Trick Nasty Crew Workshop Review - Melbourne
November 30th 2006 21:29
Trick Nasty Crew W'SHOP Review
-JC Reyes
IT WAS TRICKY, AND MOST DEFINITELY NASTY!
I've been trying to write this review for a couple of days now and I didn't know what direction to take. Should I consider being politically correct? Or should I be brutally honest? In which person or point of view should I take? After much thought, I decided that I'm just going to spit it out.
Without sounding biased, the TNC workshop has got to be the best hip hop workshop I've been to in years, and I've done a few in my time. It had it all - new, old, lyrical content, musicality, technique, laughs, bumps and bruises. Someone said to me straight after the event, "I can't believe those guys, they were so awesome yet they were also so humble and chilled"; she further added "They even did a showcase after the event to say thank-you to everyone who turned up!" she paused, "They're so amazing". That's such a rarity these days in our industry. Errol and Matty B, based on their talent, reputation and skill, would have to be the two of the livest mo-fos out there and yet there was not a streak of arrogance to them. Their sentiment towards all schools, and appreciation and enthusiasm for the foundational hip hop systems and the new urban styles can only be described as simply admirable. They pay respect to everything there is or ever was hip hop. They even publicly gave an ol'timer like me props for my contribution to the game, they didn't have to and to be honest I didn't really deserve it, but that's just the type of people they are. Their attitude was not just a breath of fresh air but more like a gust of arctic wonder.
Errol's class, to me, was like a drunk man's moment of clarity; an "I see the light" moment. His approach to new school was so clear and concise and filled with such genuine appreciation for the style that even a new-jacker like me caught his infectious passion for it. During the class you really saw his love for hip hop as he directed us with confidence, never forgetting to tell us what "it" was all about; painting that lyrical picture through effortless movements and reflecting emotion through the song. His approach is "lyrical", NOT "literal". A point he made that stood out to me was that everybody feels and interprets emotion differently so why limit your choreography to the "literal" values of the lyrics; instead he encouraged everyone to explore your own feelings and reactions, and then base your choreography on the "lyrical" nature of the song.
Matty B's class was truly hip hop rawness in action. I look at Melbourne hip hop presently and to be perfectly honest, and no offence is meant by this, but I see a lot of the same style and approach floating around. Is this the direction Melbourne dance is heading towards? A lack of dimension and closed to anything new? When I saw Matty's style I thought to myself, "This is what Melbourne desperately needs". If you were to put a swagger of old school vibes, plus a dash of new school musicality, and a good hand full of the "bizarre", whiz it all up in a blender and you get what I call the Matty shake. His style boasts a great sense of abstract values and he strips choreography down to get its simpler form and adds a twist to it that makes the step unique, challenging, and true to the real meaning of "street" - spontaneous. After his set, and after surveying all the sore bodies, and the bruised knees, we all share a united smile happy to have learnt from a quiet but sublime choreographer. I think if Matty wasn't a dancer, he'd be a monk "walking the earth"; his way is calm and direct and it compliments the abundance of talent he possesses.
All in all the day was an eye-opener. You really can not put a value on learning and that was exactly what everyone took away from it. At the end we heard "Keep learning", and, "never loose respect for the past, but always embrace the future". Not a bad way to end the day I thought.
To those who missed out. You really missed out. No bias. Just blunt honesty. Melbourne, you really needed to have seen what these boys had to give.
Comments on the event >
§ TNC workshop totally gave me a new perspective on hip hop. Can't wait to see what's in store for iLLADVANCED.
§ Can I just say that yesterday was freakin awesome - it was so relaxed but still a lot of work! The guys were really cool, and even though I kinda died towards the end, I'm feelin it in the legs today, MACHOD!
§ Just droppin by to say how much fun yesterday was!! Maty B wasn't kidding bout the bruised knees! haha! Must say I'm glad it wasn't as super crazy hard as I thought it was going to be! Def a challenge - but I think I learnt quite a bit!
