The Massive Monkees Blog
Some insight on the life of a Massive Monkee
Performing Arts Initiative
My signature freeze. The boys have a hard time doing that one.
We work on behalf of the State Department in Denmark to better the perception of Americans overseas.
Taste of Our Own Medicine
It seemed smaller than usual. I'm used to lines out to the street at Freestyle Session. We set-up in a corner of the venue. We forgot to register when we got there so we were the to last battle. I was in the funk room most of the time, staying fresh with locking, my legs feel good when I keep them moving. In the first battle, on the first day, of course I got all mad at this other guy because he used my move. I went a step too fast on all my runs. Five minutes after the battle, I was like what the heck is that in my ankle? If you've ever had a pinched nerve you know it starts small. And I'm like no, this isn't happening right now. I couldn't be the kind of person I wanted to be after that. It immobilized me, and made me hesitant.
When we lost I couldn't do it. I saw the moments meant for me when I could take the ball back for our Crew, the parts of the music that no one else wants. We could have won without using routines. Wasting that minute and half killed us too, because those long routines they used against us was a taste of our medicine. It just ate up all the clock. I was sitting around afterwards displaced in time. Trying not to be upset. Then we are leaving; I'm already having my bracelet cut off when the Zulu Kings battle starts. I was gonna post up. Then they tried to punk Jo Rawk. I wasn't gonna dance, and then I tried hitting stuff where my ankle just flopped around. When I tried to do elbow baby swipes I ruined it right there. The good thing is I found out I could dance on it. But I knew I would hurt myself because I didn't have that lift, that spring. It flattened out my style. I don't think I tore anything. I've had way worse ankle injuries doing graffiti... one time, jumping over fences, I landed funny and had cankles bigger than my calves. I never saw a doctor, and I was breakin on it. It helps my style to dance with an injury.
tags: Freestyle Session, Massive Monkees, B-Boy, Battles, Juseboogy, Dance, Coping With Loss
Have a comment to share with us? Don't holdback. Just drop us a line on Facebook ›
coosh Got Me Out My Day Job
Note: Anna did not attend freestyle session; she took the time to reflect on life as a mom:
I SLOWLY started dancing again a few months after my daughter was born. I was surprised at how much my body remembered the first time I danced again. I felt so relieved. Finding the time to dance was much more difficult. Practice sessions were few and far between. I would do shows every now and then, but it's not the same when you're doing the same thing over and over again. It was just okay, but it wasn't my time yet. From the beginning I spent (and continue to spend) most of my time with my daughter.
She is 2-years old now. She runs around and dances and mimics almost anything we say around her. She is SOOOO fun! She still wears me out, but does a good deal of entertaining herself nowadays. Enough so that at practice she is happy to play with toys for two or three hours in the corner while I really figure out my stuff. Or at home, I can work on some Massive Monkees business without putting her in front of the TV. Life is pretty cool. Being a mom and a b-girl is becoming more and more balanced. I am so grateful for the coosh sponsorship since it's enabled me to focus on both.
I took this summer off of work since money wasn't such a big issue. I got to hang out with Alaina (Terry, Alaina's Dad and one of Massive Monkees founding members, was on the Vans Warped Tour) and did more dancing stuff.
I plan on dancing and doing dance-related projects full-time now (aside from being a full-time mom.) I never did that, even before I got pregnant - I was always working a full-time at a job and danced around that. It's strange because since I have a child, it seems I should stick with sure things and just do the 9 to 5 (especially during this oncoming recession.) But I think right now is a great time for me to dance. There are so many opportunities and possibilities, especially with the crew. Not just making money, but creating and being part of big things.
I think now is my time.
tags: Massive Monkees, Ana Banana Freeze, B-Girl, Family, Dance
Have a comment to share with us? Don't holdback. Just drop us a line on Facebook ›
Maps & Legends
My feeling was anxiety headed down there. I wanted everyone to see me, the doors I've unlocked and how my dance has changed. I had some feelings as to why we shouldn't do the competition because of lack of time to prepare. I went to Vegas two weeks before FSS with some Canadian bboys, and got loose down there. I remember what it felt like to just dance. No pressure to win a title. Just doing what I liked to do because I liked to do it. It was a test to see how my dance had evolved. Actually it was more of an experiment. I still had that charge when I got back to Seattle. It's supposed to be fun regardless, that's what I was feeling.
I use every opportunity to dance as training. I was at 80s night at War Room every Wednesday. That positive flow was still with me when we got on the plane. I had that look like many years ago when I had the cornrows and looked fresh out of prison going to jams. I had that Hulk rage. Like an any other family, it wasn't just about me, I had the Crew's back. But people weren't really listening to me about the issues. I was seen as negative, but I'm not gonna be phony so I had to speak out to my family members that I felt we were under prepared. I would have preferred not going to Freestyle Session, but it was important to certain members to be there, so I went. My Crew is my crew, and now look, we were all down in the dumps when it happened.
Tournaments have up and comers trying to get on the map, and established crews trying to be legends. The first day, it was a unique location and bboys from everywhere are getting down. They were all trying to be top-dog. Everyone knows each other from watching online, and in person it clicks, but they are still your competition so you can't get too friendly. It can be awkward. On the floor it's heated. Off the floor we go eat together. It didn't feel like we weren't ready the first day, the qualifying round was relaxed. All we had to do was show the judges we know what were doing. The Massive Monkee magic was there.
tags: Freestyle Session, Massive Monkees, B-Boy, Training, Twixx, Dance
Have a comment to share with us? Don't holdback. Just drop us a line on Facebook ›
tags: Massive Monkees, Ana Banana Freeze, B-Girl, Dance, State Department
Have a comment to share with us? Don't holdback. Just drop us a line on Facebook ›