Jabbawockeez
The Jabbawockeez is an American hip-hop dance crew that rose to prominence as the winner of the first season of America's Best Dance Crew in 2008. The group was established in 2003 in San Diego California by dancers Kevin "KB" Brewer and Joe Larot. They participated in dance competitions with the idea of striking a balance between dancing to the music, and dancing as an artistic expression.
Jabbawockeez
By 2004, the Jabbawockeez's members included Phil "Swagger Boy" Tayag, Ben "B-Tek" Chung, Chris "Cristyle" Gatdula, Rynan "Kid Rainen" Paguio, and Jeff "Phi" Nguyen. Tony "Transformer" Tran joined the crew in 2013. The Jabbawockeez does not have a group leader; choreography for their performances, as well as music, design choices, is made as a collective unit.[1]
History[edit]
Early career[edit]
The dancers began performing wearing ski masks and gloves. The mask and glove motif was adopted as a tribute to the 1970s San Francisco strutting crew Medea Sirkas. Gary "Gee One" Kendell and Randy "DJ Wish One" Bernal were both members of the MindTricks dance crew who were active in the San Francisco Bay Area. Jeff "Phi" Nguyen explains, "There's no lead dancer in our crew. Our philosophy is that when you watch us perform, you have to watch us as a whole... When we put [the masks] on, it's not about who we are or where we came from. We're all one." The name Jabbawockeez, coined by Joe Larot, was inspired by the fantastical monster from the Lewis Carroll nonsense poem "Jabberwocky".[1] Over time, the group switched to their signature white masks and gloves which better fit their persona and image. In San Diego, through Gary's connections, the Jabbawockeez added b-boys Rynan "Kid Rainen" Paguio and Chris "Cristyle" Gatdula to the group. The original eight-member iteration of the Jabbawockeez began performing as a group in 2004. This lineup consisted of Gary, Randy, Phi, Phil, Kevin, Joe, Rynan, and Chris.
Jabbawockeez rounded out their numbers with additional members, bringing their total to eleven. Phoenix native Jeff "Phi" Nguyen had met Rynan Paguio at various Los Angeles area auditions and performances and earned a spot in the Jabbawockeez in 2004 by battling Kevin Brewer.[1] The Jabbawockeez also brought Kaba Modern alumnus Ben "B-Tek" Chung and b-boys Eddie "Eddiestyles" Gutierrez and Saso "Saso Fresh" Jimenez into the fold. Stylistically, the Jabbawockeez style of dance features an eclectic mix of various urban styles, primarily popping and b-boying, along with a careful synchronicity to self-created instrumentals which one member dubs "Beat-Kune-Do" (a play on the word "Jeet Kune Do", a martial arts style created by Bruce Lee). In 2007, the Jabbawockeez appeared on the second season of America's Got Talent. Performing with nine members, the group was eliminated in the Las Vegas callbacks episode. In 2008, they auditioned and were accepted onto the first season of America's Best Dance Crew.
Awards[edit]
The first significant achievement of the Jabbawockeez was winning season 1 of America's Best Dance Crew in 2008. In the 2008 AXA (Asian Excellence Awards), the Jabbawockeez were voted as the Favorite Reality TV Star, where they also performed with Kaba Modern on stage.[18] On August 5, 2012, they were the first dance crew to be awarded the Living Legend of Hip Hop Award from Hip Hop International.[19] They were the recipients of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Set It Off Competition 2013, where the Jabbawockeez received the award via video and presented BabyWockee for her number.[20]
Members[edit]
Present members currently consist of over 20 members who frequently perform in their Las Vegas shows such as Gavin "gavin2raw/spideyofsac Pecson, Kris "Jujubeatz" Mangonon, and TJ "true justice" Lewis. Kevin "Kb" Brewer, Joe "Punkee" Larot, Jeff "Phi" Nguyen, Rynan "Kid Rainen" Paguio and Tony “Transformer” Tran act as owners, producers, mentors to the new generation of Jabbawockeez members [21]