Urban Paradise 2014

Being a professional dancer means that I am constantly surrounding myself with dance related things. And while it is a little embarrassing to admit, I'll say it anyways: There are times when I get tired of dancing and feel uninspired to take class or even to create.

But before I ever sink too deeply into that negative ravine of boredom, I encounter people and experience events that re-instill in me a wild love for dance. And this year's Urban Paradise was that event.

Urban Paradise is a dance showcase that is organized every year by Bay Area hip hop group, The Company. Dance groups from all over California flocked to Chabot College theater a few weeks ago and shared their talents with the dance community. The lineup included Southern Californian favorites like Cookies and SBGM as well as Bay Area groups like Press Play.

Among these groups was a project put together by Pat Cruz titled, "Homebase". It featured choreography by: JekaJane Kalotkin, Amanda Grind, Pat Cruz, Ade Willis, Aggie Loyola, and my roomie Sorah Yang. I got to be in Pat and Sorah's pieces, and it was awesome dancing alongside my talented friends:

Entity was also invited to perform; we debuted our newest piece titled, "Bloom", which was choreographed by Raymond Naval and Will Johnston:

Dance community events like this are always humbling. They remind me of the amount of passion and creativity that exists outside of the industry. These were a few of my personal favorites of the evening in no particular order:

I feel so grateful to be surrounded by people whose greatness reminds me of why I love doing what I do. A huge thank you to The Company, Entity, Pat, Sorah, and everyone involved with Urban Paradise! You were all, and continue to be, a unique collective of artists from whom I draw an immense amount of inspiration from. 

Music Video: "Love is the Answer" by Aloe Blacc

At the beginning of this year I had the incredible chance to work with LA based choreographer Ryan Heffington on a music video remake for Aloe Blacc's, "Love is the Answer":

Heffington, the acclaimed "Martha Graham on meth" (via Los Angeles Times), is known for his exceptional work in the commercial, high art, and underground dance worlds. I have been a Heffington fan for years, ever since I saw a youtube video of his work with Hysterica Dance Company. He was also responsible for the stunning work in this video for Sigur Ros's, "Fjogur piano" featuring the beautiful Denna Thompsen:

The Lincoln Motor Company sponsored the video remake for Blacc's, "Love is the Answer," and director duo Radical Friend chose to explore a unique way of bringing the narrative to life. It describes one event through the perspectives of three different characters: Aloe, Nick, and Hannah. The different versions are available on the Lincoln's Youtube channel, while the video above is the final director's cut. 

I had a blast working with the large and eclectic cast of dancers which included freestylers, contemporary dancers, and hip-hop dance moguls. Ryan and his creative team (including Kathryn Burns and Hunter Hamilton) made being on set amazingly pleasant and enjoyable: 

Me and Ryan Heffington

Fun fact: that body suit was Margiela

I couldn't think of a better way to bring in the new year than with a reminder that "love (is) the only thing we have that's true."