[Applause] [Laughter]
[Laughter]
[Laughter] man I hate it when this happens she’s
man I hate it when this happens she’s
man I hate it when this happens she’s just hold on guys just don’t worry it’s
just hold on guys just don’t worry it’s
just hold on guys just don’t worry it’s okay she’s and this is like my worst
okay she’s and this is like my worst
okay she’s and this is like my worst nightmare
nightmare
nightmare preparing the oats I don’t even know how
preparing the oats I don’t even know how
preparing the oats I don’t even know how to double knot okay here we go
to double knot okay here we go
to double knot okay here we go now that kids is why you should always
now that kids is why you should always
now that kids is why you should always tie your shoes all right so at a young
tie your shoes all right so at a young
tie your shoes all right so at a young age I had a pretty standard upbringing I
age I had a pretty standard upbringing I
age I had a pretty standard upbringing I would wake up eat cereal go to school
would wake up eat cereal go to school
would wake up eat cereal go to school hang out with classmates when I could
hang out with classmates when I could
hang out with classmates when I could you know rinse and repeat
you know rinse and repeat
you know rinse and repeat I kind of felt like I had a void in my
I kind of felt like I had a void in my
I kind of felt like I had a void in my life and I was bursting out of my seams
life and I was bursting out of my seams
life and I was bursting out of my seams with potential energy without being in
with potential energy without being in
with potential energy without being in any club or sport or activity or really
any club or sport or activity or really
any club or sport or activity or really anything to keep me busy
anything to keep me busy
anything to keep me busy it became far too easy for me to fall in
it became far too easy for me to fall in
it became far too easy for me to fall in with the wrong crowd in an effort to
with the wrong crowd in an effort to
with the wrong crowd in an effort to become one of the cool kids I started
become one of the cool kids I started
become one of the cool kids I started giving it more and more of who I was
giving it more and more of who I was
giving it more and more of who I was just to fit in with everybody else now
just to fit in with everybody else now
just to fit in with everybody else now luckily for me my parents my mom they
luckily for me my parents my mom they
luckily for me my parents my mom they they recognized that there was emptiness
they recognized that there was emptiness
they recognized that there was emptiness in my life and they offered me the
in my life and they offered me the
in my life and they offered me the chance to take any class of my choosing
chance to take any class of my choosing
chance to take any class of my choosing I had recently attended this concert
I had recently attended this concert
I had recently attended this concert where there was a dancer that could
where there was a dancer that could
where there was a dancer that could pivot around on his head for over a
pivot around on his head for over a
pivot around on his head for over a minute straight and just like that
minute straight and just like that
minute straight and just like that dancer this became one of the most
dancer this became one of the most
dancer this became one of the most pivotal moments in my life I knew
pivotal moments in my life I knew
pivotal moments in my life I knew exactly what I wanted to do I wanted to
exactly what I wanted to do I wanted to
exactly what I wanted to do I wanted to be a b-boy
be a b-boy
be a b-boy [Music]
was not your average studio and
was not your average studio and choreography type dance this is breaking
choreography type dance this is breaking
choreography type dance this is breaking and there was a certain level of rawness
and there was a certain level of rawness
and there was a certain level of rawness to it that was exactly what I needed I
to it that was exactly what I needed I
to it that was exactly what I needed I learned that there are more lines shapes
learned that there are more lines shapes
learned that there are more lines shapes and patterns and dance than there are in
and patterns and dance than there are in
and patterns and dance than there are in most paintings
[Music]
[Music] I learned how to connect with the music
I learned how to connect with the music
I learned how to connect with the music on a completely different level
on a completely different level
on a completely different level [Music]
[Applause]
[Applause] and I learned how to gain strength and
and I learned how to gain strength and
and I learned how to gain strength and momentum in ways I never thought
momentum in ways I never thought
momentum in ways I never thought possible
and now it was at this moment when
and now it was at this moment when something happened
something happened
something happened our little practice group began forming
our little practice group began forming
our little practice group began forming a community every single member of our
a community every single member of our
a community every single member of our community had different backgrounds with
community had different backgrounds with
community had different backgrounds with upbringings from places such as Ukraine
upbringings from places such as Ukraine
upbringings from places such as Ukraine Canada the Philippines and even Japan
Canada the Philippines and even Japan
Canada the Philippines and even Japan even though we could all recognize that
even though we could all recognize that
even though we could all recognize that we were very different people it was
we were very different people it was
