond the Dance FloorThaiyo (LAST 4 ONE/NOW OR NEVER/OURO COLLECTIVE)Today we talk with Thaiyo representing Last 4 One and Now or Never and OURO Collective. Thaiyo is a Battle of the Year champion as well as a multi time champion in Korea and Canada, a former body builder, recently started dabbling in the contemporary side of dance, and is a multi time Brazillian Jiu Jitsu champion. We talk about the early days of the Korean breaking scene and how he got started, being a full-time bboy, his work ethic and dedication to breaking, his journey in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and it's relation to breaking and more. Thaiyo is one of t...2021-08-0954 minBeyond the Dance FloorZeshen (HAVIKORO)Today we have Zeshen from Havikoro on the podcast. World renown bboy, former Massive Monkee Day footwork champ, and medical doctor, Zeshen shares his history, some history on the Texas scene and regional styles, creativity and originality, the Bleeding the Block series and how it came about, his personal style and how it's evolved, mental health and dance, and more. Zeshen is a really interesting guy with a lot of great perspectives on things. It's so rare that we get to listen to someone who has such knowledge on not only the dance but also a deep understanding of...2021-07-261h 21Beyond the Dance FloorSkeme Richards (NOSTALGIA KING/BUTTA 45s)Today we talk with the Nostalgia King aka DJ Skeme Richards out of Philidelphia, USA. A world renown DJ, music lover, vintage toys collector, burgers and beer connoisseur, Skeme's has his hands into a lot of different areas and that's one of the things that makes him so interesting. A purveyor of music, art and culture, Skeme was one of the people that really helped promote understanding history and where things come from. With breaking and hip hop, that meant parties and we get into all of that and more. We talk about Philly history and its deep roots in h...2021-07-121h 21Beyond the Dance FloorKreate (LAB RATZ/7$/FRESH SOX)Today we talk with Kreate repping Lab Ratz, 7 Dollars and Fresh Sox. Kreate now resides in Indonesia but he made his name in the Tri-State area in Virginia. We got into a lot about Virginia’s breaking history, bboys that had a major impact on him like Xeno and Megas, the South East Asia scene, being a family man, running his own business and his competitive spirit, physical fitness and more. Much love to Kreate for sharing his history and his history and knowledge with everyone. He might not be as known as some of the All Star dancers out th...2021-07-0655 minBeyond the Dance FloorComplex (DANCE BROOMZ/THE HOODZ)Today we talk with former Massive Monkee Day Footwork Champion, Bboy Complex from Dance Broomz and The Hoodz. It was really great to catch up with Ash and chat for two hours about a variety of things from his time with OURO Collective and how it's changed the way he approaches dance now, finding freedom from being boxed into a specific way of moving, laziness in the breaking community, pushing people to think deeper about the dance we do and a whole lot more. Ash is someone who is passionate about moving the dance beyond just moves and competitions an...2021-06-232h 13Beyond the Dance FloorJoRawk (MASSIVE MONKEES)Today we talk with JoRawk of Massive Monkees. Joe has been one of the people I've always respected within the community for his dedication to quality and community oriented events. He is one of the people responsible for one of my favourite jams I've ever been to Massive Monkee day, as well as Silverback Open and Pro Breaking Tour and has always been about pushing breaking forward. We talk about how he got into breaking and hip hop, the Massive Monkees house, the concept of a "real" crew, true in the moment expression and freedom in the dance, involving the...2021-06-061h 06Beyond the Dance FloorElon the Wandering Spirit (TENTACLE TRIBE/FRESH FORMAT/CONCRETE KINGS)Today we talk with the other half of the original Tentacle Tribe, Elon the Wandering Spirit. Elon also repping Fresh Format and Concrete Kings is someone who has had a huge impact on how I personally approach the dance these days. He shares his experiences on a number of topics including his early days breaking in Sweden, moving to Canada for Cirque du Soleil, contemporary influences, efficient