been a while….

man oh man…its been a while since i wrote anything on this blog…i nearly forgot that i had one after using facebook so much….LOL…

OMG so much has happened since my last blog update…..its already feb 2010…so much has happened in 2009..but my main excitement still revolves around my trips to taiwan n hong kong….i went to taiwan twice..once for the max party in kaouhsiung in august 09 and and one this year couple weeks ago onli….i was in hong kong in nov for the funkology jam…all the events i went to were dance jams with battles and stuff.i went there to try out the popping and locking categories but did not make it thru the preliminaries….but it did not make me feel sad one bit…instead im so happy to be able to expose myself to such high standards of dance and gain experience which is priceless..i also attended workshops by very professional and well knowned dance teachers such as Kosby (USA) ,acky (FAB 5 boog, OGS) and fish BOy from japan..my intention of going to such jams were never to win in the first place….and my intention for dancing is not to win anyone or try to be the best….i love to continue growing in my passions and gain new insights so that i can be a better teacher n mentor to those whom i am teaching n sheperding..and i improved a great deal ever sinced i went there…alot of blanks in my technical vocab and execution were filled up….and i enjoy danicng so much more now…

apart from being able to learn from teachers in taiwan n hong kong..i had the previledge of learning from dancers whom we invited to our shores….we had prosenjit kundu (aka TONY) who was here to teach old school hip hop and also house…im so thankful to tony cos if he did not come i would still be in the dark on house dance..now i am more confident with house…again NOT to show that i am dope or any shit like dat but so dat i can express myself when there is a house groove played…we also had my big bro n mentor Ricardo from finland who was here in dec last year to teach locking n popping…..ricky has aLWIS been like this pillar of strength for me….the inspiration about life u get from him is indescribable beyond words….i love u bro…i pray for gods blessings to be on u alwis…

i am happy as i feel my journey as a dancer has just started ….many negativity has been removed by God my father and i am so proud of my new family of dancers and teachers..jerry, sidney, doris, amanda, silvya, lydia, aaron, esther, xin ee,melissa, the lovett twins, yoke junn, pei hua, jooneng aka usher, voon, vyon, vince (both kepong n BIOnic funk), max, hann, jeffrey (korean pimp), lukey, ken ming (club banger), justin, nicholas(mental dental), han jon, rudy citra (the awesomest popper ever), machi, seng han, ed, and so many more i could remember now..lol…i love u all..

Bboy Gonza And Urban Groove

A month after katsu was here for BOTY and Bboy nite pg, we had the honour of having Gonza from thailand to grace our events as a judge and also to conduct bboy workshops. We has workshops in three locations, Penang, ipoh and also  Kl, with bboy jams only held in pg and ipoh. It was again another awesome experience with gonza as not only was he a fun and enjoyable person to be around..his dopeness as a dancer preceeds him. Gonzas workshops were very imformative, with techniques covering footwork, toprocking and alot on how to bring yourself during a battle. He shared alot also on dos and donts during cyphers from his experience from jams worldwide. Looking at the way he dances, i strongy feel that Gonza is a level above many bboys in south east asia. Apart from his good groove and musicality, he puts in alot of heart and feel into his moves regardless of whether it is a battle or circle. Top that off with his awesome power, he is one bboy that will be going places.

I am happy he enjoyed his stay here in Msia, because he said it was his best trip here ever. And he was totally addicted to our famous Klang bah kut teh!..hehehe..

A week in Penang with bboy katsu

The Oyishi face

It was such a short but great time in penang last month when Katsu (all area crew/mighty zulu kings) was in town to judge BOTY and also the monthly bboy nite in new world park penang. I was so honoured to be able to judge alongside a lengend and also with my own hommie and local legend himself, bboy zack.

I picked up katsu from the airport on tuesday and drove him all the way to Pg…katsu was so excited about going to pg as he heard so much cool things bout pg from his team mate takeshi who was studying in pg a couple of months before. And he was not disappointed one bit as pg did given him so much awesmome experiences and memories. Well eventhough he did not get to savour the full tastebud experience due to his inability to consume spicy food, the Pg food tour we gave him  was good enough for him to keep asking for a second serving.

Katsu was so dope because he had such a passion to share. Well, there is no doubt that his dancing is dope, but what was doper is that he wanted to share so much about his knowledge and experience to the younger cats here in pg. Its like ive seen many dope bboys, poppers and lockers but what makes super dope ppl like katsu and also ricky is dat they just wanna pour out their knowledge to u. We had such a great time sitting at gurney drive listening to all of katsu’s stories of battles and also on japanese culture. you rock man..

this comin bboy nite we will be able to experience one of thailands best..bboy gonza..cant wait..haha

Our succesful student dance concert

I feel so happy that we finally finished the mini student/teacher dance concert in the summit, USJ last sun, 14 of june 2009. IT was the awesomest of all and everyone had so much fun performing on stage and goofing around backstage..

