Northern and Southern California March 8, 2010
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a university where two worlds meet — the school is mainly composed of students from northern and southern California. This allows for new dance styles to be infused into every average student’s life.
Being a student at Cal Poly, you will typically hear students asking each other if they know certain dance moves. From the two-step to the stanky leg, there are so many moves that anyone can do — whether they are a dancer or not.
Students from Northern California are known for their high energy and crazy movements. “In the bay area, we like to go dumb. Which in other words means we like to dance in a crazy fashion. Hyphy is about enjoying yourself and not caring about you actions,” said Robby Nolan, who is a first year at Cal Poly and is from San Jose.
Those who are from Southern California are used to more of an expressive and intense dance style. “The kids in So Cal dance in a very slow and robotic way,” said Nolan.”People from Nor Cal are more flamboyant and add angry emotions, whereas we keep it low key,” said Briana Vaughn, a first year Cal Poly student who is originally from Southern California.
A largely common move that is seen on the dance floor during a battle is “krumping.” This move originated in southern California and has become widely popular since it was seen on the MTV awards in 2005. Another style that has recently made it’s impact, in Southern California, is jerking. “Jerking is basically bringing back old moves, like the running man and two-step, and making them a modern age and giving them a taste of our generation,” said Vaughn.
One popular dance move in Northern California is “turfing“; this is where the dancer pops and locks, but with a more fluid movement. “Turfing is a new form of going dumb, but with more foot work,” said Nolan.
Another big difference in these two dance styles is the attire. Kelsey La Tourette, a freshman at Cal Poly who is from Northern California, explains how, “jerkers, if you will, are those from So Cal who wear skinny jeans and vans, which is nothing like Nor Cal, which is a more baggy style.”
By these two different styles coming together, it is allowing hip hop to advance and transform into something greater. Cal Poly has become a place that fosters these two worlds and encourages the community to grow in dance.
Cal Poly is where styles come together to spread the power of hip hop.
Dance Obispo March 1, 2010
Walking downtown this past weekend, I came across a dance studio I never noticed. I would not of noticed it if I didn’t see a small sign in the window, which read: Dance Obispo. I noticed an open door that I figured must go to this studio. Peeking inside, I was faced with a flight of stairs. My curiosity got to me and I went to see where these stairs would lead me.
Once I got to the top I could hear music and people chatting. I noticed a front desk and one large studio. As I observed my surroundings, a man named Blair London asked if there was anything he could do for me. I found out that he is a dancer at Dance Obispo and the Assistant Director of Coppelia, a ballet show starting in April 23.
He continued to tell me how Dance Obispo offers a variety of classes, from ballet to hip hop, and that there classes available for all ages.
“I only started ballet three years ago and then I just fell in love with the challenge of the dance,” was the response I got when talking to one of the dancers, James.
I learned that Coppelia is a ballet show put on by the Ballet Theatre of San Luis Obispo; this group is associated with Dance Obispo, and they hold their rehearsals in Dance Obispo’s studio.
Sitting in on a rehearsal, I realized that the dancers’ ages varied greatly. There were very young girls and boys, and then an elderly man–all in one studio.
“I only started ballet three years ago and then I just fell in love with the challenge of the dance,” was the response I got when talking to one of the dancers, James. He continued to express how he loves the choreographers and the environment of the studio.
Dance Obispo
One thing I liked about the studio is it’s location. It is the closest dance studio to Cal Poly, and is only a short bus ride away. I found it to be the most practical for Cal Poly students because a weekly class is hard to participate in if the studio is a commute.
Being handed a schedule of dance classes as I walked out, I came to realize that this is a quality dance studio. The studio itself is small, but it is obvious that everyone who dances there is friendly. The classes also cater to whatever level or style of dance you are interested in.