movement, returning to our "animal" routes, order and chaos and more. Really interesting guy and one of the people that completely changed the way I approach movement in general. He had a lot...2021-05-241h 05Beyond the Dance FloorCleopatra (TENTACLE TRIBE/LEGENDARY)Today we talk with Cleopatra aka Emmanuelle Le Phan from Tentacle Tribe and Legendary Crew out of Montreal, Canada. The first time I saw the Tentacle Tribe duo of Emmanuelle and Elon, I was blown away and the way I thought about breaking and dance in general was changed forever. Emmanuelle has been a huge influence on my dancing personally and I wanted to share her thoughts and perspectives with you all. We talk about her history, her time with Cirque du Soleil, the formation of Tentacle Tribe and mixing styles, being interested in general movement over any particular st...2021-05-011h 03Beyond the Dance FloorCrazy Smooth (BBOYIZM DANCE COMPANY/BREAKS KRU/FLOWROCK/KOSSASSINS)Today we’ve got another person who I’ve really wanted to have on the podcast for a long time. Crazy Smooth of Bboyizm Dance Company, Breaks Kru, Flowrock, and Kossassins out of Ottawa, Canada. Smooth is one of the people that has been a huge inspiration to me personally and I’m happy to be able to share some of his thoughts with you all. In the talk we get into a bit of his history, getting $14,000 dollars in government funding and going to New York to learn from the pioneers of breaking, the indescribable “ism” or essence that separate...2021-04-181h 46Beyond the Dance FloorProfo Won (FLOORGANGZ/S0R/KNUCKLENECK TRIBE)Today we talk with Profo Won of Floorgangz Worldwide, Shadowr0ck and the Knuckleneck Tribe out of the Bay Area. He's been one of the people I've wanted to talk to for a while not only because of his knowledge, but also his desire to push the community forward into new territory with content such as The Trades and his commentary at events such as Massive Monkees Day and Silverback Open. We get into some Bay Area history, the generational differences in mentalities in breaking, what breaking fulfills from a human standpoint, social media and the importance of having a...2021-04-041h 36Beyond the Dance FloorReflex (O‘MIGHTY/SOUL FELONS/THE HOODZ)Today we talk with one of my favourites during his active days, Reflex repping O’mighty, Soul Felons, and the Hoods. Coming out of Calgary Alberta, Reflex had a real great blend of set movements and complete in the moment movement. We get pretty into talks about the mental side of breaking so if you’re into that kind of thing I think you’ll enjoy it. Things like being in the moment, the idea of presence vs skill, balancing memorized movement and just moving, the mental battle between you, your opponent and yourself and more. Really enjoyed talking to him and...2021-04-031h 12Beyond the Dance FloorBoobjester (DANGEROUS GOODS/MEC/WINTOR/UNITY)Today we talk with one of the important figures in Canadian breaking history, Boobjester (Dangerous Goods/Maximum Efficiency/Wintor Massiv/Unity Charity) shares information on some of the earlier days of Winnipeg breaking, coming from central Canada and being able to experience the East and Westcoast styles of Canadian breaking, building community, and more. Boobjester is a proud proponent of Canadian Breaking and has been a huge figure in helping bridge the different communities within the very spread out country of Canada and continues to do so to this day. If you didn’t know him before, now you do...2021-04-021h 15Beyond the Dance FloorCreeasian (ORIGINAL RUDES/READY TO ROCK)Today we talk with Creeasian of the Original Rudes, Ready to Rock and DJ duo Twoguys, and what a talk. It was a real honour to have Creeasian share his thoughts and knowledge on culture and hip hop as a Vietnamese/Cree First Nations. He talks about his history, the Edmonton scene and connecting with other native dancers there, his experiences in hip hop as a Cree First Nations youth and reconnecting with his native roots, Pow Wow culture and a bit of their history, medicine wheel teachings and more. Really powerful talk and we didn’t even have time...2021-03-071h 26Beyond the Dance FloorDJ Renegade (SOUL MAVERICKS)Today we talk with one of the more outspoken and in my opinion one of the more interesting people in the breaking scene, DJ Renegade.
