Str8jacket Blog
Meet Truth De Leon Gemora - Founder of TruGem Lifestyle
Truth Gamora is like a mom of the Str8jacket community due to her son Darien’s past involvement in our competitive team. This is due to her undying support for the team, attending all performances, advertising our events, and donating to our efforts while and after her son was competing with us. She is the creator and founder of her own clothing line, TruGem Dance, an emphasis of a dance and fitness lifestyle. We decided to sit down with Truth (over some Philz Coffee) to get to know her and her motivations behind the TruGem brand.
Truth De Leon Gamora is like a mom of the Str8jacket community due to her son Darien’s past involvement in our competitive team. This is due to her undying support for the team, attending all performances, advertising our events, and donating to our efforts while and after her son was competing with us. She is the creator and founder of her own clothing line, TruGem Dance, an emphasis of a dance and fitness lifestyle. We decided to sit down with Ruth (over some Philz Coffee) to get to know her and her motivations behind the TruGem brand.
Why did you decide to pursue Fashion?
Truth De Leon Gemora: I grew up with two other sisters in my household, so we would love to dress up ourselves and each other. I always wanted people’s clothing to be comfortable and sexy - active wear, but still very fashionable. And I always wanted it to be affordable wear, nothing overpriced.
What started your interest in the business?
TG: I had heard of other people selling their clothes on Amazon and other websites, and saw success in it. I was also a production assistant for Old Navy, and worked at a fabric store, so I knew the clothing market pretty well. I know that the the body is your accent to your clothing. It is not about the brand name, I try to avoid big brand names in my collection of clothing.
What are your inspirations for TruGem?
TG: My main inspirations are lifestyle and fashion. And dancers that have a great fashion sense. The clothing needs to be relatable to all types of dance. I want to be a stylist for other dancers and fashion in general. I’m dreaming big. I see it as “go big or go home”. My mom was a teacher and a nurse, and I saw how hard she worked just to survive. I want to make her proud. My mom is my number 1 fan and I just tell myself to keep going for her.
How did you come up with the name TruGem?
TG: I got the name from my birth name, Truth, and the idea of a gem being something special. My clothing represents people who are genuinely and truly special, or gems. I take the time to find clothes that are fit enough for people.
What were some challenges you’ve faced creating TruGem?
TG: Well first of all I’m not a graphic designer, so that was a big problem when creating the website’s look. I did a lot of researching online, looking at other clothing websites and how they presented their products. I really wanted to keep the focus of the website on the actual clothing I was selling. Shipping is also really hard. Sometimes people from other countries ask for a product and I still need to make sure they receive the same service as someone in this country would get it. It’s a whole process, and pretty complicated. I would take workshops on website design to find more ideas. In terms of my website, I took risks with it in comparison to other clothing websites so that it has its own unique style. I would look at other websites and challenge myself to go beyond what they were doing, and to highlight my clothing even more.
How exactly is your website different from other clothing websites?
TG: Besides what I said before, I’ve noticed that most marketers do not sell clothes for the same reasons as mine are for. The market for specifically dance and activewear is not very common.
Is TruGem for everyone? All genders?
TG: So far, the clothings that we are selling are for the ladies but we will start selling men's apparel soon! I want our clothes to stay true to dancing and fitness but adding a little bit of a G (gangsta, gem, general) to it. The styles that we offer right now will reflect more on the 90’s and for the younger people (mostly tight and fitted clothing) because it's what's popular right now. I am recently seeing the 70’s and baggy clothes coming back so I might look more into that. We will definitely expand more depending on customer demands. Also looking through different trends in other countries such as Japan and Korea.
What are some goals you have for your website?
TG: My personal goal is to be like my idol and inspiration, Sara Blakely the billionaire! I will try my very best to get to the top. Have all different dance studios and dancers to have my clothes. Of course to get know inside and outside of the country but still staying true to home. Let people know I’m from the bay. Also hoping to style and design my own clothing in the future. The most important goal is to spread the purpose of TruGem. That it’s not just a brand, it's a lifestyle. To get people motivated to workout, dream big, dance! And just inspire people to follow their heart.