Firstly i wanna thank the parents who came to support their kids dance during the show..they were so sporting during the whole event and made it more alive. Secondly, to all our students who tok the time to rehearse and participate that day, you guys are the dopest of all…you guys did great during every show..i am so honoured to have you guys as part of the new UG family. Lastly, my teachers, my team, my new family…eventhough we are a smaller team but we pack a bigger punch..thank you for growing with me and walking with me and most importantly, supporting our cause and focusing on the direction urban groove has always been annointed to go.

despite not having a super massive turn out but what i hoped to achieve was there..the positive VIBE..i am not out to prove that UG is the best or doper than everyone else because to each his own..but i sure wanna prove that UG is around for the RIGHT purposes..To me, i am so over wanting the fame or glamour in winning contest..but what thrills me more is when i can encourage and inspire people to discover their real potential..many of our students have not been on stage before..and whether they are fat, thin, ugly or geeky, as long as they got the passion and heart, they are dope and deserved to be given a chance to shine.

peace

Videos to prove it all..

I am just so tired of others saying they know all styles and can do this and that..i am not only gonna talk the talk but WALK the talk..ill just put videos of what the instructors of urban groove and me myself can do….i wont make claims to things i cant do like what all other studios are doin…you can check them out at www.myspace.com/joel_tan

i honestly feel deep in my heart that my journey as a dancer has only begun and there is so much more for my myself to still learn..i hope you enjoy the videos..and whether i am wack or good, you decide yourselves..i wont make any self praise at all cause self praise is no praise at all..peace..

Team Vibe, our family from the phillipines

Me & Melvin

I wanna take this oppurtunity to thank our brothers and sisters in christ from the phillipines, team VIBE for all your support and prayers when urban Groove was going through its rebirth phase. Team vibe, under the leadership of my brother Melvin, won 1st runer up for the World street dance championship, which was held in Holand last year. Similar to urban groove, vibe are strong and passionate about glorifying God through dance and they are the also defenders of true funk styles in the Phllipines. We were also both taught by Ricky carranza, AKA tricky rick on the true essence of Locking.

Vibe was with us  here in Malaysia to do nationwide tour in JB, Seremban, Ipoh, Kl and Penang to do a street dance workshop tour. The response was very good at all regions as there were alot of fresh new styles taught in the classes. The workshop tour in KL ended with a party on the last day with performances, battles and even a special guest appearance by WAN smooth from styles from beyond, Singapore. At the end of the party, everyone had such a great time they were asking when the next party would be…

Through out their two week stay here, we grew very close with Vibe and they grew very close with zack’s cooking..hehehehe…the dude is Not BAD!!..cant wait to have you guys back here….god bless u all…

Jealousy

Wow….to me, jealousy is one of the most ugliest things about a human being…and when i say so i admit that I myself can be very jealous as well..

I know sometimes its tough that when you excell at what you do, people will find ways to bad mouth you behind your back and do whatever it takes to dicredit you….i have been a victim of that many many times…. but i keep telling myself day and night that as long as your conscience is clear, do not let any of those remarks get to you…..at the end of the day, you life is accountable to God….if you have not done according to his will, you will get what you deserve that is why i constantly seek God for his wisdom and spirit to guide me to do what is right in his eyes..and to have a spirit of obedience.. and his spirit will give you the peace of mind that is from heaven….Whatever people want to say will not be imporant..all we need to do is focus on our own priorities..our work…our studies..our career..our dreams…and if we stay connected to God, we are definitely on the right track..i hope this has encouraged you today…peace

Trust…

Many people face the dillemma of trusting others…basically i feel that trust is the basis of all human interactions and relations, be it a couple, friends, business associates or even family members…I remember a friend of mine sharing how he was betrayed by his own brother  whom he trusted and loved so much in their family business…having gone through the same problem myself , i could identify with him and how he felt…but despite all the types of conflict which arises in human relations as a result of breach of trust, it is still important to trust others….the only questions is WHO you trust…and how do we do that?….by having Faith in God and his son Christ jesus that he will give us the wisdom to know who to trust..and believe me he will send the right people your way..There will definitely be moments where you go through broken relationships, betrayals and stuff but it is just to teach you wisdom, so that you can be a better person..and my experience has definitely taught me alot on that…one things i can be super certain is that we all can trust God, cause he will never let you down….He has never let me down, each week, i encounter a new miracle that happens either to me or one of my teachers or students…it just goes to show how real God is…God bless and peace

