Hip-hop group brings energetic bounce to Tucson Meet Yourself
Photos & images All Slideshows ยป
Click Photo to Enlarge
ADVERTISEMENT
- Most Commented Stories Today
- Most E-mailed Stories Today
Local hip-hop dancer Arvin Parco doesn't hang out on the streets, he isn't a gang member and he abstains from drugs. He's also out to show Tucson that there is more to hip-hop than the aforementioned stereotypes.
"There is a style of dance called hip-hop, but it's not always with hip-hop music," says Parco, a senior studying computer engineering at the University of Arizona. "It's just a style of dance."
Parco, 22, and his co-ed dance group, Dia Clones, will make their Tucson Meet Yourself festival debut this weekend in a performance they hope will help the community better understand hip-hop culture.
Dia Clones consists of approximately 25 University of Arizona students (and hip-hop enthusiasts), and was formed in February by Parco, who acts as the artistic director and choreographer.
The self-funded troupe does most of its own promotion (with a little help from various UA organizations) and was approached about being in the festival as part of the new "Meet the Street and Youth Culture" feature.
"It's important to see that we're students who spend our time dancing, not out on the streets," Parco says. "We just want to show everyone our passion and love for dance."
And Dia Clones members, many of whom have never received formal dance training, know a thing or two about passion. The group practices six hours a week, on top of balancing full academic schedules and jobs. (Parco works as a student mentor in the Asian Pacific American Student Affairs office.)
Since February, Dia Clones has performed at various local festivals and activities, including UA graduation ceremonies, celebrations for Asian Heritage Month and a statewide hip-hop competition, "Boogie the Beat."
"We aren't the cleanest dancers, but we have fun," says Parco, who prefers working with untrained dancers because "they are much more likely to freestyle."
When holding auditions, Parco doesn't look just for ability, but also for the "passion and want in a dancer's eyes."
"We focus on effort and attitude," Parco says. "If you can give us that, you can be in the group."
After falling in love with hip-hop and break dancing in high school, Parco performed with various groups before forming his own ensemble. After driving to Phoenix "every weekend" to practice with a group there - Broken Toys - Parco decided to start his own closer to home.
Dia Clones remains in the same "family" as Broken Toys, under the umbrella of For the People Production, a public relations organization that manages five Arizona hip-hop groups. The groups call themselves a family, and are so tightknit that Parco named his group to complement Broken Toys.
"To show that we are like brother-sister dance crews, I wanted to stick with the "toy" theme," Parco says.
Dia Clones means "transformers" in Japanese, not only a favorite toy of Parco's but also "just a really cool name."
Transformers will be a central theme of the Tucson Meet Yourself performance, set for between 3 and 4 p.m. Sunday. The six-minute long, seven-piece show will focus on "a walk in the park" that is interrupted by a "distress signal" that causes the dancers to "go into space and help."
"It's a weird story, but it'll make sense," Parco maintains. "It's our first performance of the school year; it's a new piece with a new artistic view."
Despite his upcoming graduation in May, Parco sees a long future for both Dia Clones and himself. He has been mentoring his successor, and said he hopes the group will eventually get UA funding as an official club.
"I don't see myself leaving the Dia Clones ever," he says. "I'll always be there to watch over them, regardless of where I am."
As for Parco himself, he'll be giving the dance dream one more shot before settling into a career in computer engineering.
"Dance is my passion," Parco says. "Just knowing that I took a shot at it, I'll be able to sleep easy for the rest of my life. I'll never stop dancing."
- Read All Comments » 0 TOTAL COMMENTS
- Post a Comment »