People might have read some of his now infamous social media posts where he shares his thoughts on what's happening in the breaking community and beyond that. He's at times a "controversial" guy but I respect that he pushes people to think deeper and more intellectually about the dance and hip hop culture. We get into a whole bunch of things from UK/European history and the creation of his crew Soul Ma...2021-02-212h 26Beyond the Dance FloorG (Now or Never)Today we talk with one of the original members of Now or Never crew, G! Originally from Taiwan but grew up in Vancouver, G shares a lot about his personal history, his crew’s history and more.Really interesting guy that I didn’t get to know until much later on, he gets into how NON started, how it was literally his only family in Vancouver, moving to Japan and starting a business, getting into filming and editing, talk on the Olympics and more. I had so much fun with this talk. G is such a likeable and friendly guy it...2021-02-091h 18Beyond the Dance Floor英語・日本語 - Ayumi (BODY CARNIVAL)Today we talk with my old friend Ayumi from the Kyoto crew Body Carnival, who also happens to be one of the best bgirls in the world. It was a real honour to be able to talk with her about some of her history and share her thoughts. Even though Ayumi’s English is pretty good she wanted to do the interview in Japanese to be able to express herself as naturally as possible so I once again brought in the help of Makoon, the translator extraordinaire who also happens to be one of Ayumi’s best friends. We got to...2021-01-311h 08Beyond the Dance FloorLeftelep (Albino Zebras/Conscious Soles)Today we talk with a huge inspiration of mine and many other’s when it comes to creativity and creating on the spot: Leftelep from Albino Zebras and Conscious Soles out of Toronto, Canada. Real pleasure to have him share his thoughts with everyone and to be able to exchange with him on a variety of topics. We get into Albino Zebras history, coming from a small town and how that influenced his style, outside influences like architecture on his style, flow states, what is biting and more. Huge shoutout to Lance and all the Albino Zebras for being a con...2021-01-101h 25Beyond the Dance FloorSlynks (Breadcrumbs/The Flava Factory)Today we talk with head of The Flava Factory in Ottawa and event director of House of Paint, Sami Slynks. Sami and I connected several years ago in Whitehorse, Yukon of all places and since then I’ve seen him take incredible steps to building up the community in Ottawa. He’s a quick talker and in an hour we covered and dove deep into a number of topics. We talk about starting up a studio, blending the studio and dance industry with hip hop culture, dance, flow, and in the moment creation, throwing events with the larger general public...2021-01-031h 05Beyond the Dance FloorYutaka (Ground 2 Air/The Ruckus)Today we talk with the first bboy I ever saw in person, Yutaka from the crews Ground 2 Air and The Ruckus. Yutaka comes from the Vancouver breaking generation just after crews like Contents Under Pressure and Straight No Chaser, and before my generation, which is crews like Filthee Feet and Now or Never and is still quite active to this day. We get into a bit about the Vancouver history of that time including the one battle that he feels changed the Vancouver scene, but also dive into the spiritual, artistic, and mental side of breaking, dance, and art. We...2020-12-271h 13Beyond the Dance FloorJheric (NON/Dead Reckoning/Front Page/Few Good Men/Wildstyle)Today we talk with one of the few active dancers from the 90’s Vancouver dance scene, Jheric Hizon aka Twist. I was really lucky to have him on and share some of the history from Vancouver’s young scene. There were people before him but it’s a start to tracking down and documenting some of the people and the stories that existed. We got into some really interesting stuff like the main crews that existed back then, the origins of Robson Square and how it became one of the main practice spots in Vancouver, hip hop parties for underage...2020-12-201h 00Beyond the Dance FloorPiecez (MEC)Today we talk with the one and only Piecez of Maximum Efficiency Crew out of Toronto, Canada. Whether it’s on the dance floor with his crew, or in meetings with funders, Piecez is one of the most inspirational people I’ve met through this breaking