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Table of contents 5 FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES & ARTICLE PITCHES CONTACT MATTHEW EVERITT AT MATT@WORLDOFDANCE.COM
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GROUP CHAT
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FALL INTO THE 90s
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REALITY IS RELATIVE
CONTRIBUTED MATERIAL.
WORLD OF DANCE TOUR INC.
#WODMOVEMENT SPOTLIGHT Meet Matthew Fernandez, Glove 4 Glove Initiative ambassador
SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME AND BECOME
RESPONSIBILITY FOR UNSOLICITED
16 FRESH KICKS
Inside the producer’s personal playlist
SUBMISSIONS: PHOTO, CONTENT/STORY AND ART PROPERTY OF WORLD OF DANCE.
PERSONAL PLAYLIST: LEGEND DA BEATSLAYA
CERRITOS, CA 90703 WWW.WORLDOFDANCE.COM @WORLDOFDANCE
Your chance to sound off on your favorite things
Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas talks sneakers
WORLD FINALS
A recap of the international event straight from the judges
20 MY CITY, MY STAGE World of Dance Tour dates
22 BREAK IT DOWN
Inspired creative expression
FIDM fashion student and trendsetter, Celine Gastelum, shares some of the latest trends for fall 2015
Inside Cirque du Soleil’s KURIOS–Cabinet of Curiosities
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PERSONAL PLAYLIST FEAT. LEGEND DA BEATSLAYA
MOSH PIT FEAT CASINO
BY KRISTIE BERTUCCI
FLOSSTRADAMUS LEGEND DA BEATSLAYA may have started out as a dancer, but now he has evolved into one of today’s top producers in the dance scene, creating innovating and electrifying beats. With one goal in mind—to make your body involuntarily start moving—Legend Da Beatslaya kills it onstage and in the studio.. We caught up with the producer/dancer phenom to find out what he listens to in his downtime and here’s what he told us!
DEFINITION OF DOPE CHALICE SERRANO FT. KEVIN RAY
This song is amazing to me because it’s an orchestral fusion of Trap x Hip Hop. It’s very unique, unpredictable, modern and unconventional with an awesome message. It is a self-acknowledgment and self-celebration song where the artists are standing up for themselves, staring in the mirror and affirming that regardless of what society feels or says, “I’m the definition of dope.” That’s powerful to me and it makes me wanna just turn up.
I GETS DA FUNQ DOWN (ALBUM)
LEGEND DA BEATSLAYA
I made this album to provoke involuntary body and soul movement. It’s my favorite of my albums and the latest. It embodies all the elements that make me feel and wanna move the way I do. I’ve captured most of our moods and mind-states with this body of work. Something for the cyphers, battles, performances, parties, clubs, driving and chill funk. It’s 17 songs of straight “Get the Funq Down Music.”
This beat and this hook just get me super turnt up! Especially in a club or party. Wooooo!! It just makes you wanna bounce. Puts me in a carefree party mode.
/BEATSLAYAOFFICIAL /BEATSLAYAOFFICIAL @BEATSLAYA @LDBEATSLAYA
SEXY JACKET SHASH’U
DJ Shash’U brought that retro ‘80’s funk feel with a modern touch. Wooooo!! His whole album “PWR FNK” is amazing. It makes me daydream immediately, puts me in a good mood, gives me the “poot face” and my body instantly reacts in a funky and powerful way.
TAKE Ü THERE FEAT. KIESZA DIPLO X SKRILLEX PRESENT JACK Ü
It is a powerful mix of feelings, textures and emotions—and has a drop you don’t expect. I love EDM, pop, trap blends... This song fuses them together really well. Diplo x Skrillex are two Juggernauts in the music industry with very different production styles and tastes. But when they come together they always bring a fresh point of view.
