On Friday – Sunday, August 14 – 16, 2020 the Music Center’s Grand Park will present B-Boy Summit 2020 that puts a focus on how the art of Hip Hop not only has a huge cultural importance, but how a dance form which grew out of the inner-city culture can “help advance social change and healing”. This summit was so successful when it took place live in 2019, the Grand Park decided to bring it back it in a virtual format.
This multi-faceted experience will feature local and national artists, along with Social Justice Organization Medea Sirkus, LA Boppin Crew, No Easy Props, Shabba-Doo, Myka9, Spie, Persue1 and Hip Hop For Change Inc., among Others, and Include Performances, DJ and Breaking Exhibitions, Workshops and Classes. This family-friendly summit will occur on Friday, August 14, 2020, from 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.; Saturday, August 15, 2020, from 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.; and Sunday, August 16, 2020, from 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. All the events will be made accessible through Grand Park’s digital streaming channels, B-Boy Summit, and recently added feature The Music Center Offstage.
Asia Yu performs at B-Boy Summit 2019 in Grand Park – Photo courtesy of B-Boy Summit
The B-Boy Summit was founded by B-Girl icon Asia Yu and produced by No Easy Props and has taken place in Los Angeles for more than 20 years. The theme this year is “Hip Hop 4 Social Change” celebrating Hip Hop culture with street dance, art and music performances. Viewers will also experience informative, educational panels; artist talk-ins; street dance and emcee workshops; DJ and Breaking exhibition battles; health and financial empowerment classes; and performances. Saturday’s activities also include a post-party DJ cypher, starting at 6:00 p.m., so viewers can jam musically at home while listening to the beats of DJ Timber.
“A prime example of Grand Park’s mission to honor the County’s cultural diversity through meaningful programming, Grand Park Presents B-Boy Summit 2020 is also an innovative adaptation of the park’s long-standing partner tradition of celebrating, supporting and uplifting community leaders, such as Asia and No Easy Props,” said Julia Diamond, director, Grand Park. “The Summit focuses on the artistic, educational and social justice roots of Hip Hop to help unify communities and generations. By transitioning a live event into a virtual one, we can continue to lift each other up, share our gifts and learn from one another as we stand in solidarity with B-Boys and B-Girls while spreading the peace, unity and camaraderie of Hip Hop culture.”
“We are proud to bring forth this incredible effort of deep love for Hip Hop culture rooted in social justice and social change! With footage shot live and safely during this COVID season, we unveil pieces of truth, resistance, empowerment and self-determination through the skills of Hip Hop culture, activating communities and artists towards action, healing and progress. We are a culture of action, through our art forms and community interaction, knowledge, and sharing.” said Asia Yu, founder, B-Boy Summit and No Easy Props.
Helping to bring social awareness and to aid in the move toward equity and equality, the summit will bring viewers in virtual contact with social justice partners such as Hip Hop for Change, Inc., Child of this Culture, Hip Hop Congress, Hip Hop Education Center and Detroit Motor City Street Dance Academy. There will be “Community Betterment” classes for viewers to “improve your health and wellbeing as Hip Hop artist and vegan chef Ietef Vita (aka DJ Cavem) discusses plant-based living and food justice for a healthier lifestyle. Or one can help build financial and personal security with B-Boy Mike Wird who empowers viewers with financial literacy exercises for self-determination.
Workshops will include freestyle and performance tips in an emcee workshop with Myka9; get moving with popping, locking, and rocking street dance sessions led by Asia One, Zulu Gremlin, Charlie Woo Washington with Skeeter Rabbit Higgins and Vixx Vapor; and learning basic scratch and deejaying techniques in a demo hosted by DJs Celskiii and Deandroid.
B-Boy Crumbs – Photo courtesy of B-Boy Summit
There are Summit Excursions to experience Hip Hop’s grassroots culture and its message of self-expression and social engagement with featured excursions based out of Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Local artists including, Fienz, Marz, Asia One, Pheud, Sake, Brisk, Persue, Spie, Agana, Crayone, Cre8, Ladie One, Teal and Trixter will discuss their art and the social justice movements in their respective cities.
With DJ and Breaking Exhibition Battles one can earn how the dance form style of Breaking is unique to each locale with epic battle exhibitions featuring B-Boys and B-Girls from The Bronx, Jersey City, Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
Artist Talk-ins offer a behind-the-scenes with interviews and discussions with rapper Opio and emcee Artson, and dance legends and pioneers PapoLuv and Shabba-Doo (“The Godfather of Street Dance”).
If one is only interested in watching performances, you can enjoy those by Medea Sirkus, LA Boppin Crew and No Easy Props. *Artists and performances are subject to change. For updated information and event schedule, visit grandparkla.org and bboysummit.com.
What: B-Boy Summit 2020
Where: Twitch (GrandPark_LA); YouTube (@GrandParkLosAngeles); Mixcloud (GrandPark_LA); Facebook Live (@GrandParkLosAngeles); Grandparkla.org; Bboysummit.com; and Musiccenter.org.
When: Friday, August 14, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., Saturday, August 15, 2020, at 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., and Sunday, August 16, 2020, at 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
To visit the Grand Park website, click HERE.
To learn more about The Music Center Off Stage, click HERE.
Written and compiled from the Grand Park press release by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Spie – Photo courtesy of B-Boy Summit
