Becket — As this is my last contribution of this summer, I want to thank David Scribner and Marcie Setlow of The Berkshire Edge for this opportunity, and also those of you who have responded so favorably.
In these articles, I have not been interested in describing a performance in detail. Others are much more skilled at that then I am. Instead, I have tried to share how and why the performance touched me. Sometimes I have been able to put the performance in historical context, drawing on knowledge garnered over my long career in the field. My hope is that readers have used these columns as a starting point for giving credence to and verbalizing their own reactions.
When it comes to the group FLEXN, which performed at Jacob’s Pillow August 17-20, 2016, what I offer here is a guide, a prompt — with a bit of pleading added — for you to find this group and see them for yourself. They are trying, in a valiant, unique way to share themselves as individuals and artists. They are crusaders.
AUTHENTIC, IMPORTANT, NECESSARY, TIMELY AND MOVING are just a few words to describe FLEXN. All dancers I know, including myself, would say that dancing is a calling. One does not seem to have a choice but to pursue. Most of us had options. The dancers in FLEXN often had none. Dancing became a way, sometimes the only way to make a decent life for themselves.
I am indebted to Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray for his brilliant physicality, his emotional intelligence, leadership, mentorship and just plain smarts. He is dedicated to developing not only his own talent, but also that of the remarkable group he works with. I am grateful to Peter Sellers for his never ending quest for originality no matter what form it takes, and to Charlotte Brathwaite, Associate Director for this collaboration.
And do we have originality here! Even the way the movements are named is like nothing I’ve known before. The very name of the movement communicates its meaning. Take Bone-breaking (Pioneer: Nugget), for example. It offers a style that looks like its name: the illusion that a person’s bones are breaking. Here the dancer communicates by exaggerating the difficulty of doing bone-breaks and by exhibiting extraordinary flexibility to create illusions and tell stories in all directions using arms and body. It is sometimes excruciating to watch…like some of the life lessons these dancers have experienced.
Another example from the evening was Gliding (Pioneer: Brian). In this piece, the style is based on the concept and illusion of air-walking, sliding, and floating using different patterns, foot placements, body movements, and hand gestures…creating stories using different alternating upper and lower body movements and patterns. Here we have, in movement, a statement of what it takes to glide through hard times. I know of no other dancers who have forged such a close relationship between meaning and movement.
FLEXN is so much more then a dance presentation. I would call it a velveteen protest piece. The evening addresses and confronts the complicated issues of social justice. It is “in your face,” but does not push you away. Rather, it welcomes you to get to know each and every dancer and his or her story. The introductions are reinforced by a pre-show talk on stage as part of each performance. FLEXN recognizes and addresses latent racism in a most remarkable way. It reveals the reality…of folks who are being maligned and trampled upon by foul-mouthed politicians. Black lives matter is not an abstraction here as these performers/human beings are at risk while driving, while walking, while living.
And so I would like you to hear from the dancers, even if you did get a chance to hear them through movement. What follows are their brief bios from the Pillow House Program (thanks to Chelsea Wells at the Pillow for providing them) as well as excerpts written by the dancers for a more extensive tour program.
This article would not be complete without acknowledgment of Ben Zamora for his lighting sculpture design, which was to the point and glorious; of Gabriel Berry for unassuming and perfect costumes; and of Epic B’s music mix, which is essential to the depth of this performance.
The Dancers
REGGIE GRAY is a Brooklyn native and pioneer of Flex dancing. “The beginning of FLEXN was about storytelling. It was about giving the ultimate stories with our bodies that people understand. What we did was go back to that. Moves and tricks isn’t really what we’re about/ It’s good for battles but for this level its deeper.”
Gray spends his time choreographing productions that speak to current events (such as police brutality), organizing battles and performances, and filling any spare time by filming and editing dance works. He looks forward to the growth and popularity that FLEXN continues to gain.
Hi, my name is MARTINA (ANDROID) HEIMANN. I was born in East Germany. I grew up in Weißwasser for the first 10 years. It’s right on the Polish border. My first contact with dance was in the circus and seeing people dancing on a horse or on a tightrope. From then on I wanted to dance, but there were no dancing groups or freestylers around.
This community/culture was the first style that gave me a feeling of passion. FLEXN is the first dance where I could feel myself able to do whatever I wanted to do and add to the music what I felt. FLEXN now gives me what I was looking for the whole time – to let myself be free, create, and inspire.