Coping and preventing injuries

It has become a very common thing for extreme athletes such as bboys to get injured. But injuries can also be prevented if there is a safe approach to training and execution. Over my years of dancing, one of the most scariest injuries happened in a club during my younger years. I tried to do a backflip of the stage  but slipped and landed on my back with my neck being over stretched. I Thank GOd that i survived that fall and did not die. I suffered a prolapsed disc in my neck vertebrae  and was advised to stay out of extreme dance period. But nothing was gonna stop me from dancing. Basically God healed me..the disc just shrunk back to its original position after a month of rest..a neurosurgeon from HUKM verified that. Cutting short the story, my de life grew and grew and i could do the head spin!!…despite all that miracles..i deeply regreted trying to show off in that club…That is why one of the most underated ways to prevent injury in bboying is if we dun try to show off..hehehe…i had to learn it the hardway.

I believe that in bboying, alot of moves are actually controlled..and the dancer needs to strengthen his/her body through conventional strength training methods such as weight in order to prevent injury. Many time we get injured due to body fatigue..this is when the body is tired and we push it past its limits…as a result..Snap!! something tore…it is important to pace ourselves when we train or dance..and the amount of basic strength and flexibility conditioning must be adequate in order to prevent a muscle tear, tendon overuse, meniscus tear of normal sprain..with the advances in sports science, there are many medical therapies for such injuries but prevention is still better than cure..so remember to stretch well, warm up properly and follow your own pace to improve..cheers!

Career in street dance

Many people that i have come across both friends or students will usually ask me one common question that is how do you start a career in dance, and specifically street dance..it is for that reason that i have chosen to share some of my thoughts on this matter. The very first thing you need to have is the passion FOR THE dance and NOT just passion TO dance. I believe there is distinctive difference between the two. I am saying this because most people just love hip hop because its the latest trend. As for me i love hip hop and street styles because it connects with me as a person and i can identify with the issues it reflects. When i started doing hip hop it was like 15 years back and it had not been popular at all in Msia yet. It was only when Urban groove formed the street dance culture in Msia started. To really dance hip hop well, you gotta really connect with hip hop music and also hip hop culture.Then only will the dance make more sense and you can progress far by creating your own signature style. In a nutshell, one of the foundations for hip hop dance is embracing the artistic and creative side of the hip hop culture from the context of music and dance and NOT the gangsta related image we see on music videos as potrayed by most rappers.

The second thing you need is alot of HARDWORK. In actual fact, this is what you need to do if you want a career in anything at all. Hardwork covers everything from training hard, learning hard, playing hard and trying hard. You never see results if you never try your best in anything. Every successful individual i meet have told me that their success was never by chance but by hardwork in achieving the goals you want to achieve.

The last thing you need is to be HUMBLE. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and i myself have been a victim of that circumstance many times. I believe that humility is through ACTION and not through speech. I have met many people to are down to earth in personality but their action show the opposite. Its just fake and will not get you far.

Juggle the three in a fine mixture and you will be on the right track to achieving your goals in dance. God will definitely bless you and your career.

peace

It takes more than talent, It needs more than passion..

Ricky, good friend and student of Shabbadoo and Greg Campbellock

giving us an intensive training on the true locking style

I feel strongly compelled to share about something important for all dancers to think about..i was previledged to meet and learn from Ricky carranze, AKA Tricky Rick from Finland, who is a close friend and student of Greg Campbellock junior and Shabadoo from the Original Lockers. Ricky shared with me that in order to grow as a dancer it takes more than mere talent and passion. It requires Loyalty to your craft, focus, effort and most importantly, Trust in God. Loyalty to your craft starts with passion but at a whole new level. Many pioneering crews like the rocksteady crew and the electric boogaloos all were loyal to their craft and the style they represented. Despite changing trends, they stood steadfast to their dance and made alot of effort to bring it to another level. They stood loyal to their dance, which was a representation of themselves and not just something they did. Betraying their dance would meant a betrayal of themselves. As a result, they brought the dance and the game on a whole new level and will forever be in my books, the founders of their dance styles despite existing contreversy. Focus is another thing, that many dancers neglect. Talent gives you a good start in your journey as a dancer but focus and consistency will get you far. We have to be focused on objectives, focused on realistic matters, focus on training consistenly, focused on character development, focused on GOD!!!..Everything ultimately leads to that focusing and trusting in God, as he is the one who created us to be creative and he is the one who gave us the talent and placed in us the passion to dance. And as we focus on him and walk with him, the groove will definitely be with us..i hope this has encouraged you as well..peace

Street dancing at 30..

