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Yahoo!Santa Barbara ain’t no South Central, but this week the American Riviera will get a taste of SoCal flavor when Tommy and the Hip-Hop Clowns come to town. Thomas “Tommy” Johnson is the originator of krumping, an urban dance style that blends hip-hop, boxing, and break dance in a competitive format. He and his crew will be teaching in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, May 27.
It was in 1992, the same year the world witnessed the Rodney King riots, that the former drug dealer and prison convict from South Central Los Angeles donned a rainbow-colored clown wig, painted his face, and started entertaining at children’s birthday parties. His urban dance form and messages of nonviolence gained a following and in 2005 caught the attention of filmmaker David LaChapelle, whose documentary, Rize, introduced krumping to the public. The following year, Summerdance Santa Barbara brought Tommy and the Hip-Hop Clowns to the city’s annual dance festival, where one teenager was particularly inspired by his performance.
Tommy & the Hip-Hop Clowns Master Krump Class
- When: Tuesday, May 27, 2008, 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Where: (One-off place), Santa Barbara
- Cost: Free - $25
- Age limit: Not available
That teenager was Jackie Rotman, the 14-year-old founder of Everybody Dance Now!, which offers free weekly dance classes to disadvantaged kids. Rotman decided that the young people she worked with should get a chance to learn from Tommy themselves. “He touches everyone he meets and is a remarkable role model,” Rotman said. “I knew that he could have a lasting, positive impact on these kids by sharing his motivating story and by helping the kids express themselves in a positive way — through dance.”
This Tuesday, Rotman will get her wish when Tommy teaches two master classes, one for ages 12 and under, one for those 13 and up. The classes are being offered free to those in need. As Rotman sees it, Santa Barbara is not immune to the kind of social strife and frustration that leads to violence, and the high-energy free expression of krumping is the perfect anger and tension release.
“Underprivileged or not, young or old, we can all learn from Tommy and benefit from the positive energy behind krump dance,” said Rotman. “His class brings energy out of you that you never knew you had and makes you feel incredible.”
Tommy himself refers to krumping as “the darker side of clowning,” but to Rotman, it’s an art form that motivates young people to “go after their dreams, do well in school, and live a positive and healthy lifestyle.”
4•1•1
For more information, check out everybodydancenowsb.org. To reserve tickets for a master class, visit presaleticketing.com.
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Dear Editor,
I recently had the pleasure of attending the show "Break" at the Granada Theater upon the recommendation of a friend. I thoroughly enjoyed it as I have been a fan of old school hip hop, well since the old school. I was shocked to read the scathing review put forth by Elizabeth Schwyzer, who in her editorial criticized the inclusion of the "token asian girl" in the ensemble and the "rastafarian" as if dreadlocks made someone that automatically. I find these comments to be on the border of racism, even going as far as to label her review "Monkey Business," ouch!
Also, the cast members of this show not only helped choreograph the show but are in fact some of the original breakers from the original scene in New York City of the late seventies and early eighties. How did Ms. Schwyzer inherit more street credit than the originals? Now I notice she sings high praises of Tommy and the Hip Hop Clowns, who may indeed be as super fresh as she proclaims, but why the disparity. The "Break" guys are talented athlete performers who are on the same mission in the respect of channeling positive youth energy, is it the ticket price? I for one am happy to see the likes of real hip hop grace the big stages, it sends the unaltered message into a new realm. The only other difference I can think of is that the "Break" show is Old School and hails from the East Coast, the Krump guys are relatively new and hail from the West Coast. Is Ms. Schwyzer so engrossed in the West Coast hip hop scene that she feels it necessary to lash out at artists and athletes from New York and Philly on the pages of our local rag. I just hope those guys don't read that thing and never return to our fair town.
Bill Burns
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bob109 (anonymous profile)
May 23, 2008 at 1:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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