ABOUT LEGEND DA BEATSLAYA Legend Da Beatslaya is a cornerstone in dance culture around the world. As one of the youngest, most-respected judges in the dance industry and a competition winner himself, Beatslaya has sat in over 57 of the world’s largest dance competitions and instructed in more than 37 countries. Beatslaya has also dabbled in television as a competitor in MTV’s Sisqo’s ShakeDown, Star Search, several Enrique Iglesias and Mac 10 music videos and was even a featured dancer on Soul Train. As a music producer, Beatslaya focuses on provoking involuntary body movement through his unique style and his tag, “Wooooo Beatslaya,” resonates in dance communities around the world. Fusing his dance experience with a passion for the future of music, Beatslaya has placed music for movies and television shows like So You Think You Can Dance, Stomp the Yard, BET’s 106 & Park, America’s Got Talent and more. In addition to producing music for the world-famous dance duo, Les Twins, and his long list of culture-relevant credits, Beatslaya is also the owner of his own label, Labl’d Fresh Music Group. ¥
CHECK OUT THE TRACKS BY FOLLOWING THE QR CODE AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THEM ONLINE @ WORLDOFDANCE #WODPLAYLIST
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MATTHEW FERNANDEZ GLOVER
#WODMOVEMENT SPOTLIGHT BY JORDANNAH ELIZABETH | PHOTOS BY EMAZINGLIGHTS
MATTHEW FERNANDEZ is a 16-yearold with a condition called cerebral palsy. After being introduced to gloving by his older brother, Mike—an original founder of Puppet Masters (PM), one of the most wellknown gloving crews around—Matthew became an ambassador for the Glove 4 Glove Initiative, an organization dedicated to “giving back to those who could use a little more light in their lives.” Matthew’s story is a testament to the power of creative expression. We sat down with Mike Fernandez to hear more about Matthew’s creative journey.
How did Matthew get involved with the Glove 4 Glove Initiative? Brian Lim is a personal friend of mine and when I mentioned that Matthew liked gloving, the EmazingLights team asked if he’d like to be involved. Gloving has helped Matthew so much that we accepted right away. Matthew has proven to me and everyone who knows his story that gloving is helpful in so many ways. He is able to express himself and dance through his hands. I stand by him and everyone else who is helped by gloving. Glove 4 Glove is a blessing.
How did cerebral palsy affect Matthew before gloving? Six months into my mother’s pregnancy, Matthew and his twin brother, John, were pronounced dead. John did not make it and Matthew was born prematurely, weighing less than a pound. His muscles weren’t fully developed and he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
For more about Glove 4 Glove and how to get involved, check out: emazinglights.com/glove4glove ¥
How was Matthew introduced to gloving? One day, I was walking past Matthew’s room and I found him watching some of my PM lightshow videos. He was so into it, dancing with his hands and creating new moves, that I started gloving with him.
How has gloving changed Matthew’s life? Gloving has changed Matthew’s life physically and mentally. The art of gloving involves a lot of synchronized hand movements. His arm strength and mobility have increased tenfold and he can do things he couldn’t do before like grab a video game controller with his right hand and his writing is a lot more stable and steady. When Matthew puts on the gloves, we see it as more than just gloving. It’s a form of exercise and therapy too.
IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW LIVES THE IDEA THAT “CREATIVE EXPRESSION CAN CHANGE THE WORLD,” TELL US ABOUT IT ONLINE @WORLDOFDANCE #WODMOVEMENT. IT COULD BECOME THE NEXT #WODMOVEMENT SPOTLIGHT.
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Group Chat
WE ASKED AND YOU ANSWERED We want to know more about you! Group Chat is your chance to sound off on all kinds of topics. This time, we asked what apps you use the most (besides social media ). Here’s what you said:
YOUTUBE – This video-sharing platform tops the charts as your favorite app! Not only can you spend hours scoping out dance and music videos, but you can even upload your own. And if you’re looking to learn a new move or wondering “how to,” YouTube has thousands of tutorials at your disposable.
NETFLIX – Movies and TV Shows only a click away make Netflix so popular. You can literally watch thousands of movies and shows whenever and wherever you want with a Netflix subscription. For one low monthly price of $7.99, you can stream movies and shows to your phone, tablet, laptop, gaming console or smart TV.
SOUNDCLOUD – Users love this
app for new music discovery and follow some of their favorite artists here. You can upload your own music and promote it to the world or just listen to some dope tracks on-the-go. Some profiles even let you download the music for free!