we were very different people it was more important for us to look at what we
more important for us to look at what we
more important for us to look at what we had in common movement we learned with
had in common movement we learned with
had in common movement we learned with that was something as simple as a basic
that was something as simple as a basic
that was something as simple as a basic drum beat in the background we could use
drum beat in the background we could use
drum beat in the background we could use our movements to communicate with each
our movements to communicate with each
our movements to communicate with each other our movements became a translation
other our movements became a translation
other our movements became a translation of who we were a window into our lives
of who we were a window into our lives
of who we were a window into our lives through which you could see our
through which you could see our
through which you could see our personalities characteristics and
personalities characteristics and
personalities characteristics and culture now breaking has its roots with
culture now breaking has its roots with
culture now breaking has its roots with a variety of different dances but what
a variety of different dances but what
a variety of different dances but what really made it into what it was today
really made it into what it was today
really made it into what it was today was from battling in the 80s there are
was from battling in the 80s there are
was from battling in the 80s there are always tons of parties and dances going
always tons of parties and dances going
always tons of parties and dances going on in New York and it wasn’t uncommon
on in New York and it wasn’t uncommon
on in New York and it wasn’t uncommon for rival gangs to end about these
for rival gangs to end about these
for rival gangs to end about these parties together and some gangs started
parties together and some gangs started
parties together and some gangs started using dance as a non-violent way to
using dance as a non-violent way to
using dance as a non-violent way to solve their disputes at a party without
solve their disputes at a party without
solve their disputes at a party without ruining the vibe in other words if you
ruining the vibe in other words if you
ruining the vibe in other words if you got served you had to go now as time
got served you had to go now as time
got served you had to go now as time went on people came out with crazier
went on people came out with crazier
went on people came out with crazier moves and push themselves past their
moves and push themselves past their
moves and push themselves past their physical limit just to gain the upper
physical limit just to gain the upper
physical limit just to gain the upper hand on the battlefield this had
hand on the battlefield this had
hand on the battlefield this had inspired me and it changed the way I
inspired me and it changed the way I
inspired me and it changed the way I trained and for a while all I wanted to
trained and for a while all I wanted to
trained and for a while all I wanted to do was be the best it felt like my duty
do was be the best it felt like my duty
do was be the best it felt like my duty to have the biggest and the coolest
to have the biggest and the coolest
to have the biggest and the coolest moves and I was constantly trying to
moves and I was constantly trying to
moves and I was constantly trying to outdo everybody around me and it seemed
outdo everybody around me and it seemed
outdo everybody around me and it seemed like I went from communicating to just
like I went from communicating to just
like I went from communicating to just plain showing off and because I was
plain showing off and because I was
plain showing off and because I was doing it for all the wrong reasons
doing it for all the wrong reasons
doing it for all the wrong reasons I eventually burned myself out now a few
I eventually burned myself out now a few
I eventually burned myself out now a few years into dance I was presented with
years into dance I was presented with
years into dance I was presented with the opportunity to learn how to coach
the opportunity to learn how to coach
the opportunity to learn how to coach gymnastics
gymnastics
gymnastics I knew that gymnastics could help me
I knew that gymnastics could help me
I knew that gymnastics could help me improve my dance so I was so excited and
improve my dance so I was so excited and
improve my dance so I was so excited and I applied and I was hired nearly on the
I applied and I was hired nearly on the
I applied and I was hired nearly on the spot at Spokane gymnastics yeah
it was here that I realized even
it was here that I realized even gymnastics has its own culture with a
gymnastics has its own culture with a
gymnastics has its own culture with a community of athletes and coaches and
community of athletes and coaches and
community of athletes and coaches and parents now a couple of years into and a
parents now a couple of years into and a
parents now a couple of years into and a couple years into coaching I was asked
couple years into coaching I was asked
couple years into coaching I was asked to take over for a couple parkour
to take over for a couple parkour
to take over for a couple parkour classes I’d seen parkour before on the
classes I’d seen parkour before on the
classes I’d seen parkour before on the internet and it looked simple enough you
internet and it looked simple enough you
internet and it looked simple enough you know just a bunch of guys doing flips
know just a bunch of guys doing flips
know just a bunch of guys doing flips and jumping off of buildings so I took
and jumping off of buildings so I took
and jumping off of buildings so I took the classes and before I knew it my two