Truth’s website has been recently shipping to places outside of the country and is continuing to grow. She has shipped her very first order from Germany which she is so proud of. Truth has been through rough times but still strives to move up. Having to raise two talented children, Darian and Maya Gamora, and succeeding in her business makes her such an inspirational woman. She continues to grow and inspire people through her clothing, dances, work out, and even daily posts on instagram. She make sure that people understand that in life, the choice is on you to succeed. As her instagram Bio for her website says, “Don’t be a hard rock when you really are a GEM.”
World Of Dance Releases Alyson Stoner’s Newest Video for “Who Do You Love”
As part of the World of Dance 10 year anniversary and Championship Week celebrations, we held the first ever WOD DX, a dance convention unlike any other. DX was loaded with classes, panels, and more, but one of the best parts of this two day event was that attendees had the chance to audition for being a part of Alyson Stoner’s new dance video for her single Who Do You Love.
This post is cross post from here
Str8jacket members in the music video
Daniel Sajuan - @dan.sajuan
Polina Shrayber - @polinachka101
Sage Segura - @yvng.sagee
As part of the World of Dance 10 year anniversary and Championship Week celebrations, we held the first ever WOD DX, a dance convention unlike any other. DX was loaded with classes, panels, and more, but one of the best parts of this two day event was that attendees had the chance to audition for being a part of Alyson Stoner’s new dance video for her single Who Do You Love.
With Sean Lew’s creative direction, the video features dance celebrities and choreographers Jaja Vankova from SYTYCD, Phil Tayag from the Jabbawockeez, and the Mihacevich Sisters from NBC World of Dance, and many more.
About WOD DX
DX is a multi-day dance experience that gives participants the opportunity to be the next leading stars in the dance industry. Attendees can strengthen their dance training and learn the insider secrets about being on television from the ones that already went through the process during this two-day extravaganza.
At WOD DX, dancers learn everything they need to take their dance career to the next level, attend classes for both varying levels and styles, see panel discussions with NBC World of Dance competitors, audition to perform in a music video, participate in the Dancers Showcase, and more!
WOD DX is part of our Championship week, which also includes the World Championships of our Championship Series. This series of worldwide events represents the culture, artistry, athleticism, soul, and swag of dance. With roots in urban, hip hop, and street dance, World of Dance regional dance competitions now attract 100,000+ competitors and fans to events in more than 25 countries. Qualifying dancers at each of these events are invited to compete in the annual World Championships held in Los Angeles. Our goal: To embrace, engage and develop the next generation through the power of expression while providing a stage for the most elite dancers in the world.
Elizabeth Spurbeck | Managing Editor
Elizabeth Spurbeck is a dance teacher, writer, and marketing professional who specializes in content + digital marketing and herding preschool-aged ballerinas.
Meet Str8jacket’s Andrea Guzman!
Andrea Guzman has been dancing with Str8jacket since the beginning of 2017. Her first performance with Str8jacket was during their America’s Got Talent Season 12 Audition, and her most recent accomplishment with the team includes making her set-choreographer debut for Str8jacket’s Evolution UDC “50’s Diner Set”.
Andrea Guzman has been dancing with Str8jacket since the beginning of 2017. Her first performance with Str8jacket was during their America’s Got Talent Season 12 Audition, and her most recent accomplishment with the team includes making her set-choreographer debut for Str8jacket’s Evolution UDC “50’s Diner Set”.
Andrea has a dance background of jazz, tap, and contemporary which she began in high school. She auditioned for her high school’s hip hop dance team her Sophomore and Junior year but was rejected both years. This made it very hard for her to see the team perform at rallies, games, and other school events because dance was what she loved most about school. Finally in her Senior year, she finally made it into the hip hop team, and she has been improving her craft ever since.