-JC Reyes
IT WAS TRICKY, AND MOST DEFINITELY NASTY!
I've been trying to write this review for a couple of days now and I didn't know what direction to take. Should I consider being politically correct? Or should I be brutally honest? In which person or point of view should I take? After much thought, I decided that I'm just going to spit it out.
Without sounding biased, the TNC workshop has got to be the best hip hop workshop I've been to in years, and I've done a few in my time. It had it all - new, old, lyrical content, musicality, technique, laughs, bumps and bruises. Someone said to me straight after the event, "I can't believe those guys, they were so awesome yet they were also so humble and chilled"; she further added "They even did a showcase after the event to say thank-you to everyone who turned up!" she paused, "They're so amazing". That's such a rarity these days in our industry. Errol and Matty B, based on their talent, reputation and skill, would have to be the two of the livest mo-fos out there and yet there was not a streak of arrogance to them. Their sentiment towards all schools, and appreciation and enthusiasm for the foundational hip hop systems and the new urban styles can only be described as simply admirable. They pay respect to everything there is or ever was hip hop. They even publicly gave an ol'timer like me props for my contribution to the game, they didn't have to and to be honest I didn't really deserve it, but that's just the type of people they are. Their attitude was not just a breath of fresh air but more like a gust of arctic wonder.
Errol's class, to me, was like a drunk man's moment of clarity; an "I see the light" moment. His approach to new school was so clear and concise and filled with such genuine appreciation for the style that even a new-jacker like me caught his infectious passion for it. During the class you really saw his love for hip hop as he directed us with confidence, never forgetting to tell us what "it" was all about; painting that lyrical picture through effortless movements and reflecting emotion through the song. His approach is "lyrical", NOT "literal". A point he made that stood out to me was that everybody feels and interprets emotion differently so why limit your choreography to the "literal" values of the lyrics; instead he encouraged everyone to explore your own feelings and reactions, and then base your choreography on the "lyrical" nature of the song.
Matty B's class was truly hip hop rawness in action. I look at Melbourne hip hop presently and to be perfectly honest, and no offence is meant by this, but I see a lot of the same style and approach floating around. Is this the direction Melbourne dance is heading towards? A lack of dimension and closed to anything new? When I saw Matty's style I thought to myself, "This is what Melbourne desperately needs". If you were to put a swagger of old school vibes, plus a dash of new school musicality, and a good hand full of the "bizarre", whiz it all up in a blender and you get what I call the Matty shake. His style boasts a great sense of abstract values and he strips choreography down to get its simpler form and adds a twist to it that makes the step unique, challenging, and true to the real meaning of "street" - spontaneous. After his set, and after surveying all the sore bodies, and the bruised knees, we all share a united smile happy to have learnt from a quiet but sublime choreographer. I think if Matty wasn't a dancer, he'd be a monk "walking the earth"; his way is calm and direct and it compliments the abundance of talent he possesses.
All in all the day was an eye-opener. You really can not put a value on learning and that was exactly what everyone took away from it. At the end we heard "Keep learning", and, "never loose respect for the past, but always embrace the future". Not a bad way to end the day I thought.
To those who missed out. You really missed out. No bias. Just blunt honesty. Melbourne, you really needed to have seen what these boys had to give.
Comments on the event >
§ TNC workshop totally gave me a new perspective on hip hop. Can't wait to see what's in store for iLLADVANCED.
§ Can I just say that yesterday was freakin awesome - it was so relaxed but still a lot of work! The guys were really cool, and even though I kinda died towards the end, I'm feelin it in the legs today, MACHOD!
§ Just droppin by to say how much fun yesterday was!! Maty B wasn't kidding bout the bruised knees! haha! Must say I'm glad it wasn't as super crazy hard as I thought it was going to be! Def a challenge - but I think I learnt quite a bit!
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