journey. He’s become a world class dancer, started his own charity called Unity and helped make it a million dollar one at that, passed it on to good people and started a new adventure with EPIC. He’s even written a very honest and open book about the whole experience. We got to chat abo...2020-12-131h 28Beyond the Dance FloorJazzy Jester (ALBINO ZEBRAS/CONSCIOUS SOLES/SUPERNATURALZ)Today we talk with one of the freest dancers I’ve met with a super original style, Jazzy Jester from Toronto, Canada. Member of Albino Zebras, Conscious Soles, and Supernaturalz, he’s been a big influence with his emphasis on in the moment creation and expression. He had a lot of great things to share like how his style developed, the influence of 70’s fashion, connection and “feeling” the music rather than just listening to it, and more. There was a bit of background noise, but hopefully it doesn’t distract you too much from what he has to share cause I r...2020-12-0659 minBeyond the Dance Floor英語・日本語 - Ryo-Z (LUCHA LIBRE/TURKS)Today we talk with one of my favourite bboys from Japan, Ryo-Z repping Lucha Libre and Turks from Okazaki City, Japan. I met Ryo-Z several year’s back but we actually first connected through Youtube after hearing about him from one of his students, Ery, who I’ve actually interviewed before so check that out. We were lucky to have my friend Makoon translate so Ryo-Z was able to communicate as freely as possible but it did make communication slower so please be patient. Feel free to skip ahead to the English translation or enjoy the euphonious nature of the Jap...2020-11-291h 00Beyond the Dance FloorJK-47 (SUPREME BEINGS/DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH/MONSTER ENERGY)Today we talk with my old Vancouver friend Jkay aka Jkay 47 originally from Surrey (SURREY WHAT!) now residing in Los Angeles. Jkay is one of the most genuine, positive people I know and is someone who’s drive and work ethic I’ve always respected. She’s represented all over the world and continues to push her craft and I’m happy to share her experiences with you all. We talk about the Surrey dance scene and history, all female hip hop group Fly Antics, all female street dance group Diamonds in the Rough, working full time as a dancer, not...2020-11-221h 05Beyond the Dance FloorAbechan(BORN 2 FUNK/NAACALS)Abe definitely has an unique perspective on things with his wide variety of interests and marketing and business background. We talk about his history, the origins of the Yoyogi house and some of the stories there, his curious mindset and how that helped him with business, his thoughts on growing the scene and not being too narrow-minded and more. One of my favourite talks to date and I learned a lot. Hope you all learn something too and enjoy it! Peace.
2020-11-151h 20Beyond the Dance FloorMomo (DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH/THE HOODZ/QWEEN OF QWEENZ/ROBSON 800)Today we talk with Momo from Diamonds in the Rough, The Hoods, Qween of Qweens, and Robson 800, originally from Tokyo, Japan but now living in Vancouver, Canada. Really fun talk with Momo about her experiences living in Canada and what brought her here in the first place, the differences between the Japanese and Canadian scenes, connecting with the younger generation of Japanese dancers, being more than “just a mother”, and more. Really great talk and I hope you enjoy it! Peace.
2020-11-081h 23Beyond the Dance FloorJamieson (GROOVY Gs)Today we talk with one of the first people I met in the scene and a guy that’s been very influential in the Vancouver Popping scene, Jamieson De Guzman. Jamieson and his crew, the Groovy Gs are in part responsible for helping build the popping scene in Vancouver which was almost non-existent when they started. Always great catching up with him and his smooth calming voice. We talk about the early days of the Vancouver popping scene, the formation of his crew Groovy Gs, learning from the Electric Boogaloos, his dance company and its focus on teaching the joy o...2020-11-011h 23Beyond the Dance FloorFlex (BAG OF TRIX)Today we talk with Flex from the legendary Canadian crew Bag of Trix, from Toronto, Canada. Really an honour to have him on and share his knowledge with you all. We talk about Bag of Trix history, growing up dancing in the clubs, being on Much Music’s RAPCITY, flipping moves and creativity, the UBL, and more.
