Behind the Mask: The Jabbawockeez, America’s best dance crew
July 9, 2008
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Proclaimed America’s best dance crew on the first season of MTV’s Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew, the Jabbawockeez are now touring through the United States and Asia, doing what they do best - dancing.
Since winning the show in March, the dance crew has been booked solid to perform all over North America and Asia. Even with upcoming performances in New Jersey, Canada, Hawai‘i, Reno, Guam and Malaysia, stardom has not changed these young performers at all. In fact, performing to an audience of millions was not too different from performing to their local fans at showcases in San Diego and Los Angeles, they say.
“Competing in America’s Best Dance Crew was just another performance,” Jeff “Phi” Nguyen said. “It didn’t really hit us until we saw our clips on YouTube. It was surreal, but it feels good and it’s a blessing.”
Now they have more requests to perform, and they’re performing to standing room-only crowds. Approximately 1,400 fans showed up at Vivid Nightclub in San Jose to see them perform on July 4 with San Jose DJ group FingerBangerz. “The Jabbawockeez and the FingerBangerz are family, and since July 4 is about family get-togethers, this is the best way to celebrate,” said Nick Ngo, a member of the FingerBangerz.
Kevin Brewer and Joe Larot formed the Jabbawockeez in 2003 by reaching out to their friends within the dance community that had the same outlook on dance and life. The crew grew over the next few years to be 11 members strong, with Phil Tayag, Gary Kendell, Rynan Paguio, Randy Bernal, Eddie Gutierrez, Saso Jimenez, Ben Chung, Chris Gatdula and Jeff Nguyen.
*****Related Jabbawockeez news:*****
America’s No. 1 Dance Crew: A look at the Jabbawockeez
Jabbawockeez Update
America’s Best Dance Crew Season II
Letters to the editor: Jabbawockeez love
Jabbawockeez winz! America’s best dance crew
Jabbawockeez, Unmasked
****************************************
Their name was inspired by Lewis Carroll’s poem, “Jabberwocky.”
“A Jabberwocky is a mystical, dragon-like creature who roams the king’s forest, and that’s what the Jabbawockeez are, mystical and free,” Paguio said.
Kendell, the eldest of the crew, passed away in 2007 from meningitis. Today, the crew attributes their success and style to him.
“We were just representing Gary,” said Nguyen of their performances on America’s Best Dance Crew.
The crew credits Kendell as their inspiration and the force that drives each member. “The Jabbawockeez are 10 members, and one is spiritual,” Paguio said. “He was the glue that really held us together in the beginning, making sure we didn’t lose sight of this unique thing we were creating.”
Members of the crew are scattered across California and Nevada, but because of their close ties to one another, they are able to intuit and work in choreography changes easily. Nguyen said they meet only a few days before a performance to practice all together.
There is no team leader; every member has a vision of the Jabbawockeez and expresses it during rehearsals. Each member taught dance classes and workshops before, so each brings a unique flair to the choreography, which is hip-hop with styles of B-boying, popping, locking and freestyling.
“We call it ‘Beat Kundo,’ an art form derived from Bruce Lee’s philosophy with movement and interceptive beats,” Paguio said.
Each performs wearing a white mask. “The idea of the mask is to remove all ethnic and social barriers when we perform” Gutierrez said.
“Those who watch us will see us for the dance moves and the style we put out there,” Bernal added.
Masks aside, the crew embraces their ethnic backgrounds (seven members are Asian American, including Filipino American, Korean American and Vietnamese American; one is African American and two are Mexican American).
“The fact that the guys still speak their ethnic languages is a testament that they haven’t lost their heritage,” said the crew’s manager, Audie Vergara.
Chris Gatdula explained that growing up Asian American meant their parents expected them to follow the traditional route of higher education and professional careers. “A lot of our parents expected us to get a college degree, make $50K, get a traditional career, like become a doctor, a nurse, an engineer,” he said. “But young Asian Americans like us look at the world differently. Dancing, once viewed as a past-time activity, is actually an artistic form of expression and is a career.”
Gatdula hopes that by winning the show the crew has shown “all parents across America that it is an accomplishment, and they may be inclined to push their kids to do something artistic.”
Nguyen said it’s also a matter of representing a different, more creative side of Asian Americans. “There is an artistic side to us - we’re Americanized, and we’re fourth and fifth generations in America,” he said.
Fans of the Jabbawockeez are not only Asian American, but include people of all walks of life and ages, from elder professionals to the young, urban hip-hopper. “It really amazes me when I see how many different types of people can relate to us,” Paguio said. “We’re so thankful that they are seeing us perform.”
–
For more information on the Jabbawockeez, go to jabbawockeez.com.
