At the final performance last Friday, master of hip-hop Clyde Evans showed Dartmouth that he does more than just teach dance steps at his workshops-- he shares a genuine appreciation of hip-hop's history and culture.
Members of two class sections taught by Evans came together for the culminating performance, with Evans both leading and hosting the show.
He showed the audience video clips of different sub-genres of hip-hop, which included locking, a funky dance frequently featured on shows like "Soul Train;" "popping," a dance constructed from the coordinated movement of isolated parts of the body; and "breaking," under the pseudonym of "break-dancing", which originated in cities of the East Coast.
After introducing these basic styles of hip-hop, he joined the members of his dance classes in demonstrations of locking, popping, breaking and also added a demonstration of what is now known as hip-hop, the popular form which has evolved as a hybrid of many precursor forms of dance movement.
Evans frequently delighted the audience with solo acts that displayed his love for dance and performance.
Evans concluded the event by asking the audience to repeat the words "Peace," "Love" and "respect for everyone". Evans later explained in an interview that he wanted the audience to take more from the performance than just a good show.
Although his presence made a profound impression on Dartmouth, some may wonder exactly who the dance guru is, and how he came to be here.
Clyde Evans was sought out two years ago by Director of Hopkins Center Dance Ford Evans at the recommendation of Rennie Harris, leader of the Puremovement Dance Company.
Ford Evans arranged for the Clyde Evans to come to Dartmouth and spread his wealth of knowledge in dance classes offered to the public.
Ford Evans explained that Clyde Evans had made a previous appearance at Dartmouth last year for the Martin Luther King week events.
"The first thing he started to do was talk about the history of hip-hop and I thought 'this is important.'" Ford Evans said.
Ford Evans had also speculated on Clyde Evans' approach to hip-hop, and explained that that Clyde Evans "is really saying that this is an aesthetic."
Ford Evans expressed hopes that bringing hip-hop to Dartmouth might help develop the image of hip-hop as a form of modern dance, and referred to Clyde Evans as a "purist" of the hip-hop genre.
According to the dancer's background, it certainly seems that way. Clyde Evans was born in Trinidad and moved to Pennsylvania when he was eight years old.
He explained that he started dancing because of a hit-movie called "Beat Street," which was so popular that even his teachers "would allow us to dance in the classrooms during recess time.
Evans said that when dealing with times of racial scrutiny and with the separation of his parents, dancing became a refuge.
"My parents broke up four years after we moved to the country," Evans said. "I went through a withdrawal from school and I sunk all my energy into dancing."
According to Evans, he started dancing as a vocation because he "enjoyed it entirely too much."
Evans explained that there was a point in his life where he had to decide between getting a conventional job or working for the movies " a turning point which would determine the course he would take later on as far as a career in dancing.
"I decided to do the movie thing." said Evans, with a laugh. He then began making appearances at major entertainment events at the age of 19 "It was great," he said. "I loved performance; I just wanted to be around it. I liked the industry."
As a consequence of his decision to pursue a career in entertainment, Evans is doing what he loves most " dancing " for a living now.
He has traveled all over the world and visited various places like Japan, Africa and Italy and consequently exudes a relaxed charm and knowledge of the dance that is obviously getting him places.
Evans began teaching dance when he was involved with the Rennie Harris Puremovement dance company. Evans said that what began as "refining" people's dance movement changed into actually teaching them how to dance.
But according to Evans, his career as a dance teacher is not without drawbacks. Evans is a husband and also a father of three children "Isaiah, 5; Gabriel, 2; and the newest addition, Lilliana, who is two weeks old.
"I enjoy helping other people all the time, even at my expense," Evans said. "It gets in the way when it affects my family and that's the problem; it's no longer me" it's 'us'."
Evans asserted that the next time he does extensive travel for his career, he will bring his family with him. "It's not worth it without them" he said.
Evans has a distinct opinion on how hip-hop is learned and transmitted as a culture. "It's totally more than choreography," he said.
"You can't just go to a studio and learn it-even though I'm teaching you steps, you're not learning hip-hop. You have to go out and experience hip-hop." he added.
Evans summed up the experience of hip-hop for the members of its subculture in the following words: "You're seeing us living."
