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Bay Area Turf Dancers in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl half-time show…Photo courtesy of Dopey Fresh: (from bottom left) Dopey Fresh, I-dummy, YungPhil, KingMosi, D-Monte, (from top left) Skeeter, Slow-Motion, Ice Cold, Xavier, Stuck
Ten Bay Area artists brought the unique "turf dancing" style to the biggest national stage for the first time in Kendrick Lamar's historic Super Bowl half-time show.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Ten Bay Area dancers have helped make history, performing in Kendrick Lamar's record-breaking Super Bowl half-time show on Sunday and bringing the Bay Area's own turf-dancing style, for the first time, to a national stage that drew more than 133 million viewers.
Three of the dancers came to the KTVU studios on Tuesday with some of their dance teammates, to share their stories, lessons learned, and yes... some turf dance moves.
How they got there
"I danced with Kendrick Lamar a few times before, but never on anything like that. The capacity level was high. The atmosphere was great," said Gary "icecold3000" Morgan, who was one of the Super Bowl performers.
"One of our friends that's in LA got called, hey, do you know any Bay Area dancers? And he said yeah, I know a bunch. So he submitted a bunch of names," said Philip "yungphil" Mays, who dances with It's THEM Dance team.
The 10 dancers who were invited to join the performance came from four Bay Area groups: Turffeinz, Unknown, It's THEM, and Best Alive Dance Team. The performers, listed by their social media artist names include: DopeyFresh, I-dummy, YungPhil, KingMosi longlivemosi, D-Monte, lf_Skeeter, , icecold3000, Xavier xaeiman, and Stucker.
The dancers spent about one month preparing in secret in Los Angeles.
Turf dancing roots in the Bay
For decades, turf dancing has been on Bay Area streets or on battle dance floors.
Artists work hard, but don't always get the fame or fortune that other artists might.
Now, they're getting their moment to show the world what turfing is all about.
"It put the magnifying glass on our dance style and our community," Morgan said.
"The fact that Kendrick Lamar basically put turfing, the Bay Area, people that's really of the culture..in this show is just like, it's super refreshing, because there are a lot of people or a lot of artists that just want to go with what's new and the newest thing, but this is something that's kind of like timeless." said Mays.
Turf dancing has deep roots that started in the Bay Area. Oakland's street dance culture stretches back to the 1960s.
Over the decades, videos of turf dancers on street corners have gone viral. The dancers say turfing is also the art of storytelling, and they say finding creativity in the chaos of urban life.
"That's the essence of turfing and what I appreciate. It's gotten me out of the darkest space where it keeps me sane," said Arthur "Dopey Fresh" Gardner, with Unknown Dance Group.
Arthur "Dopey Fresh" Gardner, says for him, dancing on the Super Bowl stage was his way of honoring his parents who died last year, and the pride in Black culture they instilled in him.
"I've been doing this since I was 16 years old, and it's my therapy. It's literally my therapy. So the fact I can be myself and be authentic. Myself. And be genuine. And to do that on stage, that's the most beautiful thing that could happen." Gardner said.
Bigger message
The dancers say they also felt part of a bigger message.
For many people, Lamar's Super Bowl show went beyond the controversy over diss tracks.
It put patriotism center stage and under scrutiny during Black History Month, juxtaposing familiar themes and memes of American culture, such the usually white Uncle Sam, and replacing him with a different Uncle Sam, Black actor Samuel Jackson.
On stage, it was also clear, that the lines of talented Black artists are American artists and the challenges faced by Black Americans are a central part of American History.
"It meant so much because of where we come from, the color of our skin, the problems that we go through today. And it's very like, prevalent in the piece altogether," Mays said.
"I think this teaches young people that no matter what you decide to do, you keep going and you stay loyal to it and it stays loyal to you at the same time. I think you can make something out of it," Morgan said.
Back in the Bay, the dancers are hoping to share their experiences with young people here at home, and continue to build this Bay Area turf dancing legacy.
"We appreciate Kendrick, We appreciate Charm La'Donna, the choreographer of the piece, and pgLang" Mays said, referring to the media production company Lamar co-founded. "We did this for the Bay Area, and we can't wait to see what comes after this."
Jana Katsuyama is a reporter for KTVU. Email Jana at jana.katsuyama@fox.com. Call her at 510-326-5529. Or follow her on Twitter @JanaKTVU and read her other reports on her bio page.