Comments
29 Responses to “Behind the Mask: The Jabbawockeez, America’s best dance crew”
Got something to say?
Great article!
chris is right, do something artistic.. make your hobby into profession.
I’m glad JabbaWockeez won ABDC, but I just wished they’d had a chance to go against Kaba Modern(another one of my favorite dance crews), instead of SQ. Kaba would’ve made more interestingsince they both were intricate dancers.
I agreed with you
Go Pinoy!
i wish that i can have that mask
were can i buy a jabbawockeez mask
Im so thankful that the JabbawockeeZ won and that night they won i cried i was so happy and you could tell they gave EACH performance 175,000%. The JabbawockeeZ really are bringing hip-hop and b-boying back and people should be thankful i know i am!
yah! the pinoy is great and go! go! go!
…wish to be with the jabbawockeez someday!!!
…plz add me if you have friendster account…
emoasassin_19@yahoo.com
…i like your moves, steps, master remix musics, especially your mask…
ur penggg
GOOD CREW GAD BLEESS
your my idol jabbawackeez……….
(jabbowanabeeez)
You guys made me love dancing a bit more. For once in my life, i now have a fave dance crew. I am not a dancer but i am now DOPE to your styles. Go JBWCKZ!!!!
Jabba got the mask idea from Expression Crew. They don’t wear it to hide their race, they wear is because its cool. Just like the 10 or so other crews who wore the mask b4 them.
Expression Crew started this way back in the early 90’s. They later won the BOTY competition in 2003.
Jabba formed in the later 2003… hmmmm
Yeah but you failed to mention that Expression crew wore mask with EXPRESSIONS on them. All different types of expressions. The Jabbawockeez wear white blank mask with NO EXPRESSION! Plus no one said that they invented the trend. Instead of trying to tear them down why don’t you celebrate the fact that they help put dance in the forefront where it needs to be. I love Jabbawockeez and I think that they are great along with ALL the other great dance crews throughout the country and the world!!
I agree with Apples007.
The JabbaWockeeZ wear the mask to show their consistent expressions of a dance crew.
It is to “force the audience to focus on their moves and not as an indivisual”, Phi from Jabbawockeez.
Personally, it really worked to the point where you actually know who the guy on the left is and the guy on the right. But they have the mask to hide their facial expressions that you can only watch what they do with their body which is too cool of a move and that makes them the Jabbawockeez.
The JabbaWockeeZ are a very rare and beautiful dance crew. They show their talent through telling stories. And the dance style that I like about them is that they make everything very smooth and easy, but not as easy to imitate when you are inspired, but very committed. Keep going! You’re going to make it! Just like the JabbaWockeeZ!!! <3<3<3
I really like the Jabbawockeez and what they represent. They, like most other artistic and inspirational people and groups, try to show people that life is not a set path, that anything you do in life, if committed, can become something great. I never really danced until two of my friends invited me to dance with them in International night, now I’m hooked. I can’t dance well, my body is stiff, and I know hardly any moves to even start making them look fluid, easy, or precise but I’m not gonna give up. In a way I idolize the Jabbawockeez anf they Inspire me to continue learning. On another note, anyone have tips on how I should teach myself to make my moves more precise? I might start taking classes soon, but I don’t know what kind of Hip-Hop they offer. I really want to learn how to glide,pop and lock, wave, etc… Any help would be great. ^_^
I can buy Jabbawockeez mask
I very like Jabbawockeez.
the JABBAWOCKEEZ are ASUM MAN
I want to learn how to be a prodancer like the JabbawockeeZ
I want to marrie Phil Tayag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
u rock jabbawockeez!! hope you’ll visit the philippines!!
hey jibber_jabber they won in 2002 and stop being a hater they are both really good crews no matter wat
Hi,
I just want to say that you guys are very talented.I enjoy watching you
guys everytime.I real love you all some much.Oh yeah I love you Ranen.
This article speaks about the fans being even more diverse. I couldn’t agree more. I’m a big fan, and probably would be pegged as someone who could not be. I’m 38, white, decent income, live in a house in the suburbs. But, I do have a past of being fascinated by break dancing that I enjoyed as a young teenager. I thought this style of dancing was long gone, with only a slight resurgence in the early 90’s.
But watching the Jabbawockeez, I’m simply amazed and awed each time. They collectively bring a talent unlike any I’ve ever seen. Each dance tells a story, and each dance is just mesmerizing.
I’m a 68 year old woman living in a small village in centeral Mexico. I received the ABDC as a re-run and fliped out when the JabbaWockeeZ danced. They’re the greatest thing I’ve seen in years. I feel blesed I could know of them in my lifetime.
Thanks for being you.