SPOTIFY – WOD fans love music and
that brought Spotify to #3 on the list. The digital music service provides users with access to millions of songs from their favorite artists. The subscription-based option allows users to listen to tracks from notable artists and discover new ones commercial-free from their phone or computer.
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CLASH OF CLANS – Quite a few of
responses we got back were about Clash of Clans – a gaming app for Android and iOS devices. The strategy game allows players to construct and expand their village, raid and pillage resources from other villages and unlock powerful warriors and defenses. You can even create and join clans! The game is free to play, but many find themselves making in-app purchases to upgrade their clan.
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PANDORA – This Internet radio music
streaming service provides users with tunes from their favorite artists and recommends others based on the same genre, using their Music Genome Project. Users can sign up for free, but deal with ads in between songs unless they pay for premium service and ad-free listening.
CAMERA – Many of you mentioned
that the camera on your smartphone/tablet is your favorite app. It’s technically more hardware than software, but we totally get it – social media is all about capturing videos and photos of your everyday life and it can’t be done without a camera!
VSCO – While many choose Snapseed as their photo editing needs, others declared VSCO (short for Visual Supply Co) to be the only editing app they use. You can shoot photos directly from the app with advanced camera controls like shutter speed adjustment, manual focus and exposure compensation for unprecedented creative control of your images. After that, you can easily edit them to your specifications and share with the world!
RUNNERS UP
MAGISTO – The videos you take on your camera are great and Magisto kicks them up a notch by helping you enhance them for your social media accounts. You can go a step further by incorporating still photos into your videos and adding background music to make them more memorable. Your everyday videos and photos are magically transformed into mini movies that your followers will love to watch and share. SNAPSEED – As one of the most
popular image editing apps available, users transform their photos into amazing works of art! The creative photo editing app is universally easy-to-use. You can add filters, crop, enhance and so much more thanks to the app’s numerous editing features.
FLASHLIGHT – A few noted that their flashlight app was something they used a lot and we don’t blame you. Having a flashlight on your phone really comes in handy when you’ve dropped things in the dark! Not that we know from personal experience or anything... WE HEART IT - Looking for inspiration and beautiful images is easy with the We Heart It app since you can browse from thousands of images from all over the world and heart the ones you like.
SHAZAM – The Shazam app helps identify the music around you. If you’re dying to know the name of the tune playing on the radio, in the store or on your favorite television show, simply open the app and it’ll tell you the name of the track and the artist.
WORLD OF DANCE
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SPORTSWEAR MONOCHROME Sportswear monochrome has made a comeback, combining comfy fabrics with textured details and interesting layers.
DECORATIVE DAMAGE This “tomboyish” look is achieved by mixing vintage finds with tougher, more contemporary pieces.
SPACE RAVE As the virtual and real world collide, creative combinations of magnetic and flashing colors emerge. BY CELINE GASTELUM
WASHED OUT DENIM-ON-DENIM This faded look casually emphasizes imperfection with loosely folded cuffs on pants and jackets.
On our mission to bring you the best in fashion and lifestyle information, the World of Dance team partnered up with our friends at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), the foremost school for fashion and design. FIDM fashion student and trendsetter, Celine Gastelum, shared some of the latest trends for fall 2015. On the FIDM Los Angeles campus, students are already sporting the fall’s hottest streetwear trends with a millennial revamp of the retro ‘90s. Trends courtesy of trend forecaster, WGSN. Photos by Celine Gastelum
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REALITY IS RELATIVE UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF KURIOS—CABINET OF CURIOSITIES BY JACQUELYN DOGGETTE | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CIRQUE DU SOLEI
A WORLD OF CURIOSITIES. Seeing is Disbelieving. Nothing is as It Seems. Cirque du Soleil has delighted audiences with its larger-than-life, fantastical creations ever since 1984. Close to 155 million people around the world have seen a Cirque du Soleil show and its reputation for high-quality, artistic entertainment attracts spectators and performers alike. KURIOS—Cabinet of Curiosities is one of the latest touring shows to be added to the Cirque du Soleil family. Written and directed by Michel Laprise, this innovative take on steampunk pulls the audience into an alternate and magical version of the past. The story follows an ambitious inventor, a Seeker, who is convinced that there is an invisible world hidden inside of a cabinet where he has collected curiosities from his travels around the world. The Seeker defies the laws of time, space and dimension to bring the world of KURIOS to life and reality is distorted to reveal a realm where “seeing is disbelieving.” “The storyline takes place in the era of the industrial revolution, the time of all the great inventions,” shared Amélie Robitaille, Cirque du Soleil publicist. “We are really celebrating human intelligence and all the possible!”