What Andrea loves most about Str8jacket is being surrounded by people who are constantly inspiring her to be better, the sense of family, the love, and the HYPHINESS.
Fun Fact: In 7th grade, Andrea learned all the lyrics to “Look at Me Now” by Chris Brown ft Busta Rhymes and during her Senior Prom, she rapped the entire song in a dance cypher. 😂😂😂
Check out some more of Andrea’s work here:
** Str8jacket is currently hosting a variety of Summer Fundraisers so that they can perform and compete at BET Experience 2018, World of Dance Championships 2018, and World of Dance Bay Area, 2018. Visit the links below to help donate**
After Hours | Jolene Torres
The studio doors are locked, the lights are out... now it’s time to reflect on practice. What we learned beyond the workout and choreo...
This week, Str8jacket will represent in both Northern and Southern California. We will be performing at Gameboi SF at the Rickshaw Stop and BET Experience at LA Live. As we have been hard at work preparing for these (and many other) performances, I’ve had some time to ponder the importance of inclusion, inside and outside of the dance world.
Before Str8jacket, I had imagined the entertainment business as a very cut-throat and cookie-cutter place. Sure, you may have the dreams and the drive to succeed; you can stay up late at night to perfect your over split, wake up early in the morning to do 100 crunches and lunges before a big audition. But there is only so much you can do to be recognized for your efforts. The same ten people you run into at all of the workshops are placed in the YouTube videos. Those who have that “je ne sais quoi” are the ones who are put in every performance. And those that don’t kick their leg high enough, place their hands a certain way…. those who just don’t look “right” for the part? They are cut right then and there. You’re left wondering after all of that hard work, what what did I do wrong? That image in my head deterred me from wanting to pursue dance any further than dance classes offered in high school and college. The Hollywood version of the dance world just became a pipe dream that I didn’t have the courage to pursue.
Then, I found Str8jacket. And that harsh image of the entertainment world has softened into a welcoming space for you to express yourself. I was wrong to think that the ENTIRE dance world was so unkind. This community is nothing but loving and caring. We’re not here to put you down or make you feel small because you can’t groove correctly. We dedicate our time to entertain the audience. If you’re willing to work hard to be a part of that, we welcome you with open arms! At our most recent practices, our director JC stressed the importance of including everyone who wants to perform in a set. He sees that you are committed to improving your dancing skills. The choreographers will recognize that and fit you in! Just having that dedication and drive goes a long ways with Str8jacket. And the best part is that we’re a family. All of our team members are ready to support you when you are struggling with the choreo, and we’re there to praise you when you kill it!
So how does this fit outside of the dancing world? The way I see it, it personally gives me a reason to be nicer to myself. Outside of the dance studio, I get frustrated thinking about the things that I’ve failed to accomplish and isolate myself. It’s easy to forget that everyone else is going through something similar to you, and they’re probably feeling the same way. But when we walk in the studio, everyone is determined to succeed as a team. It motivates me to want to succeed for myself. Being included in this team is enough for me to keep working hard to entertain all of you. It’s important to also remember to be kinder to those around you, and support others when they need it (which, by the way, is all of the time).
It’s important to give yourself some slack, because we see you working hard at something you love to do. We want you to join us as we create and entertain, because we want to make sure everyone else sees you, too.
Author
Jolene Torres officially joined Str8jacket in January 2018. She loves and appreciates many different styles, including: hula, tap, contemporary, and hip hop. This is the first competition hip hop team she has joined.
Outside of the studio, Jolene likes to be behind the camera, sing in the car, and play the ukulele. She considers herself to be a very supportive friend.
** Str8jacket is currently hosting a variety of Summer Fundraisers so that they can perform and compete at BET Experience 2018, World of Dance Championships 2018, and World of Dance Bay Area, 2018. Visit the links below to help donate**
Meet Str8jacket’s Executive & Artistic Director, JC Caoile!