Just follow your dreams. That’s all I can say. And let your art speak for you.
My name is JAMES (BANKS) DAVIS. I’m 27. I’ve been dancing for 17 years. I’m from Queens, and I moved to Brooklyn when I was about 13. I started dancing in church, praise dancing. I used to go to church when I was younger, but I don‘t really believe in religion, I‘m a spiritual person.
One Halloween night my friends and I were playing at 14th Street Union Square. A fight broke out, and we were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Somebody started shooting. I got shot twice in my knee, and my friend got shot in his shoulder. I did my own rehab. I just kept on dancing, because after that I really couldn’t play football anymore. My passion switched, or it had been switched.
My father died when I was 13, he died in front of my eyes, right in front of the whole family. He had a heart attack in front of us. I had a big problem right after my father died.
I had a lot of anger built in. As I started dancing, I realized that a lot of my anger was leaving. I didn’t spaz as much as I did. That’s what dancing is to me: It’s very, very therapeutic. And it’s a good release, because holding things in can eventually hurt you and the people around you. If you really put your mind to something and you really want it, all you have to do is ask the universe for it.
I really never choreograph anything too much because it takes away from the feeling. That’s why I love FLEXN so much, everything is just raw and it’s in your face. I take experiences from my life and just make them into movements.
My name is SEAN DOUGLAS A.K.A. BRIXX. I’m from East New York. I got my name many, many years ago when I was about 13. I am now 20 years old and my style is gliding.
I’m the youngest one in MainEventt. Being the youngest one in the group is dope because you get to show people how, even though you’re young. Deidre and everybody else in my group are great role models. I saw the passion they had. I saw everything that they wanted to do with their life, flexn.
My solitary dance is based on kids in jail. So I ran with it and made it into how relates to younger folk when they’re going through those times. Younger folks go through a lot. Although we’re living at home and don’t have bills to pay it’s a lot of stuff that we still go through.
I would like to just keep dancing all of my life, keep inspiring people. Never let someone tell you you can’t do what you want to do. Just do what you like to do and stick to that. Make sure that it’s positive.
Younger folks go through a lot. Although we’re living at home and don’t have bills to pay it’s a lot of stuff that we still go through. A lot of anxiety, kids being bullied, stuff like that. A lot of things going on in our lives even though we just started.
In a world, one man, one desire… MY NAME IS CAL AND I’M A FLEXER. MY FULL NAME IS CALVIN HUNT.
The flex community is big. It’s like an apartment complex. Everybody knows everybody’s business. You know who’s downstairs laughing. You know who’s upstairs that just lost a battle and feels like crap. You know which person is on the penthouse floor, the top floor. MainEventt, we’re all the way up there. That’s just a little plug for my team. Yeah, everybody knows what’s going on so it’s good and bad but I see the good in it because we’re a strong building if you really look at it. There’s a lot of other styles and cultures.
They’re tight knit but they’re not flex. I think what flex is going through right now is just like a phase where everyone’s at each other throats, but we’re also becoming stronger. We’re the best at what we do. It’s just pure. It’s unique. We deal with the drama and we deal with everything, fights, everything, but at the end of the day, we flex, so it usually ends in a good way.
When I came back [from the military overseas], a lot of people would ask me, how are you dealing with it? How’s everything going? What have you been doing to move on with life? I could not explain to them in other words than I’m just dancing, dancing my life back.
MY NAME IS DEIDRA “DAYNTEE” BRAZ. I‘m born and raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Still residing there til this day, the essence of where dancehall and bruk up came to straight from Jamaica.
I came to FLEXN Brooklyn in March 2001 with my group, UnXpected. The whole feel for dance and the crowd was different back then. It would feel like a Madison Square Garden audience the way they would go crazy if you did something they liked on stage. With that crowd, you knew if you‘re wack, you‘re wack and if you‘re hot, you‘re hot. They let you know!
I am very grateful to be a part of the history of FLEXN, from when it started, where it originated and being one of the first females to do it because now it‘s making its stamp all over the world and is world-known which is amazing to me.
The bruk up and even FLEXN really saved a lot of lives. I knew a lot of gang members, drug dealers, and street guys that were doing bruk up, heading to the YMCA every Friday night to battle instead of doing things they weren’t supposed to do.
