Jabbawockeez, hip-hop crews will spin magic at Wesleyan event

By Jan Gaillard

Correspondent

All right, Hampton Roads dance crews, keep locking, popping and B-boying, but beware the Jabbawockeez.

In other words, the Season 1 winners of MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew," the Jabbawockeez, will perform in Norfolk on Saturday at "The Elements of Hip-Hop" dance crew and B-boy competition.

The event is sponsored by Str08 Hip-Hop Entertainment, a Hampton Roads group that promotes hip-hop dance classes and performances, in conjunction with F'EM Attire, Ohana's in Virginia Beach and The Travel Outlet.

"Promoting hip-hop is our goal because we know some people are always frowning on it," said Tricia Orpilla of Virginia Beach, who owns Str08 Hip-Hop with her husband, Christian Orpilla, and Duane Calles and Laura Crotts, also of Virginia Beach. "We want to increase public awareness of the history and viability of hip-hop dance as an art form through public performances, workshops, master classes, and public services."

Jabbawockeez will hold dance workshops before the competition along with Luam, a choreographer for MTV and other television productions, and for recording artists such as Rihanna, Nelly Furtado and Ludacris.

"Our mission is to educate, preserve and promote hip-hop culture in today's society through education," said Orpilla, who directs the Young Filipino American Modern Dancers of Virginia and teaches hula lessons. She said the event Saturday is designed to showcase "the four elements of hip-hop: emcee, turntableism, b-boy/b-girl and graffiti."

Luam also will be a judge, and the Jabbawockeez will perform at the beginning of the competition. There also will be a fashion show and performances by local entertainers, such as Young Ace The Commonwealth All star, Cool Hand Cope and LiL DeSi.

Monsters of Hip Hop, a Baltimore dance studio and promoter of hip-hop dance events led by Andy Funk, was instrumental in bringing the Jabbawockeez to the area.

"What we do is hold 12-city international tours, and we were contacted by Tricia about bringing the Jabbawockeez to Hampton Roads - we just wanted to put the workshops together to help get this thing going there," Funk said.

"We have choreography instructors on staff, and the Jabbawockeez also teach some of our classes. They've been around for a long time and are well known in the dance community, but their win catapulted them through the mass media."

The 11-member, California-based dance crew's style is unique, he added, as each member brings a different element to the group.

The best example came during an episode on "America's Best Dance Crew," when one Jabbawockeez member defied gravity with what seemed like a three-minute head spin while the other dancers rushed the crowd for applause.

"Most people get excited and freak out when he does that," said Funk, laughing. "The Jabbawockeez highlight each person individually, and they're just passionate about what they do."

The dance competition at Wesleyan will be a family affair, he said.

"Kids as young as 6 years old will be there," Funk said. "There's a history of hip-hop that stems from the 1970s, and the Jabbawockweez respect that. It's important to respect the history of the pioneers who came before them.

"Hip-hop's a great activity, and great exercise, and the people involved in it are very supportive by nature. It's maybe as open as any form of dance, and it unites white 6-year-olds from suburbia or African Americans. It crosses all the lines, and people can relate."

Jan Gaillard, jangaillard007@yahoo.com