Phew!..this year ill be 30…man oh man..how time flies by.. seemed like yesterday i won my first dance contest in my early twenties..the memories still are as clear as crystal water…i have been dancing for over ten years, from the early high school years it was all about impressing girls..all the performances in parties and school nights made u the talk of your local community then…the following years after college was the best…the prom nights, clubs and competitions really got into me then…after graduating i decided to bring my passion into another level, that is to try to make it a career..this was a whole new ball game..business and interest are a whole separate thing..blending them symbiotically was no easy task…but it was God who has been blessing me with the wisdom to do…looking back at my life and career as a dance teacher, it was no plain sailing process..i had to go through lots of difficulties in many areas…the one thing that really really got me through is trusting in GOD….as stated in the book proverbs, trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all things put him first and he will guide your path..all these years i have been holdin on to that encouraging verse and it gave me strength to go through all the hardships during those years..sitting here today i feel complete..i feel happy…and most importantly i feel at peace..because life is about obeying God and doing what is right in his eyes..God has greatly blessed me this year..with a renewed wisdom and heart….at 30, i feel that my dance life has just begun….i feel the same enthusiasm to dance like when i was only 18, but this time with a deeper passion and to really encourage and reach out to people. And at 30 i just want to dance to express and not to impress……i hope that you will feel encouraged by what ive writen, as i feel deep in my heart that there is a dancer in everyone just waiting to be let out….no matter what problems you go through in your dance life and journey, remember that if you learn to put ur faith and trust in christ jesus, he will NEVER let you down,…GOD bless..peace

A NEW CHAPTER, A FRESH BEGINING

A new chapter in my life, a fresh beginning for urban groove, that is how the first title of this post for my blog will be. The last 10 months have been very difficult for me and alyssa.  Not only did we have to deal with the biggest betrayal in our lifetime, it was a mammooth task ahead for us to rebuild our company, the urban groove dance network. We basically suffered a loss of staff from 15 to 3, closure of two Kl based branches and all of the state branches in penang, Ipoh and seremban. It was bad…many assumed that that was the end of urban groove, the first pioneering street dance academy in Malaysia. At that time i was on the verge of giving up….i was destroyed inside..the people whom i trusted and cared so much practically decided that betrayal was a moral thing to do and they had full justification of their actions in a way that they perceived was right through their own eyes. But i realized that God had a reason for me to set up Urban groove…he was the one that was running urban groove all the time and he was the architect of our success..God was not going to let me go down or give up…Through his power, i decided to stand back up, let it all go and start all over. In less than a month i managed to build back a team of highly capable and talented individuals to be trained as my new instructors. Suprisingly they all exceeded all my expectations and grew at a fast rate. Despite not having as much individuals as before, the new team had a bigger sense of responsibility as teachers and to their job. I am also happy that most of our studnts were loyal to urban groove and stayed despite everything.Everything has been going well despite minor hiccups here and there….Our new class system is running well for the second month and so far everyone loves the system as it allows for so much more choices. Apart from that, we have scured new partners and affiliates in the diferent states and i have started training them. I just want to take this oppoturnity to thank all our students for sticking to the real deal. I pledge to continue to giving the best services in terms of quality, originalty, flexibility and variety of classes and styles. Thank u for ur suport of urban groove through our trying times… GOD BLESS U ALL..and keep groovin!

All About Joel Tan

THE FOUNDER OF URBAN GROOVE

The Urban Groove was founded by Joel Tan in 2004 as an official dance studio. Joel Tan currently is an accreditated dance teacher with a registered certificate from the United Kingdom Alliance(UKA) in the area of Hip Hop and Street Styles. Joel Tan is the pioneer of the original street and urban dance styles in Malaysia and is one of the very earliest to receive the street dance teaching certification. He is arguably the most versatile urban and street style dancer in Malaysia, with the ability to teach, perform and freestyle all the types of street styles from Hip Hop, New Styles, Breaking, Locking, Poppin, House, and Krump. Joel now plays the role of trainer of teachers, providing training not only to his staff but also to his affiliated studios at different regions around Malaysia. Apart from that, he provides talks and seminars at different studios in Malaysia and abroad on topics relating to street dance such as history, description, choreography and career paths in dance. Despite retiring from the competitive scene, Joel is still currently very active as a dancer not only as a trainer but judge, event promoter and businessman.

URBAN GROOVE’S IDENTITY

The Urban Groove Dance Network(UGDN) is a locally based network of academies focused on providing professional classes for Urban and Street Dance Styles. Here at Urban Groove, we believe in viewing Urban and Street Dance as a unique form of art and aim to educate and encourage individuals to positively express this form of dance. The Urban Groove Dance Network has established itself as the leading street and urban dance styles school in Malaysia since 2004, pioneering the introduction of street dance and also setting the standard of ORIGINALITY and QUALITY.