Grim Reminder

TKO @ Chinatown in San Francisco

How did you get started with bboying?

I had been dancing at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks for a long while (my mom liked to dance a lot so she put me in classes when I was young) taking some jazz classes when I had heard about a youth dance company called YDU (Youth Dance Unlimited). Not really knowing what I was getting myself into I auditioned and made it into the group. Through this company I was introduced to a woman named Tara Wilson (one of the best hip hop choreographers in the city in my opinion), and I subsequently took a bunch of funk and hip hop classes from her back at DJD. My second year of YDU included a piece that was choreographed by Steve Scullion and Thi Vo, this was my first exposure to bboying. I really loved the feel of that piece so that led me to taking some more classes at DJD. At this point, i don’t really feel like I was a bboy, I had no idea about the culture, the lifestyle, the dedication, really it was just another dance that I had picked up at the studio and there wasn’t really any sort of..attachment that I had to the dance. Nevertheless, I stayed in the class (they were one day a week) for about three years.

Over the years I had found out that Steve was one of the best bboys in Canada during the 80’s, but despite his expertise I felt I had plateaued and wasn’t really learning much by dancing one day a week. Around that point however, I met two other people Ian (IRock) and Matt (nolove) that invited me to come practice outside of class. This was a concept that was peculiar to me I hadn’t really considered doing it in my own free time at this point, but I agreed and came out every so often. After that I was the proverbial snowball rolling down the hill, and I started dancing more and more until I reached the point that i’m at right now. I met my crew, was introduced to the rest of the hip hop community, and really started to learn what this dance was about; and here i am, still learning.

Who were your inspirations?

In terms of style and flavour, I can attribute that mostly to Steve and the Calgary crew the Original Rudes. The Rudes often came into DJD to teach classes so i picked up a lot of movements from a lot of the crew and their boys (Hesam, Kalib, Jay, Thi, Chris (Clip)). I also draw a lot of inspiration from the crew Ichigeki in Japan, Prince especially. The spastic style and unique movements that they make I find really appealing.

In terms of inspiration and drive to continue practicing and getting better, two really notable events were Hat Trick 2007, 2008, and our week in Bay Area (2008). Hat Trick 2007 was exceptional in that i was told by Dyzee that i had a lot of potential, and should keep dancing and get better. This really inspired me to go hard at practices. At Hat Trick 2008, my crew and I sat down with a bboy named Lucid, who told us about his utter commitment to the dance (it was his only source of income, he basically gave everything up to dance), and seeing someone that dedicated really inspired me. San Fransisco similarly gave me the drive to practice hard, but it was from the examples of Moshen (Skill Methodz), Serge (Beatz and Pieces), Megaman, and Charles (Soul Control). Being stuck in Calgary all my life, I hadn’t really seen bboys of that caliber, and being exposed to people of such skill really motivated me to get better. I’m still running off of the motivation i got from that trip to this day.

TKO @ the 3 on 3 at The Whiskey nightclub, when Grim Reminder was formed.

What is it like finding places to practice?

I MISS CRAIGIE HALL!!!!!!!
It’s been difficult since they locked down that place.

What do you find most challenging about bboying?

Really, the struggle to keep your moves new and fresh is the hardest thing for me, although there are lots of other challenges I find are presented to me. I would compare it much to a religion, where one is constantly questioning one’s faith and dedication. Likewise, bboying has made me question my dedication, if I really am giving enough to the dance. The challenge is finding a balance with the rest of my life (school, work, other friends) and being content with my commitment to bboying.

What was your favorite battle?

Hat trick 2008. We ripped that one up for sure. It was the first time our crew had actually made routines and commandos for a battle.

How do you feel about the Calgary Scene?

To quote Moshen “although it may get lonely from time to time, Calgary is the best lab in the world”. After hearing those words, I gained a lot of optimism in the scene, I hadn’t really considered the fact that Calgary’s lack of bboys was advantageous to us. And since Moshen told us that, I really see why he thinks so. The bboys in Calgary are some of the nicest people you’ll meet, they’ll gladly help you with a move, or tell you if they don’t like something they see. Furthermore, because the scene is so small the hip hop community is really tight, everyone knows everyone, and it’s like a big extended family, there’s no beef, there’s lots of stigma against biters, it really is the best lab in the world.