MY NAME IS AARON UNIQUE FRAZIER. I’M KNOWN AS DOCTOR, DOC OR ARES THE GOD OF WAR. I was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in East New York and Brownsville.
My parents weren‘t all that supportive of my dance career so that made it harder for me. They didn‘t believe that I could actually make it far as a dancer. They always told me to stop dancing and worry about school and other things. But I felt like I could do both and build something from dancing.
Being a dancer means everything to me. To be a dancer is like being free. Dancing let’s you show people your world, and the whole world inside your head. It releases stress and makes you think outside the box. It makes you think about life, what you want to do in the future, and how you feel. It keeps you out of trouble. I can‘t say for everybody, but for most people I know, life wasn‘t too good growing up. So I danced to live a better life, to be more free, to be more open and be more confident about myself. I had to choose either gang life or dance life, I couldn‘t live both, its either one or the other. A lot of dancers I know left their past to become something better.
If you believe that you can do something, just do it. Don’t waste time. Get it done. It’s going to be hard. Life is hard but nobody said it was going to be easy. Just keep focus. Keep your vision. Have your goals set and just go step by step towards reaching that goal. Just don’t stop. Keep pushing. Surround yourself with positive people and have fun doing what you love to do.
MY NAME IS ANDRE DREDON OMAR REDMAN. I’m from Brooklyn, New York, Flatbush. I‘m 25. I’ve been dancing since the age of 5 and picked up flexn at 15.
I always felt like dancing was a part of me. Growing up, I was always angry. I was angry with everyone, but I kept it to myself. I feel like I had a bunch of rage in my body – I just never let it out. Now, as I understand myself better, I’m able to express myself and keep the anger out – and just let people feel my emotions in a positive way.
Right now she (my mom) does housekeeping, but she works for herself. She used to work for a company, but now she does so well her clients don’t want anybody else. They just want my mom. Now they just have my mom’s personal number, so my mom consistently has clients. She’s doing good for herself.
That’s why I want to work hard to get myself to a point where I can take my mom out of that situation and not let her worry too much.
I love flexn. Flexn is the way. It has to be dedicated. It’s a dope style. Flexn is the way to life. Flexn will change your mind on everything.
Regg is the key to flexn. Once you’re serious around Regg, it’s over. He’s going to help you all the way. As long as you want it, he’s going to help you.
I’M DROID. MY GOVERNMENT NAME IS RAFAEL BURGOS. I’m from Brooklyn. I’m 21. I started dancing when I was very young, probably like 10 years old. I started flexn in 2010. I’ve been doing it about six years.
Street dancing is whatever you want. I was born in the hood. I usually put my two cents in things. I’m going to be political no matter what. Real is real. You can portray where you come from, because that’s you. That’s who you are.
MY NAME IS JASON “ERTHQUAKE” CUST. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I started dancing about 15 years ago. I am 28 years old.
Being a dancer is the most important thing I‘ve ever done besides getting married and having kids. When I was younger I was very sheltered, real shy. Through dance I was able to grow and to get past being shy. Through dancing I made friends and influenced many people. Dancing is me coming out. Before dancing I wasn‘t doing anything. I don‘t play football. I hardly know anything about basketball. I don‘t play soccer. I can‘t play baseball. Dancing was the first activity I got into physically that pushed me to be a better me.
You don’t have to be afraid. You don’t have to let your weight hold you back. You don’t have to let your circumstances hold you back. You don’t have to get approval from people. You can always push further. Your life should be about going to the next level.
My dancing is like an earthquake of the mind. My style is an earthquake of the body and spirit. I bring change to everything I’m a part of.
HELLO. MY NAME IS QUAMAINE AKA KARNAGE. I am 26 years old. I’m a dancer from Brooklyn, a flex dancer. My style is gliding, pauzin, bone-breaking and getting low.
My “Fuck the World” piece is about what’s going on in the world, the violence, the killings. That’s like, fuck that shit. We don’t have to go through this. It’s just a constant battle with the world. I battle with the world a lot. Police harassment. I get stopped by the police a lot. Relationships. A lot of my friends got killed, got shot. How can you handle things like that? How can you just live life with people that you’re so used to being around. It comes to that point where it’s hard.
