Trading Drugs and Gangs for God and Krump
Krump is one of the latest dance forms picking up steam in the urban community as an alternative to gang scenes and violence.
And one group of young men is taking the unique dance throughout the states to reveal the spiritual side of krump.
"It's the best thing that happened in my life," said Mark Santiago, 19, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "If it wasn't for krumping, I would have probably been doing drugs, stealing."
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Santiago is traveling across six states for a monthlong gospel concert tour in September with a newly formed group called One Accord. The group was birthed in April under the mentorship of Antoine Bradford of Oceanside, Calif., who saw krump as an avenue to glorify God. His 16-year-old son is also in the group.
Young dancers have made krump an acronym for Kingdom Radically Uplifting Mighty Praise. It is an aggressive and spiritual form of dance with Christian roots and evolved as an escape from violence and drug abuse. Its movements include high-energy chest pops, arm swings, stomps, syncs, locks, break-dancing techniques and other freestyle moves. It's often described as "extreme" hip-hop dancing while some have compared it to the cathartic release at churches.
Many attribute krumping to Thomas Johnson, a.k.a. "Tommy the Clown" who has performed the moves at birthday parties in Los Angeles since 1992. Other key figures of krump include Tight Eyez a.k.a. Ceasare Willis and Lil C among others.
"Before I was a party clown, I was in jail," said Johnson, featured in the 2005 documentary film Rize which tells the story of the street dance phenomenon from South Los Angeles. "I was in the drug life... and I got out, changed my life, got into church - and from then on, I became Tommy the Clown and moved forward."
Members of One Accord agree that krumping has helped keep them out of trouble and allowed them to spread God's word. The One Accord concert tour features six skits with choreographed and freestyle moves as well as narration on customized tracks that mention the Lord.
If krump were bait, the group's Christian ministry would be the reel that brings people in so they can explain the spiritual side of the dance movement, said Quinell Dixon, 19, of One Accord, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
"Everybody wants to see a cool move, but on the flip side of it, I want to tell you how I got that move," he said.