JC co-founded Str8jacket in the summer of 2012. From the beginning, JC believed Str8jacket should be founded on hard work, discipline, creativity and passion. He made Str8jacket a no-audition team because he wanted dancers of diverse backgrounds and also because of his ideology that every dancer has the potential to become skilled with discipline and passion.
JC co-founded Str8jacket in the summer of 2012. From the beginning, JC believed Str8jacket should be founded on hard work, discipline, creativity and passion. He made Str8jacket a no-audition team because he wanted dancers of diverse backgrounds and also because of his ideology that every dancer has the potential to become skilled with discipline and passion.
Now 6 years later, this ideology helped Str8jacket win the audience with a standing ovation at World of Dance Bay Area 2016 with our “Revolution Set”, place 1st at World of Dance Los Angeles 2017 with our “Steampunk Set”, place 1st at World of Dance Bay Area 2017 with our “Oni Set”, and compete in America’s Got Talent Season 12. All while Str8jacket is able to continue its mission of giving back to the community.
Did we mention JC is also founder, Executive and Artistic Director of Str8jacket’s youth team, Krazy8??? Watch their debut set at Collaboration and Breakthrough 2018 here!
While JC loves the challenge of creating competitive sets, his true passion is actually in creative production. He hopes to in the future be able to create a live dance production similar to Cirque Du Soleil and create more meaningful concept videos.
View some of JC’s other work here:
** Str8jacket is currently hosting a variety of Summer Fundraisers so that they can perform and compete at BET Experience 2018, World of Dance Championships 2018, and World of Dance Bay Area, 2018. Visit the links below to help donate**
Click links below y'all
Meet Str8jacket’s Gustavo Morales!
Gustavo (“Goose”) Morales has been an on-and-off member of Str8jacket since 2013!
Gustavo (“Goose”) Morales
Gustavo (“Goose”) Morales has been an on-and-off member of Str8jacket since 2013! He choreographed the fan/ waacking (“faacking”) piece for their winning 2017 World of Dance, Bay Area “Oni” set, also competed with Str8jacket in America’s Got Talent Season 12. He is best known for his style mixed with femme, waacking, contemporary, and just overall sasssssssssss.
View some of his work here!
Also, if you haven’t seen his iconic death drop in the Oni Set, check it out NOW!
Fun fact: When Gustavo isn’t doing Str8jacket, he performs and teaches colorguard! He’s so cool!
** Str8jacket is currently hosting a variety of Summer Fundraisers so that they can perform and compete at BET Experience 2018, World of Dance Championships 2018, and World of Dance Bay Area, 2018. Visit the links below to help donate**
Support us on GoFundMe
Meet Str8jacket’s Nic Sanon!
Nic ("not Nick") Sanon joined Str8jacket in the Summer of 2017 just in time for their World of Dance Championship routine. His very first practice he learned flexibility drills and a contemporary piece from Str8jacket’s Gustavo Morales and knew right away this team would be a great for him.
Nic not Nick Sanon
Nic ("not Nick") Sanon joined Str8jacket in the Summer of 2017 just in time for their World of Dance Championship routine. His very first practice he learned flexibility drills and a contemporary piece from Str8jacket’s Gustavo Morales and knew right away this team would be a great fit for him.
Nic is best known for his amazing stage presence and facials. It’s hard to not notice his charisma on stage! Here are just a few examples!
DAMsf : The Superhero Edition
Str8jacket | Dv8 EnCounter Culture 2018
Okay, Niiiiiiiiiiicccc
Nic is also just overall a super strong and versatile dancer. From femme to hard hitting to feely pieces to HipHop fundamentals, Nic knows how to KILL the dance. Check out some of his work here!
Also peep his ADORABLE surprise promposal to his girlfriend HERE.
Fun fact: Nic graduated from highschool this weekend! CONGRATULATIONS, NIC!!!!! Way to be!!!!!!
