The dance competition, Bubblin Brown Sugar, has been a community-wide competition for Seattlenthat has been taking over Garfield High School for nearly more than forty years. It has been shut down since the pandemic but is back this year to bring the community together again. Coming to Seattle on June 17th, students, young adults, and adults will be able to show their skills and their moves in the competition to determine who’s the best dance team in the community. Teams with up to fifteen dancers have to come up with a five to ten minutes routine to impress the judges. Judges are picked from local and national personalities that have been a part of the dance community for years and have definitely earned their flowers within it. The competition is based on synchronization, the ability to impress the judges, togetherness, and support/family. Even with new routines and new contestants, there will also be alumni, friends, and families there to attend and hopefully perform. All of the proceeds will be going towards 100 Black Parents. A Seattle-based non-profit organization that currently leads student and parent engagement programs at Garfield High School and all over the community. Can you show you and your team have got what it takes? Can you show the judges something different they haven’t seen? I was able to speak with one of the coaches and dance icon, Tyrone Crosby but also known as Koach T to the community, to learn about what it takes to be a dancer and how this competition shapes young adults and children to learn about what it takes to be the best of the best.
Mr. Crosby, as known as Koach T, expressed that when it comes to creating his choreography, there are multiple aspects that come into play. The lyric, the beat/flow, the way the music makes him feel, and his current mood, all are different aspects that come when it comes to creating a choreography piece. For the competition itself, Koach T will be working with other teams such as, the Throwbacks, the New Generation Throwback, and his junior crew, 1st Klass. He also plans to be prepared and available for any other school that may need support on their routine or just in general. Koach T always looks for a way to not only help the dance community but his people as well. With the judges still being decided and everything still coming together for June, Koach touched on what it means to be a dancer. It means that you have to channel your inner athlete, artist, poet, and visionist. Opening up your mind to new movements and music that may not be norm but it will open you up possibly to something amazing. Koach’s mindset is to “always drive to do better than last time.” He plans to hold auditions for the young adults of the community to be able to join his team Kutt’N’Up on the big stage! Do you think you have what it takes?
With more schools joining in for this year’s big comeback for the competition, there will be more competition for everyone, and more for the community to see and enjoy! New contestants this year will have the opportunity to become apart of the dance community. Yes, it’s a competition but, it’s one that focuses on building dancers up and giving them the chance at something that doesn’t always come easy for some. Bubblin Brown Sugar will be a masterpiece with it’s comeback in June.The community with Bubblin Brown Sugar helps with forming generational gaps and also closing some that may have been deemed upsetting. For all ages, it’ll be an event to remember. Surrounded with love, respect, and a whole lot of celebration around the Black dance community! See you there at Garfield High School on June 17th!
Bubblin Brown Sugar Instagram Page
https://instagram.com/bubblinbrown206?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Bubblin Brown Sugar Eventbrite Page
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bubblin-brown-sugar-2023-tickets-619598284147