Bringing the world of KURIOS to life is no small feat. Approximately 65 trucks transporting close to two thousand tons of equipment travel with the show. 426 props, more than any other production in the history of Cirque du Soleil, and 800 costume pieces enhance the performance and 109 tour members from 21 different countries are currently on tour. These human elements, the performers, have the greatest responsibility in creating a world of fantasy for their viewers. “The choreography reflects the mood of [the] show—positive and extremely alive,” said Bruno Darmagnac, artistic director for KURIOS. “[The ideal performer brings] a good mix of high acrobatic level and artistic skills. That is how we give emotions to our audiences.” “We do between 8-10 shows a week, so the performers have to stay in good shape and take care of themselves,” said Ms. Robitaille. Two of these performers, Ekaterina Pirogovskaya, a mime from Ukraine and Gabriel Beaudoin, a juggler from Canada shared a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to be a part of the Cirque du Soleil cast.
THE STORYLINE TAKES PLACE IN THE ERA OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, THE TIME OF ALL THE GREAT INVENTIONS. WE ARE REALLY CELEBRATING HUMAN INTELLIGENCE AND ALL THE POSSIBLE! AMÉLIE ROBITAILLE, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL PUBLICIST
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GABRIEL BEAUDOIN: In school, I was always the kid who was not really paying attention and being the clown instead. It made my classmates laugh and I started enjoying the warmth of people having a good time. How did you become a part of Cirque du Soleil? EP: In 2009, the first ever Cirque du Soleil audition for mimes, clowns and actors [was in Saint-Petersburg]. While walking on the street with a friend, we saw the sign for the audition and it was the first time I [had] ever heard about Cirque du Soleil so I decided to try it out the very next day. I made it on the database of Cirque du Soleil artists and waited eight months before I received an invitation for a second audition in Montreal for the show Iris. I [then] performed as the character of Praxinoskop from 2011-2013 at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. GB: I studied at the Ecole Nationale de Cirque in Montreal. During our end-of-year presentation/show for all [of] the circus industry people, the director of KURIOS, Michel Laprise, saw my act and came to see me at intermission to offer me a job.
GA
The rest is history after performing over 500 shows in less than two years! What is a day on tour like for you as a performer? EP: It is important for me to be able to wake up naturally and save as much of my energy as possible for the shows later at night. I like to visit the city on my bicycle and take lots of pictures. On my days off, I like to visit museums, historical and iconic places, see as many live music and dance performances and read classic Russian books.
EKATERINA PIROGOVSKAYA
What made you originally want to become a performer? EKATERINA PIROGOVSKAYA: Originally, when I lived in Ukraine as a child, I wanted to become a doctor. However, when I was studying economics in Siberia at 17-yearsold, I was invited to participate in a student theater. I had a feeling of enlightenment on stage at the very first rehearsal. I felt like I belonged there. My acting professor told me I should move to a big city and make a career out of acting because he believed in me. After a year of arguing with my mom about it, she finally let me go to study acting as long as it was in Saint-Petersburg. Once I moved there, I knew this was meant to be and I couldn’t go back to Siberia and economic studies.
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EKATERINA PIROGOVSKAYA AS KLARA
BRIEL BEAUDOIN
GABRIEL BEAUDOIN AS THE JUGGLER
How do you hope audiences feel after watching you in KURIOS? EP: I hope that people fall in love with the show. GB: I hope that I simply make them feel something. At the end of my act, I would like [for them to] feel like getting up out of their seat and just dancing to the music.