** Str8jacket is currently hosting a variety of Summer Fundraisers so that they can perform and compete at BET Experience 2018, World of Dance Championships 2018, and World of Dance Bay Area, 2018. Visit the links below to help donate**
Support us on GoFundMe
What does the name "Str8jacket" mean? | Kristie Lui
Kicking off Str8jacket's blog series from the perspective of its diverse members. Here is a blog written by Kristie Lui, one of Str8jacket's directors, on where the name Str8jacket came from and what that means to her. Enjoy!
In a way, the intention of naming Str8jacket defines a couple of its core values of being creative and challenging standards. Fun fact! The name was actually originally spelled “straitjacket”, but one of the members at the time suggested using the “8” instead because it quote, unquote “sounded cooler”. So to really sum up the meaning of Str8jacket’s name, it was a way to self-define the team as creative and nonconforming while trying its best to be cool. Haha.
I find myself thinking a lot about the name Str8jacket recenty, especially because I ironically recently started working in the behavioral and mental health field, and in my work we actually discourage using terms that perpetuate the stigmatization of mental health illness and challenges. Of course the name Str8jacket tends to bring some images to mind of a “crazy” person locked up in an asylum. So I made an active choice to look at the name Str8jacket in more literal terms.
Literally, a straitjacket is something that restrains us. Oftentimes, we are much too caught up in our physical restraints i.e. weight, appearances, athleticism, etc, when in fact it is more of the mental restraints that we are really allowing to dictate our lives i.e. stress, fear, etc.
In best practice, it’s important we call out our mental restraints so that we can control them before they control us. Often we shy from our fears; avoiding them altogether, thinking that end result will somehow make us happy. But in my experience, true happiness comes from emotional freedom; knowing you have these mental restraints and recognizing that these feelings of fear, stress, and negative emotions make us as human as the positive ones. Because in truth without fear, we do not feel courage, without stress we do not feel peace, and without emotions -positive or negative, humans are just glorified water bags.
So to me this is what the name “Str8jacket” means. It’s a team that challenges its members' inner most fears and pushes them to face them head-on so that we're able to continually improve everyday. I rep the name Str8jacket with pride because it is my way of saying I am not allowing my mental restraints control the life I wish to lead.
Written by Kristie Lui, Str8jacket Member and Director
Author
Kristie Lui has been a member of Str8jacket since January 2013. Flash forward 4+ years and now the team's administrative manager, Kristie feels she owes so much of her self discovery and life opportunities to Str8jacket.
Aside from dance, Kristie is a passionate advocate for mental health and wellness. She also loves dogs, The Office, noodles, reading non-fiction, and dogs.
Meet Str8Jacket – Bay Area’s Rising Dance Crew - Jackfroot
With crew members hailing all the way from Vietnam, the Philippines, and across California, WOD Bay Area Team winners Str8jacket have a lot to offer. We were lucky to catch up with the crew and ask them questions about their team, competing in World of Dance, and hear about an amazing fundraiser they’re putting on. ICYMI, here is their winning performance from World of Dance Bay Area.
Check out the exclusive interview by Andre Le
Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, Str8jacket Dance Company is making a lot of noise and turning heads. They are a rising hip hop dance team that strives to challenge the standards of hip hop dance while still preserving the culture and roots.
Their goal is to keep the doors open to anyone as we the dance crew aims to create a safe place where people can feel comfortable being who they are and pursuing their passions for dance.
The vision is simple – Str8jacket wants to help people become better dancers, but more importantly they want to help them become better people. This crew cares about building people’s consciousness and awareness in themselves and their society so they are better prepared for the real world.
We got a chance to connect with this growing all star dance team in this interview below.
The Interview:
Jackfroot: How did Str8jacket start and how long ago?
Str8jacket: Str8jacket was first established in 2012, but it had a lot of ups and downs in its developing years and didn’t really start to pick up until we performed our Angels and Demons set at Complex Dance Competition in August 2015.
