Heart & Soul: Workshop with Tadd Gadduang (SYTYCD8)

by Clayton Ashcraft

Wow, how can I explain the workshop this last weekend with Tadd Gadduang?! Heart and soul would be the two words to define his class, the knowledge shared, and the feeling of the room. I take from not only my conversations with him to and from Tucson, but what he had to say about being an artist in everything. Tadd said,"As artists or whatever form of artistry you do; singing, dancing, painting, anything…anything that you do that expresses in a sense you're giving something to those who are engaged who are committed to what you are projecting on stage. Sometimes I am guilty of this…I would just move to music…I wasn't giving or sharing. I try to draw from experiences in my life and express it through what I do." The heart and soul of the dancers, ranging from kids to adults, that attended the workshop left the studio with a better idea of what being a 'true artist' is all about.

Part of my mission for Step X Step Dance was featuring talented dancers in small communities that don't normally have a large voice like other dancers, studios, or crews may have! The mission I set to achieve and the artistry of Tadd's class fused together to create a force of progression, happiness, and motivation for the future. No one should be left out of the equation that makes up this beautiful lifestyle and culture, which is something that I feel Tadd hit up very well in his explanation of 'artistry.'

After a very successful master class with Tadd, he spent another hour or so talking with a few of the dancers from the workshop outside. I could see him giving one on one time with many dancers who were itching to pick his brain on street dance culture, So You Think You Can Dance, making the leap to L.A., and many other subjects. Outside while talking to a few studio dancers he mentioned how the real important part of a class or workshop is the knowledge that is taught about the art, the culture, the foundations, the founders, and how it relates to our life. I look back now and wish I had really got that on camera because we all felt like we had the most nourishing meal for our minds, bodies, and spirits!

Big Thank You to Todd, Janna, Jolie, Garrett, and everyone at BreakOut Studios! Tadd absolutely loved the dancers, his experience and wants to come back! Thank you to everyone that came from others studios in Tucson and supported, we would love to support your studio as well! From the bottom of my heart, it's people like you that help make this dream of mine, Step X Step Dance, come true! Slowly, but surely we are "uniting dancers worldwide step by step!" Please make sure to check us out at StepXStep!

Here is the video link to the workshop recap with Tadd:

Your Monday Inspiration: John Cleese on Cultivating Creativity

by Jolie Roberson

I have grown up on John Cleese.  My mother was a huge fan of "Fawlty Towers" and "Monty Python" so, of course, I am now a huge fan.  I find these videos below to be inspirational not just because I adore John Cleese, but because I have a reference now of what it took to create all that he has created.  It's so disheartening to try and try to create and get nowhere, I know I've been there my fair share of the time, but what he says specifically about tolerating the discomfort of not having an answer in order to come up with the most creative solution made my day.  "Look, baby-cakes, I don't have to decide 'til Tuesday."  Enjoy, be inspired, play!

Monday Inspiration: Bruno Walpoth

Bruno Walpoth is an amazing artist that creates life-like sculptures from wood and lead.  What I find most incredible is that he breathes life into every facial feature and that the figures have such a natural posture.  It really does feel like they could come to life at any moment.

Who You Are

by Sam Quinn

I debated what my next blog entry should be for a couple hours. I’ll be the first to admit, my entries have been sincerely lacking. Sincere apologies. As a way to get back on board and writing, I asked friends what they thought I should write or what they would like to read. I watched a few YouTube videos to find some inspiration and came across some political debates on the prevalent issue of gay marriage. Disgusted and hurt by some of the politician’s negligent and condescending words, I looked up the marriage definition online. I typed that word in the dictionary app on my little fancy Mac Book Pro, and came across something very inspiring and moving.

            Marriage (noun)

1.     The formal union between a man and woman, typically           recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife.

a.     Similarly a long-term relationship between partners of the same sex.

In many regards, we live in a very progressive country…one that is accepting, loving, and courageous.  In other instances, it is like we are still in the dark ages.  That said, I did not expect to even see the slightest connection to gay marriage when looking up that definition. An instant smile came across my face, as it is apparent that individuals are now beginning to recognize homosexual partnerships as something more than just domestic partnerships. Gay marriage and gay rights are in the news almost daily nowadays and there are multitudes of viewpoints and stances within the marriage debate. We should all be proud of the progress made and hope that it’s only an upward growth from here. Stay optimistic, remain courageous and let’s move forward. I leave you with such an appropriate song to remind you to always be true to who you are. Life Moves, Move with it.

Tuesday Inspiration: Takahiro Kimura

Since 1991, Takahiro Kimura has been creating own unique style of collages that strives to show the complicated nature of the human spirit through peculiar physical distortions. His collages are made by cutting up photos and rearranging them into a collage to which color is then applied, thereby creating a whole new visage with an unforgettable impact.

Sneak(er) of Fashion

by Addison Johnson

Sneakers are security to many dancers. In hip-hop, depending on what your speciality is, you will have a favorite style of sneaker.

If I am going into a House session or battle, I will go for a lighter shoe, most likely a low-top Vans. They are really light and make footwork faster and easier.

Now if I am B-boying, I will go with a low-top, for sure. A high-top shoe makes floor work harder to keep clean. Also, power moves are more difficult because the weight from a high-top. I prefer either my Adidas Campus's or I may even go back to my low-top Vans.

Hands down, my favorite style of shoe is a high-top Nike Dunk. I know the "official" shoe of hip-hop is an Adidas, but Nike definitely has taken over the commercial hip-hop scene. There is just something about the feeling of a pair of Nike Dunks. I remember my first pair were the Lucha Libre Edition Dunks. I still have them! I felt like I could dance better when I was wearing them; they gave me support and style. I have at least 20 different pairs of high-top Dunks.

Shoes are an essential part of every dancer's makeup. If you don't feel good in your shoes, your dancing will reflect it. It's all about what makes you feel most comfortable.

Meet the Blog Staff: Clayton Ashcraft

Tell us a little about yourself and your background. 

      I was born and raised in San Diego, and I now live in Mesa, Arizona. I started dancing at age 5 and I was nurtured by my older brothers and sisters who grew up in the 80s/early 90s. I was really influenced by Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, and thats really where I took off! At the end of high school and into college I took to street dance and hip hop culture. I will be forever grateful for the things I have learned through that culture. I now run a street dance blog and cover everything from the industry to the small town dancers.

What are you going to bring to the Life Moves Blog?

      I bring the voice of the people, from those on the small and big screen to those in small towns that don't get exposure! We all have a story to tell and we all tell it in our own way, we can all learn from each other by sharing in the art of dance! It's interesting to have interviewed people from all walks of life, different languages, and circumstances, and to see that dance always breaks through language barriers! 

What moves you?

     Feeling music and feeling freedom to express through joy, pain, laughter, sadness --those are the reasons I move! God has given me a talent which is just another voice for Him to work through me! I want to share people's joys and pains in a way that celebrates life and the progression thereof.

What are your top 3 websites right now and why?

     1. Stepxstepdance.com --haha have to throw it in! I've been running the website since last year and we have grown so much! We really try to hit as much as we can from big names to not so exposed dancers! Please check it out! 
     2. Dancersglobal.com --a great resource for whats going on in street dance, but also lots of advice for dancers with many topics! Gabriel Thomas who runs the site, has a really great instinct as to what dancers are searching for these days.
     3. Hip Hop International's Facebook Page -- that event last year, 10th anniversary of HHI in Las Vegas, was huge for my own site, but I also learned a lot about what moves people to dance and what situations they go through to make their dreams come true! 

What's your favorite sound?

      Laughter! I love laughing and I love the way people laugh.