GB: Sleep, try not to be late for work, juggle, eat, juggle, makeup, warm-up, show, juggle, eat, juggle, sleep… It takes a lot of work to perform between eight-ten shows a week, stay focused, stay energized and still evolve my art form, so I practice five to six hours a day. Tell me about your character in KURIOS— Cabinet of Curiosities… EP: Klara [the Telegraph of the Invisible] is half machine, half woman. She is curious about her environment and likes to know and feel the things surrounded her. She is filled with energy and electricity. If you look at her during the show, she is always telling a story with her hands and mimes. GB: At first, I was supposed to be a vacuum salesman, but as the creation evolved I became The Juggler. Do you and your character have anything in common? EP: Just like Klara, I am very curious. I like to learn new languages and read about history and discover new cities. Just like her, I am driven by the energy of people around me. GB: We both juggle! **laughs** We both have fireball energy and are very dynamic. I’m trying to make my character classier because sometimes he can be goofy like me. What is the experience of being on stage like? EP: It is such a special feeling. I feel excitement and I want to be able to share that excitement. When I am on stage with other artists, especially in the upside-down diner act, we share a moment. I like to create little humorous moments that will push them and give them energy. GB: I think the experience is different for everybody. It is a state of being that you have to dive into and the more and more you perform, the more you are aware of what that state is for you. Obviously, the energy of the crowd has a big impact on how you feel. Do you ever get nervous before a performance? EP: When we started performing [KURIOS] or when a special someone was in the audience, I did get a little bit nervous. But after we did about 100 shows, that feeling went away. With the nervousness gone, I started wanting to create new surprises for
the audience and make them react and be astonished during the show. The challenge was mostly to make sure [that] every day I perform, I have the feeling like it’s the first time. Because every day it is a new audience, they help me in achieving that. GB: Yes. If I am nervous, I force myself to smile before going onstage and think about what kind of energy I want to give to the audience. It just doesn’t feel right [when I’m nervous], but when I’m just driven and excited, I know I’m going to do a good performance. If I accept that I could possibly make a mistake, then the nervousness becomes less of a burden and more of [a] strength.
What advice would you give to performers who dream of joining Cirque du Soleil one day? EP: Be brave, confident in your own style and develop your artistic personality. Believe in your dream, make sure you are doing little steps forward every day to get you closer to your dream and make sure to have fun while you do it! When I left SaintPetersburg, my physical theater and acting professors gave me advice: “Be ready even if you are not ready.” And it worked! GB: The [circus] art is becoming more open to different styles and it is up to you to make it. Circus can be everywhere. For example, I started performing on the streets when I was 14 years old. There is more and more attention to circus schools now than before. Circus used to be more of a family tradition that was taught in private. So take advantage of those great places where they spread the art. Just with the internet, circus got more exposure than ever. So be aware of all those different forms of circuses, look at it online, go see shows, read about it… Absorb it! ¥
BEHIND THE SCENES: FUN FACTS ABOUT KURIOS If you go to a KURIOS performance, you will be greeted by a welcoming act on top of the big top! When the weather permits, three artists climb above the entrance and play music for the guests. Cirque du Soleil performers are responsible for applying their own makeup for every show. It can take anywhere between 40 minutes to two hours. The flags flying at the entrance of the Big Top represent the 21 nationalities of the cast and crew
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/OFFICIALTABOO @TABBEP @OFFICIALTABOO
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FLY KICKS THE BLACK EYED PEAS’ TABOO ON SNEAKER CULTURE
BY SOWMYA KRISHNAMURTHY | PHOTOS BY JORDAN ABRANTES
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LIFESTYLE
FROM RUN-D.M.C.’S “MY ADIDAS” in 1986 to Nelly’s ode to “Air Force Ones” and the line-around-the-block frenzy over Kanye West’s Air Yeezys, sneakers have always been an intrinsic part of hip-hop. For Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas, his kicks obsession began when he asked his mom to buy him the Air Jordan 6 Carmines. The $150-price tag was too extravagant, especially back in 1991. “It broke my spirit a little bit,” he remembers. Eventually, he got the coveted shoes for Christmas and a sneakerhead was born. “It sparked a love and appreciation for the sneaker game.” Taboo began working in his school’s auditorium to fund his shoe addiction. A lifelong aficionado of Nike’s Jordan line, the Los Angeles native loved sneakers related to basketball, including Penny Hardaway’s Nike Foamposites or shoes created around the annual All-Star Game. When he wasn’t chasing down the latest kicks, he was focused on his other love— dance. Taboo remembers dancing as “second nature” as early as five years