At the time we had no studio, Str8jacket attendance was at an all time low, and directors had zero direction. Angels and Demons was really intended to be our last hurrah, but somehow we ended up placing 2nd (along with best theme!) which was our first time ever placing in a competition and that definitely sparked something in the team. I like to think this was Str8jacket’s rebirth and when the team truly started. We’ve been gaining a lot of momentum since then and have yet to stop.
How many people are currently on the Str8jackets team?
Str8jacket has over 40 members; majority are asian/ asian- american, but more than a quarter of us are actually non-asian, which is beautiful because Str8jacket highly values diversity –both in culture and in personality!
Str8jacket has shaped itself to be a strong community of hard workers who are more than willing to give back and ask for little in return. We are so thankful for all the wonderful souls that have crossed our paths over the years.
How would you consider your style of dancing?
We are first and foremost a HipHop dance team, but we’re super open minded to other styles of dancing such as contemporary, jazz, ballroom, or pretty much anything that inspires us. If you’ve followed Str8jacket for a little bit, you can probably note our love for being thematic in our sets. We sometimes like to consider ourselves “alternative HipHop” aha.
If someone was interested in joining the team, what are the steps and requirements needed?
Str8jacket is a no-audition team. This means we hold free recruit periods where anyone can join our practices, and if they tell us they’re interested in joining us, then we hand them a contract and they’re in. That simple.
Of course this creates its challenges from time to time, but we guarantee it always makes for an interesting time.
Who are some other dance crews that you guys look up to?
So many! But in terms of our biggest inspirations for set making:
Expressions Crew from Korea
U-min from Japan
Filipino All Stars
What were some obstacles or challenges you had building this team/company?
Like we said, Str8jacket started with a lot of ups and downs. We had a couple moments we thought were the game changers but ended up being more of flukes.
To sum up our greatest obstacles in less words would probably be having too much self- doubt; letting the “no” and “that won’t work” dictate the “let’s just do it” and “maybe it will”. Our best results always came from when we trusted our instincts and just said fuck it, haha.
What is your best achievement or dance performance so far?
I’d probably say our most recent set, Assassins from World of Dance Bay 2017, has been our greatest achievement so far. Not only did we place 1st, but this was the first time we really utilized a group effort to put the set together.
This set took 5 choreographers, 2 trickers, 2 costume designers, 2 set designers, a mixer, a face painter, and a multitude of idea and opinion givers in order for it to become what was presented on stage. Designing this set definitely felt like a community effort.
Oh, and I guess we got to do America’s Got Talent Season 12; but I think we like the community effort thing more haha.
Do you guys have any big projects or events coming up that you’d like to share?
After enduring one of the longest years leading up to placing 1st at WODBay17, we think now is the time to step back and reflect on why we started all this in the first place. The same way that the Norcal dance community gave us the platform to be a dance team, we now wish to give back to this community by helping improve it.
Being an underdog team for years, we noticed some issues that simply weren’t being addressed. Str8jacket decided we would try to make a big enough name for ourselves so that maybe people would support us more when we finally called to action. I guess we’ll just have to see.
This November we are working with TFCU to help Asian-American youths connect more with their cultural roots so they may pave a path to a brighter future. Learn more about TFCU here. TFCU’s Romeo Marquez JR. is a dedicated leader and is definitely worth following.
Also this November, Str8jacket will be going to New York to perform pro bono at A Free Bird’s Organization Annual Gala. A Free Bird is a non profit dedicated to helping children fight pediatric cancer through the therapeutic power of the arts. However in order to get there, we will be fundraising non-stop for the next couple months and would love all the help we can get. If people are interested in donating to Str8jacket’s cause, they can learn more here. They can also follow us on Instagram or Facebook to hear about some fundraising events we will be hosting throughout the Bay Area.
Jackfroot is a new media & entertainment company with a website that aims to showcase the skills and talents of Asian American lifestyle, entertainment, and beyond. We aim to build a growing online community for users worldwide to be able to access our database of content. Our focus is connect worldwide news, comedy, interviews, music, movies and more.