the classes and before I knew it my two
the classes and before I knew it my two classes and turned into 40 and we had a
classes and turned into 40 and we had a
classes and turned into 40 and we had a fully fledged parkour program parkour
fully fledged parkour program parkour
fully fledged parkour program parkour ended up being completely different than
ended up being completely different than
ended up being completely different than what I had originally thought there was
what I had originally thought there was
what I had originally thought there was no competition in parkour and it seemed
no competition in parkour and it seemed
no competition in parkour and it seemed like we were all on the same team any
like we were all on the same team any
like we were all on the same team any time we would go to an event you could
time we would go to an event you could
time we would go to an event you could see knowledge and information on
see knowledge and information on
see knowledge and information on techniques being passed freely amongst
techniques being passed freely amongst
techniques being passed freely amongst complete strangers in a non-competitive
complete strangers in a non-competitive
complete strangers in a non-competitive environment like this athletes were able
environment like this athletes were able
environment like this athletes were able to realize that it was not about being
to realize that it was not about being
to realize that it was not about being the best but just about being better
the best but just about being better
the best but just about being better versions of themselves and just like
versions of themselves and just like
versions of themselves and just like that my fire was real it
I became so excited to get out there and
I became so excited to get out there and help spread Spokane’s community and this
help spread Spokane’s community and this
help spread Spokane’s community and this is what I realized if you are involved
is what I realized if you are involved
is what I realized if you are involved in some sort of physical activity
in some sort of physical activity
in some sort of physical activity whether it be parkour or braking
whether it be parkour or braking
whether it be parkour or braking gymnastics dance skateboarding
gymnastics dance skateboarding
gymnastics dance skateboarding rollerblading you name it there’s always
rollerblading you name it there’s always
rollerblading you name it there’s always gonna be some sort of community involved
gonna be some sort of community involved
gonna be some sort of community involved these communities can help you learn and
these communities can help you learn and
these communities can help you learn and grow as an individual
grow as an individual
grow as an individual this can happen through various methods
this can happen through various methods
this can happen through various methods such as battling and competition or even
such as battling and competition or even
such as battling and competition or even plain old discussion and information
plain old discussion and information
plain old discussion and information sharing these communities can help you
sharing these communities can help you
sharing these communities can help you learn how to be passionate and fight for
learn how to be passionate and fight for
learn how to be passionate and fight for what you believe in and you can meet
what you believe in and you can meet
what you believe in and you can meet lifelong friends along the way who will
lifelong friends along the way who will
lifelong friends along the way who will be there for you through thick and thin
be there for you through thick and thin
be there for you through thick and thin movement has always been an underlying
movement has always been an underlying
movement has always been an underlying factor in anything that I’ve done and I
factor in anything that I’ve done and I
factor in anything that I’ve done and I now know my movements have served a
now know my movements have served a
now know my movements have served a higher purpose the purpose of building
higher purpose the purpose of building
higher purpose the purpose of building community I truly believe that movement
community I truly believe that movement
community I truly believe that movement is a tool we can use to transcend social
is a tool we can use to transcend social
is a tool we can use to transcend social barriers such as language or race and I
barriers such as language or race and I
barriers such as language or race and I know I would have never met these people
know I would have never met these people
know I would have never met these people on stage with me if I had never taken
on stage with me if I had never taken
on stage with me if I had never taken that first dance class so before we
that first dance class so before we
that first dance class so before we leave you all with one more tree I’d
leave you all with one more tree I’d
leave you all with one more tree I’d like to say thank you to every single
like to say thank you to every single
like to say thank you to every single one of you for being part of my
one of you for being part of my
one of you for being part of my community and thank you to all of you
community and thank you to all of you
community and thank you to all of you for helping me on stage today kai Hector
for helping me on stage today kai Hector
for helping me on stage today kai Hector Dalton Hayden Bryan Daniel thank you so
Dalton Hayden Bryan Daniel thank you so
Dalton Hayden Bryan Daniel thank you so much now what do you say we show these
much now what do you say we show these
much now what do you say we show these people what we got
people what we got
people what we got [Applause]
”
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