The curtain opens…..the music begins…..the lights illuminate the stage….and all you can see are figures in black and white. No faces. What would you think? I wasn’t exactly sure what my feeling was, but I knew it was going to be good! By the end of the performance, I was excited and puzzled at the same time. What just happened? If you were at Culture Shock San Diego’s 4th Annual Showcase this past November, you probably felt the same way.

Who were the Jabbawockeez? Where did they come from? After connecting with some of my sources, I finally got a chance to catch up with some of the members and I must say, this was the most interesting and intriguing interview I’ve ever had.

“Our philosophy is to dance like nobody is watching.”

OC: What exactly is a Jabbawockee?

Jabbawockeez: It’s not a who is it…it’s what is it. Being a Jabbawockee…(pause)…is total freedom and honest expression of one’s self without boundaries.

OC: How did the group develop?

Jabbawockeez: By the design of God…He brought a group of friends together that share the same mind frame of dance. We all have creative forms of freestyle and innovative visions. People thought we were weird but we made sense to each other…so we all came together.

OC: What is the philosophy of the group?

Jabbawockeez: Our philosophy is to dance like nobody is watching. You know, just let go and do what you feel. Don’t feel bound by the rules or foundations of dance. Expand….evolve. We would just say free your mind and the rest will follow (laughs).

“We see us spreading our freestyle-influenced mischief all over the planet…”

OC: Since you guys don’t show your face, may I ask, who are the Jabbawockeez?

Jabbawockeez: We don’t exist….we’re here and there and nowhere!

OC: I’ve seen you guys perform and you’ve presented some pretty dope sets. Where does you inspiration come from?

Jabbawockeez: Our primary inspiration comes from the Almighty. We are also inspired by each other as well as regular, everyday life…what music we listen to, what movies we watch. The normal person watching might say “what the hell are they doing?”, but an artistic mind…they may not completely understand it, but they feel it, you know.

OC: Are there any female Jabbawockeez?

Jabbawockeez: Jabbawockeez have no gender.

OC: Do you all have specific role models who motivate you to continue to enhance your skills?

Jabbawockeez: Yes, we do.

OC: Can you name a few people, just to recognize who plays a part in your life?

Jabbawockeez: (Each member throwing out names): KeiBee, Joe, Rhythm Bugz, Gary, Phil, Super Dave, Groovaloos, Miles McPherson, my dad….we take the good stuff from each person we meet.

OC: Where do you see the Jabbawockeez within the next year?

Jabbawockeez: We see us spreading our freestyle-influenced mischief all over the planet…opening people’s minds to our style of dance.

OC: If I said I wanted to be a Jabbawockee, what would be your response?

Jabbawockeez: Not to exclude anyone but it’s like invite only. It’s not a dance troupe. There aren’t auditions or anything. We’re very selective about who we pick up. We don’t just let anybody in Jabbawockeez because we’re all friends…good friends. We wouldn’t just shut you down either. If you wanted to come session with us, come to a session. But really, if you want to be in Jabbawockeez, you have to be invited.

OC: Where was your first performance?

Jabbawockeez: It was at Showcase ’03

OC: That was a dope performance. How did you feel about the response you got?

Jabbawockeez: We were completely honored that the people enjoyed it so much and it reassured us that we were doing the right thing. After that, we knew that this could be something major.

OC: I am anxiously awaiting to see the Jabbawockeez again…do you have any upcoming performances that I should know about?

Jabbawockeez: As of right now, just keep your eyes and ears open. We don’t have any official dates set up yet. Is there a show in the making? Yes!

OC: Before we leave, do you have any advice for aspiring dancers out there?

Jabbawockeez: Just know that you can do so much more than you think

*Interview by Atija “BabyTee” Brewer