2020-10-2547 minBeyond the Dance FloorWooty (DANCE BROOMZ/THE HOODS)Wooty is one of the first dancers I met from the US and has always felt like a part of the Vancouver scene. A really straight up dude, and my crew is the way it is in part because his crew is the way they are. One of the best talks I’ve had to date. We get into all kinds of things like Seattle/Tacoma history, Dance Broomz history, only teaching those who want to learn, his physical training he does in the gym and on the field, cross training and the creativity he finds in it, and most...2020-10-182h 13Beyond the Dance Floor6kicks (HELPHADAG/ASHIMANZOKU)Today we talk with one of the young rising stars from Okinawa, Japan, Hiroshi Degawa aka 6kicks. First I really want to thank Hiroshi for taking the time to do the talk even though he’s not super confident in English. He did a really good job and it gave us a chance to get to know some of the lesser known people in the Japanese scene.
2020-10-1135 minBeyond the Dance FloorFrostflow (GROUND ILLUSIONZ/20th CENTURY BBOYS/CONSCIOUS SOLES)Frost has been a huge inspiration to me in large part because of his ability to connect what we do in breaking with the rest of our lives. This is exactly what this whole podcast is all about and I’m really glad I got to talk with him and have him share his insight on all of this. We get into his crew’s history, a bit of Toronto history, his approach to teaching, mentoring, building arts programs within his city, being professional as a dancer and more.
2020-10-061h 28Beyond the Dance FloorSugy (CYPHERSONS)Co-host of Tales of the Cypher podcast where he documents a lot of the history of the Quebec scene, Sugy has been an invaluable source of inspiration and help during this whole journey through content creation. One of the more natural conversations I’ve had on here, we get into all kinds of things from content creation, his podcast and the importance of documenting history, the importance of a good host at a jam, and more.
2020-10-061h 20Beyond the Dance FloorJustroc (MIGHTY ZULU KINGS/FLOOR GANGZ)Member of Mighty Zulu Kings and Floor Gangz, Justroc is a straight up student of hip hop culture. We talk about his history growing up in Manchester, moving back to Hong Kong, living in Korea, his series of talks on Instagram, Conversations with Royalties and the Jung Connection, the importance of sharing knowledge and history and more.
2020-10-061h 12Beyond the Dance FloorRiley (GROUNDWORK SESSIONS)One of my favourite bboys from Canada these days, Riley just has that essence of what a bboy is in my opinion. We talk about his time learning in Whitehorse from some of the best in the world including Wicket, Kid David, and Roxrite of the Renegade Rockers, his time Arizona being mentored by Ynot of the Rocksteady crew, Cypher for Change and what it did for the Canadian breaking scene and more.
2020-10-061h 22Beyond the Dance FloorRina (OURO COLLECTIVE)Rina was one of the first members of OURO in it’s early days and is still going strong to this day with the group. We talk about her history, differences between waacking and voguing, the importance of learning the foundation and histories of the dances before you start mixing them, and more.
2020-10-061h 52Beyond the Dance FloorThe Return of Tafiya (KYBALION)The return of Tafiya. This conversation a far cry from our original talk. Much more fluid and natural we just get into all kinds of things and blast off into space about dance, mentality, philosophy, psychology, and all kinds of stuff that makes us sound smarter than we actually are.
2020-10-061h 44Beyond the Dance FloorMaiko (OURO COLLECTIVE)One of the people that really got me interested in movement in general as well as thinking outside of breaking, Maiko shares her journey from ballet, to hip hop, to contemporary, the beginnings of OURO Collective and more.
2020-10-061h 07Beyond the Dance FloorRory Roketto (FILTHEE FEET/BORN2FUNK/SHADOWROCK)Le Cock, Fastbeard, Tommy Middle Finger, Chair Buddha, whatever you want to call him, Rory has left his mark on Vancouver, the Northwest, and the Canadian scene. We talk about his history in Vancouver and Victoria, the importance of traveling, being SUCKcessful producing events, and more.