old and points to his grandmother as influencing him. “She loved Fred Astaire, watching Elvis Pressley [and] even Spanish music,” he remembers. “I used to [dance] in her living room.” Coming-of-age in the 80s, hip-hop culture was the ideal fusion of sneaker culture and dance. “I became obsessed. Hip-hop culture has always been about sneakers. When Run-D.M.C. said, ‘My Adidas’ they were giving props to a shoe!” He took to b-boying after watching movies like Beat Street and Breakin’ and, at one point, even asked his mother for a b-boy-themed birthday party. Taboo and his dance crew, Divine Travel Brothers, performed at high school and at local clubs. “I put in a lot of hard work. 10,000 hours of practice. All I wanted to do was dance,” he says. “Prior to me becoming an emcee or songwriter, all I did was dance.” He says his “killer footwork” was inspired by greats like Bob Fosse and James Brown as well as his Jeet Kune Do martial arts training. “I was never good enough to become a martial artist but I was good enough to get my ass kicked!” he laughs. “I was also good enough to incorporate the form and the technique to implement martial arts, footwork, freestyle and b-boying all in one.” In 1993, this footwork led him to a dance cypher at club Ballistics where he met will.i.am and apl.de.ap. “We were battling other crews. It just so happened
that my crew and their crew had a similar vibe.” They connected as friends and became the creative collective Grassroots, which ultimately evolved into The Black Eyed Peas in 1995.
PHOTO BY NICOLAS GENIN
The Black Eyed Peas released their debut, Behind the Front in 1998, which featured the footwork-heavy music video “Joints & Jam.” 2003’s Elephunk proved a creative and commercial breakthrough for the group, with singer Fergie joining the fold. The album went on to sell over nine million copies worldwide, bolstered by “Let’s Get it Started,” “Hey Mama” and “Where Is The Love?” Pop success followed with 2005’s Monkey Business and 2009’s The E.N.D., which both went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide. “I Got a Feeling” became the highest-selling digital single of all time (and solidified the group’s seat at every wedding and bar mitzvah) and in 2011, The Peas performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show.
Earlier this year, they released “Yesterday” and will begin work on a new album. In the meantime, Taboo is releasing his own solo passion projects including music targeted towards the Latino, dance and underground rap communities. With “20 summers in the game,” musical success has enabled Taboo to grow his sneaker collection considerably. “As I started getting money and traveling the world, I started finding these rare places, like Japan or Korea, I could only find limited-edition sneakers.” He often shops and trades at Sneaker Con in Los Angeles and his collection—which at one point swelled to approximately 1000 pairs—features gems like the Graduationedition of Jay Z’s Reebok S. Carters, Louis Vuitton Dons, Nike’s Air Yeezy 2 Red Octobers (which are “really comfortable” while dancing) and Yeezys signed by Kanye West! He points to the latter as his most prized pair, estimating that he could re-sell them for as much as $80,000. With such an enviable collection, one of Taboo’s proudest sneakerhead moments is the shoe he designed. In 2010, he democratized sneakers by releasing his moderately-priced Deltah 3008 with Jump USA. “I went to Zhongdong in China and went to the manufacturing spot to see everything from the ground up. The leather. The stitching. The colorways. I got the chance to really design it,” he says. “I was really proud of it.” ¥
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1ST PLACE WINNERS, DESI HOPPERS
FASHION
3RD PLACE WINNERS, NXG COMPANY
FRONT ROW AT THE WOD WORLD FINALS BY ALINA OROZCO
WOD WORLD FINALS JUDGES FROM LEFT: BEAU FOURNIER, GALEN HOOKS, ARNEL CALVARIO, MATT STEFFANINA AND JUN QUEMADO
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LIFESTYLE
THIS AUGUST, crews from around the globe gathered in Los Angeles, CA to battle it out and celebrate dance culture at the first ever World of Dance (WOD) World Finals event. Fans had the opportunity to see their favorite YouTube artists and dance icons live and teams from around the world brought their creativity and talent to the mainstage. “It was an amazing [show] for sure,” said WOD World Finals judge, Matt Steffanina. As an accomplished dancer and choreographer with over 4M Youtube subscribers, Steffanina knows his way around a dance floor. According to him, so do the Desi Hoppers, the team that took first place and the Crowd Favorite title. “They had such a unique style with the Bollywood [and] animation. The fact that they were able to keep the crowd into it and create so many different formations with only seven dancers was really impressive, said Steffanina. Without a WOD Qualifier event to attend, the Desi Hoppers were chosen via video submission to represent India in the international competition. The group is comprised of seven talented dancers from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and vastly different regions of India. The team found each other and holds together through a love for dance and the determination to take dance culture to a new level in India and beyond. The WOD World Finals judges thought their mesmerizing performance did just that.