Exclusive Interview with WOD Bay Area Winners Str8jacket
With crew members hailing all the way from Vietnam, the Philippines, and across California, WOD Bay Area Team winners Str8jacket have a lot to offer. We were lucky to catch up with the crew and ask them questions about their team, competing in World of Dance, and hear about an amazing fundraiser they’re putting on. ICYMI, here is their winning performance from World of Dance Bay Area.
Check out the exclusive interview by ELIZABETH
With crew members hailing all the way from Vietnam, the Philippines, and across California, WOD Bay Area Team winners Str8jacket have a lot to offer. We were lucky to catch up with the crew and ask them questions about their team, competing in World of Dance, and hear about an amazing fundraiser they’re putting on. ICYMI, here is their winning performance from World of Dance Bay Area.
WOD: Can you give us a little background about the crew: how long have you been together/how did you meet?
Str8jacket: Str8jacket was first established in 2012, but this particular group has been together since August 2015. Str8jacket does not hold auditions, and we welcome all dancers. This means we end up getting dancers from all walks of life, many different parts of the world, and with a wide variety of dance backgrounds. Our no audition policy definitely has its challenges but it certainly always makes for an interesting set.
Str8jacket’s foundation is built on a shared love for the culture of HipHop and dancing. We preserve the culture by utilizing the different philosophies of HipHop to help our members improve as dancers, but more importantly to help them improve as people by building consciousness and awareness on a personal and societal level.
WOD: What were you feeling going into the World of Dance Bay Area competition?
Str8jacket: For a while Str8jacket has been working on its mission to preserve the influence of HipHop and HipHop dance in Norcal. This team grinded in the last year performing on different platforms like America’s Got Talent Season 12, training more intensively, and signing up for more competitions than we ever had in a single season on the slight chance we might gain an opportunity for people to listen to our mission.
Coming full circle back to our hometown’s World of Dance, we were definitely nervous. We won 1st at WODLA17, but got crushed at WODFinals17, and we wanted to prove us winning was not a fluke. Our goal was to put our absolute ALL into this set because we wanted to prove to ourselves that we had greatness within us.
We’ve been very grateful of World of Dance for providing us with an opportunity to improve dance culture in Norcal. We definitely came into this competition with a high risk for high reward mentality, and while it sounds great to say we were confident the whole step of the way, we were actually incredibly stressed and anxious almost the entire time.
What do you think was particularly special about your performance/helped you win?
Str8jacket: One aspect that helped us win this particular competition I would say would be the unique take on our theme. Str8jacket loves to be theatrical, and our goal is always for our audience to feel like they’re watching more than just another dance set. We want them to almost feel like they’re watching a live production! Our attention to detail ranging from costumes, props, to music choices all are meticulously thought out to bring the most out of our theme and capture the audience’s interest. A mantra for Str8jacket is to entertain the crowd and not the judges. We believe this brings a different mentality when putting together a set.
What exciting things will you be doing/focusing on in the next year?
Str8jacket: After enduring a long year and finally winning WODBay17, we think now is the small window of opportunity to operationalize our mission to improve the NorCal dance community. This includes reaching out more to the freestyle community, charities, other dance teams, and finding ways to make dancing more employable in NorCal.
This November, Str8jacket will be going to New York to perform pro bono at A Free Bird’s Organization Annual Gala. A Free Bird is a non profit dedicated to helping children fight pediatric cancer through self-expression in the arts. However in order to get there, we will be fundraising non-stop for the next couple months and would love all the support we can get. If people are interested in donating to Str8jacket’s cause, they can learn more here. They can also follow us on Instagram or Facebook to hear about some fundraising events we will be hosting in the Bay Area.
Elizabeth Spurbeck is a dance teacher, writer, and marketing professional who specializes in content + digital marketing and herding preschool-aged ballerinas.