Potash Hill Residency
New York City’s Program Manager, Daniel “Chrybaby” Holloway, was invited to attend the Potash Hill residency. Potash Hill is located in Southern Vermont - the expansive southern property is scattered with rehearsal studios, recording studios, libraries, and nature - it makes the perfect setting for artists to come hone their craft.
Can you share what this was and what brought you there?
This was an experience for me to go and work on my intellectual property and to expand on lite feet culture, vocabulary and to practice tonality.
The residency was hosting other artists, some being singers, musicians, and other dancers. And the space is designated to those to go and work on a particular piece. It had amazing facilities that we were able to utilize to work on our pieces. My piece in particular was called tonality.
It was amazing to collaborate with the other Creative Netwerk instructors as well. Being that it was our first time many of us were coming together, as well as my very first residency, it was a really unique experience. We’ve never had that kind of freedom to just create and showcase in the same breath.
The residency was with other Creative Netwerk instructors and the week of workshops culminated in a showcase and open event to the community. How did it feel to collaborate with other instructors?
It was amazing to collaborate. I think it was a culture shock for them, because for some, it was their first time being on a residency, and the first time being in a space where they were learning about dance in a formal setting. Everything else has been a very organic experience, living in New York and doing the dance amongst other kids his age and growing up with them. This was different - learning a Pioneer's approach and current intellectual standpoint on what he does with the footwork.
Every day was like going back to the drawing board and creating this picture of what the tone wop is and what the Fliq is, and how to really move forward these evolutions.
How did the workshops progress over the week and relate to the performance?
I came in with a new piece of intellectual property that I got to really expand on, which is called Fliq. It is moving in abstract directions, also on double time. So in order to utilize tonality, it is a conditioning process where you're basically dancing on the ball of your feet, from a partially squatted position, while your back is not upright.
So together, we were preparing to be able to get used to being in this pocketed position, bouncing down on one and rocking up on one. So it's a polyrhythmic madness that street dancers have never experienced because they don't develop in class.
Over the course of the week, we were doing mini performances during meals with the other artists and almost giving TED Talks on what we were doing. We kept working on these skills until the end of the week when we performed.
What was the performance like?
For the performance, I ended up combining together a set of songs that allowed us to showcase tonality Fliqing, and also send a message during Black History Month. So we utilize songs. The first song is called Lift together - composed by a producer by the name of AOL - I gave him the concept of the idea for a lite feet remix of lift off. Alongside the song, we're utilizing tonality, which is present day lite feet footwork. Then we performed another song called Scream, which is more of a current battle style lite feet record composed by a producer by the name of Little Live. And it's Michael Jackson’s song remixed, with this message of pushing forth and leveling up. So Lift Off is us leveling up, and Scream is us blurting the message out.
There was beautiful symmetry, between it being Black History Month, my first residency, and the 51st year of Hip Hop - all culminating in the continuation of hip hop culture from the Harlem and Bronx perspective. We had some of New York's finest and brightest African Americans together on stage, and that performance was a moment to rejoice, to reflect on the journey and the struggle and how far that we've come.
What was your preparation for this residency like?
About a month before the residency, I had some lite feet professional development workshops that were in collaboration with Creative Netwerk, almost like a pre-residency, so we were already practicing tonality. It set me up to focus more on teaching the Fliq and working off of tonality that had already been established for most, so I didn’t have to start from scratch with everyone.
What did you learn and take away from the experience?
I have been reflecting on footwork that adds to the preservation of the subculture, a part of that 51-year old dance culture. I've learned that it's a blessing to be able to assume these roles. And I have been selected for a reason, and the torch is burning ever bright. And for anyone that is willing, the fire is burning, and they can have their torch lit as well.
The thing that I take away is that it's a continuum. It's a continuum of learning, and we very much planted a lot of seeds in this residency that will grow and add to that continuum.