There was a time in my life where I strayed away from dancing because of my son’s mother. She made me so unhappy that I was roaming the streets. I joined a gang and did many wrong things. After awhile I began to reflect on myself. I realized I shouldn‘t allow anyone make me that unhappy, to keep me from doing what I loved to do. I wasn‘t in my place. When I finally figured out where I was supposed to be, I switched from battling rival gang members to battling rival dance teams.
I love dance. Dance is life. Do what makes you happy. Don’t let no bangers tell you what you can or cannot do, whether it’s family, girlfriend, kids, friends, whoever, the devil that’s inside of you. Don’t let nothing decide what you can and cannot do.
I’M SAM I AM (SAM ESTAVIEN) To me dance is ritual. A great dancer is really a spirit medium. You’re dancing for yourself, but you’re also with ancestors. Dance allows the dancer and the audience to experience truths in a powerful way.
I’M DWIGHT ‘SCORP’ WAUGH. I was born in raised in East New York and Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. I‘m a part of a dance group called MainEventt. I‘m 26 years old. I have a four-year-old daughter named Charlene, and a 6-year-old daughter named Rebecca.
I was more into street life before I started dancing. When I was 15 or 16 I got into a lot of different situations. I was doing stuff I wasn’t supposed to do. Doing drugs. I was always outside, always getting into trouble. When I moved to East New York, it changed me. I’d hang at Regg or Aaron‘s house or at home. I was dancing all the time and working on my craft. I stopped being a part of street life. I even had to go to court to fight to keep custody of my daughter Charlene after I got arrested for getting into an altercation with her mother. But we‘re working it out now for the sake of Charlene.
Some people in my family support my dancing, but others don’t, they think it’s dumb and a waste of time. They feel I should get a ‘real’ job or career and go to school, be normal. I feel, if you don’t live your own dream you’re a slave. Dancing is my way of being free.
MY NAME IS SHELBY (SHELLZ) SUZIE Q FELTON. I’m 26 years old. I’m from Brooklyn, New York.
It’s hard being a female in the flex community. Even from the start, they just don’t respect you. They think that you’re weak, that you can’t hang. It’s hard and it’s intimidating, but I‘m determined. This is really important to me. I need to show I’m not going to fail like other females. I’m not going to be like that.
I don’t take no crap. I sit and observe, but I plan strategically. Whenever I’m at a session or an event, I plan ahead. I don’t want any slip-ups – one slip-up could cost you your reputation. That’s how the game goes. Everyone’s watching you, waiting for you to fail. So I try my best not to give them that opportunity. Especially being a female, you have to fight for that spotlight, because all the guys want it.
Dance is very important to me. Since I was young I loved music. I loved reggae music and hip-hop. I‘m pretty much self-taught. Dance consumes my life – the way I look, the way I talk, what I eat.
MY NAME IS DERICK DASHAWN UNIQUE MURRELD AKA SLICC.
I’m from Brooklyn, New York. I was raised in Red Hook projects. Then I moved back to East New York in Florentino, Brooklyn, New York. I‘m 21.
My piece in FLEXN is based on a true story. I used to be a so-called thug or gangster, in a sense. I used to be in the streets. I had a street mentality. A close family member got killed and I couldn’t do nothing about it but seek revenge, but revenge didn’t solve anything. That’s basically how the piece goes in the show. I just break down everything that happened. It was so difficult. It wasn’t difficult. It was just emotional.
Being from the streets, then your family getting killed, then you have to change your life around, become a full-time dancer to make sure you don’t go down the path. I just want people to understand my story and get touched.
Everything is an image, especially with flexn. You can‘t be on the block, drinking beer and try to flex. Appearances is everything. You make the style and whatever you give off is what they see. Flexn is being yourself. You can only be yourself when you flex. There’s no rules, but be yourself. Or, sometimes you’ve got to become yourself. You’ve got to find yourself.
When I think about giving up FLEXN, it’s like I’m giving up my whole life.
MY NAME IS TYME. MY FULL NAME IS GLENDON CHARLES, AKA TYME. I’m 23. I actually started dancing because I was failing gym class.
Being a flexer, we do a lot, but it’s not easy. It’s really not easy. Whichever style you pick, you have to go hard with it. You have to really practice it.
Master your craft and make sure you’re good at what you do, and try to be innovative. Try to teach people. Flexn for me, how I look at it, it saved a lot of people. In our flexn community, in our culture, we have a lot of people that are ex-gangbangers. They’ve been to jail and all of that. But to me, flexn strayed them away from that whole life.