“Desi Hoppers really stood out as original,” said Arnel Calvario, also tasked with the difficulty of judging the fantastic performances. As the founder of Kaba Modern and KM Legacy, President of Culture Shock LA and Culture Shock International, member of KINJAZ and one-time manager of The Beat Freaks and Fanny Pak, Calvario has an eye for creativity and talent. “What was entertaining about them is that they incorporated and fused their cultural roots into their choreography and music choices, so it really drew the audience in and felt refreshingly new,” he said. NXG COMPANY MEMBERS BACKSTAGE
2ND PLACE WINNERS, PRAISETEAM, BACKSTAGE
“PraiseTEAM hands down had my favorite theme–Space Jam. I really appreciated the ‘I believe I can Fly’ moment” said Steffanina of the second place winners, PraiseTEAM. PraiseTEAM, a non-profit performing arts company based in British Columbia, Canada, chose 30 dancers to represent their crew of 200 at the world finals. The team underwent extensive training in technique, versatility, leadership and character in order to develop as individual performers while working as a team. Their goal is to tell stories and spread positive messages. PraiseTEAM members are asked to deliberately help the less fortunate through food donation drives and charitable projects in order to spread positivity around the world. “You could just feel their passion and camaraderie,” said WOD World Finals judge, Galen Hooks. Hooks, a triple threat performer, has worked with over 60 recording artists including Justin Bieber, Chris Brown and Britney Spears. She has
also served as an Associate Consulting Producer on America’s Got Talent and looked for a high performance quality in the WOD World Finals teams. Third place winners, NXG Company, was founded by Alexander Chung with a very specific vision in mind. “To create a group of dancers that would be the next generation in movement and unify a young population of dancers that were looking for unique opportunities.” Today, NXG Company competes on an international stage, but they remain conscious of giving back to the community that gave so much support to them. You can find crew members teaching local workshops, shaving their heads to raise awareness for cancer patients and performing at local benefit shows. “NXG didn’t do anything fancy, [they] just came out and killed it. I thought they mixed up their song selection well and really highlighted a lot of different dancers throughout the set,” said Steffanina. As much as the judges enjoyed the winning teams’ performances, they showed a lot of love for a few other standout moments in the show. “My favorite moment was The Royal Family’s [showcase],” said Calvario. “Their strong stage presence, quality of movement, clear identity with their artistry, musicality and textures throughout their set was dynamic, entertaining and impressive. So many amazing moments just in that one set.” “We all knew Royal Family was going to come out and slay, which they did,” said
Steffanina, of the performance. “But the biggest surprise of the whole event for me was Kyushundanji Shinsengumi. All of the judges were standing, jaws-dropped halfway through their performance. They did at least 10 things in that set that I’ve never seen before. Unbelievable.” Hooks had a personal connection to one of the crews. “My favorite moment of the show was Kyushudanji Shinsengumi. It’s just mind blowing to see such talent and love of dance from little kids. And I’m half Japanese so there was definitely some pride happening!” ¥