2020-10-061h 12Beyond the Dance FloorSneaky Ery (WEST-O)One of the first bgirls I met from Japan back when she lived in Vancouver, Ery talks about her history, the importance of mentors, her thoughts on why Japan has such a high level in breaking, difficulties she faced as a bgirl, and more.
2020-10-061h 01Beyond the Dance Floordjblesone (MASHHALL/DTttC/Real Love DJs)The number one stranger in the scene, Bles talks about growing up in Portland and how that shaped him, his DIY spirit with everything, history of the Mashhall bat, making music for the breaking scene, and more.
2020-10-061h 15Beyond the Dance FloorJunya (REILOW/SORROW/SHADOWROCK)One of the first people I really connected with in Japan, Junya shares his history, his time living in Australia and Germany, overcoming his fears and taking that "first step" and how it changed his life, his love of coffee, and more.
2020-10-061h 23Beyond the Dance FloorArk (808 BREAKERS/FLOOR GANGZ)Definitely one of the people I wanted to have on here since the beginning, Ark shares his personal history, history on the Hawaiian scene, perspectives on teaching, adapting to teaching during the pandemic, teaching students perspectives beyond just moves, and more.
2020-10-061h 04Beyond the Dance FloorVinnie the Voyager (EXG)One of the most interesting bboys I've met so far, Vinnie definitely has an interesting take on things. We get into his history, his love of horror movies, his perspective on creating, naming moves and more.
2020-10-061h 22Beyond the Dance FloorCian (RHYTHM REBELS/BUSINESS AS USUAL)One of the young up and coming talents in Vancouver, Cian. We talk about his origins in Ireland, the Irish scene and the larger European scene, how he got into footwork, what he's learned living abroad and more.
2020-10-061h 01Beyond the Dance FloorChris SzombathyOne of the guys I first started dancing with, Chris has influenced my style and perspective both directly and indirectly. We talk about our love of fighting games, creativity, where ideas come from, making "space" for ideas, and more.
2020-10-061h 30Beyond the Dance FloorMakoon (FUN SQUAD)One of my close friends, Makoon from Fun Squad based out of the Kansai area of Japan. We talk about his time in Vancouver, starting out as a hip hop dancer, work as a tour guide, Japanese history, Zen Buddhist history, and more.
2020-10-061h 32Beyond the Dance FloorNiksone (Local Stranger/The Hoods)The Chief Talker, Niksone. We talk about his creative outlets, his old brand NINE and his new brand Local Stranger, and what it means to him and how it's relevant to today, and more.
2020-10-061h 37Beyond the Dance FloorC-Wee (Naked Gunz)Nori aka C-Wee repping Naked Gunz out of Nagoya, Japan. We talk about his history, his crew's history, what got him started in breaking, living abroad, learning to DJ, parties in Japan and more.
2020-10-0650 minBeyond the Dance FloorTango (BAG OF TRIX/BACK 2 BASICS)Member of legendary Canadian crew Bag of Trix, Tango shares in perspective on his personal and crew history, creativity as problem solving, staying true to yourself and more.
2020-10-061h 40Beyond the Dance FloorSwitch B (FAM/MEC)The guy responsible for 90% of the music I use on my Youtube and this podcast, Switch B is one those true friends in the scene. Great bboy, MC, beat producer with a great perspective on things.
2020-10-0658 minBeyond the Dance FloorMark‘s Iller (FILTHEE FEETOne of my best friends, and partner in crime on the dance floor, Mark is one of the guys that first got me to start thinking outside the box and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
2020-10-061h 03Beyond the Dance FloorTafiya (Kybalion)Tafiya repping Kybalion out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. One of my favourite dancers and someone who thinks much deeper about the dance. It was only fitting to have him as the first guest.
2020-10-0645 min