Friday, August 21, 2009

Shane Sparks Part I: his roots in Cincinnati ghetto hip hop

Cincinnati Hip Hop Music Examiner goes back with Shane Sparks to his roots in the Cincinnati hip hop scene. He describes the local style as "'ghetto'--large groups of dancers, sweaty but synchronized who don't, as he puts it, "dance pretty." Instead, the Cincinnati style comes across as raw, tribal and energetic."

The article nails his early dance experience and exposure. Favorite quote: "That’s why I think I’m so successful in the choreography world, because I come from a world of, '(battling) is all you did.' We battled in a group point of view. We’d call out five or six routines in one battle and people would be done! After the second or third routine, people were like,’ Oh, my God! They can’t come no more! ' And we’d keep coming. Then we started freestyling and would come with another routine. So I think that’s kind of the edge that I have over a lot of choreographers out here because I think from a ‘choreography-battling routine-group’ point of view.'