THE ROYAL FAMILY SHOWCASE KEEP TABS ON YOUR FAVORITE JUDGES: ARNEL CALVARIO @ARNELCALVARIO BEAU FOURNIER @BEAUFP GALEN HOOKS @GALENHOOKS JUN QUEMADO @JUNQUEMADO MATT STEFFANINA @MATTSTEFFANINA
WORLD OF DANCE
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CANADA 2/22/15 MONTREAL QUALIFIER
THE RIALTO THEATER
6/13/15 VANCOUVER QUALIFIER
CROATIAN CULTURAL CENTER
10/3/15 TORONTO
QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATER
SOREAL
1ST PLACE UPPER DIVISION WOD HOUSTON 2015
NXG COMPANY 1ST PLACE UPPER DIVISION
GROOVE2MUSIK 1ST PLACE
WOD LOS ANGELES 2015
WOD ATLANTA 2015
NORTHERN USA 5/23/15 FREEHOLD, NJ IPLAY AMERICA
11/21/15 BOSTON, MA
BAYBACK EVENT CENTER
WESTERN USA 10/10/15 SEATTLE, WA
HIGHLINE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
TEXAS USA 5/9/15 DALLAS, TX
SOUTH SIDE BALLROOM
9/19/15 HOUSTON, TX WAREHOUSE LIVE
12/15/15 LAS VEGAS, NV CASHMAN THEATER
1/23/16 HONOLULU, HI
BLAISDELL BLAISDELL CONCERT HALL
CALIFORNIA, USA 2/10/15 AWARDS SHOW
AVALON HOLLYWOOD
4/25/15 BAY AREA
SOLANO COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS
8/15/15 LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER
8/16/15 LA WORLD FINALS LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER
11/7/15 SAN DIEGO
CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS
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ILLINOIS, USA 11/14/15 CHICAGO
COPERNICUS THEATER
SOUTHERN USA 5/30/15 ORLANDO, FL
OSCEOLA PERFORMING ARTS
8/29/15 ATLANTA, GA
RIALTO CENTER FOR THE ARTS
DANCE
MUSIC
FASHION
LIFESTYLE
My city, my stage BRINGING THE WORLD’S LARGEST DANCE CULTURE MOVEMENT TO CITIES AROUND THE WORLD
DESI HOPPERS
1ST PLACE FINALS WOD WORLD FINALS 2015
JAPAN 7/11/15 JAPAN QUALIFIER
EUROPE 4/5/15 FRANCE QUALIFIER LA SALLE DU SUMMUM DE GRENOBLE
4/12/15 BELGIUM QUALIFIER MUZIEKCENTRUM TRIX
4/19/15 GERMANY QUALIFIER HUXLEYS
4/26/15 ITALY QUALIFIER TENDASTRISCE
11/15/15 SPAIN QUALIFIER
AUDITORIO DE ZARAGOZA
11/22/15 LONDON QUALIFIER CORONET LONDON
11/29/15 NETHERLANDS
PHILIPPINES 5/18/15 PHILIPPINES QUALIFIER AFP THEATER
EFFNAAR
NEW ZEALAND 5/23/15 NEW ZEALAND QUALIFIER IPLAY AMERICA
DATES AND LOCATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE VISIT WORLDOFDANCE.COM/TOUR FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION.
WORLD OF DANCE
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DANCE
MUSIC
FASHION
LIFESTYLE
Break it down DANCING IS CREATING A SCULPTURE.
THAT IS VISIBLE ONLY FOR A MOMENT. EROL OZAN
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR PHOTO OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION IN WOD MAGAZINE, POST IT ONLINE AND INCLUDE “@WORLDOFDANCE #WODLIFESTYLE” IN THE DESCRIPTION. IT JUST MAY BE FEATURED IN A FUTURE ISSUE!
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PHOTO BY JORDAN “DJ SHAKEE” ABRANTES @DJSHAKEE
DANCER IS BGIRL SHORTY @BGIRLSHORTYROCC
SINCL AIR RILE Y Photo by: Sinclair Riley
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Publication: World Of Dance - Inaugural Issue
Final Artwork
7/27/15 12:03 PM