The Wicked Witch of the East, Bro
Just a YouTube Girl, living in a lonely world
I’ve had that one video, I’m guessing you’ll know which one from the title of this first letter, pulled up on one of the only two open Safari tabs on my tablet for approximately 3 months now. I honestly can’t tell you when I pulled it up, I just know that at some point this summer I had a sudden and desperate need to watch two men, both alike in dignity, argue over the royal vs. supernatural status of The Wizard of Oz characters.
At work this week, out of absolutely nowhere, I asked my coworkers if that knew that video of the opossum family living in a grill and they were…. not shocked? Pleasantly confused maybe? And then suddenly gleefully horrified when I showed them said video.
You see, I’m not 100% positive but I’m pretty sure we missed a love language called “Links” wherein we express our love and devotion by doling out perfectly chosen internet scraps and pieces to exactly the right audience. To know which of my loved ones should receive this deep cut Bachelor meme, who will understand this twitter video referencing 7 Vines, and when the public at large must be made aware of this one dance crew based in New Zealand - it’s a special skill.
I dole these links out like tokens of my love, because in many ways they are. These links are like love letters. That I remember who you are and what you love. That something I discover and share make you think or laugh.
And so now, I guess that makes you my subscribers, my beloveds - for now you shall have access to the wealth of discoveries I make on this here internet!
*let’s go voice* LET’S GOOOOOOOOO
So, as I mentioned above, there’s this dance crew that uh… will change your being? Everyone, meet the Royal Family.
Three time winners of the World Hip Hop Dance Championship (who we are FIGHTING WITH) The Royal Family trains at The Palace Dance Studio in Auckland New Zealand under the leadership of talented choreographer, dancer and visionary Parris Goebel.
If you’re wondering why this crew or Parris seem familiar, it might be because she’s the choreographer for some of the greatest music videos of our era, including the Justin Beiber “Sorry” video, the viral 7/11 music video taped in the studio at The Palace, and most recently Level Up.
The Royal Family fucks, okay? And Parris Goebel? She’s 27 years old. That is not a typo. The TALENT. JUMPED. OUT.
According to Parris, her choreography style is Polyswagg which she defines as “combining sassy woman fire with aggressive inner strength” When you see her choreography, her stunning performances, it’s no surprise she’d has to define her own style. Paired with a richly diverse, predominantly female crew led by some spectacular “captains” you get an undeniable well of excellence.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at their most fundamental performance of all time. This was the first taste I got of RF and it’s like a jolt to the blood stream.
Royal Family | FRONTROW | World of Dance Los Angeles 2015
Come on. COME ON!! I’m responsible for at least 10,000 of these views.
I’m sorry, but if you make it to the Kiel Tutin and Jessica Toatoa (yes, I know their names) section starting at 1:45 without screaming, I cannot help you or your bad taste. And if you’re wondering why those girls in pink look so young, it’s because it’s their youth team called Bubblegum, and I would die for them.
Other heavy hitter performances? Glad you asked.
THE ROYAL FAMILY - Nationals 2018 (Guest Performance)
The sister team of Kaea (red hair) and Ruthie Pearce (aqua hair) in this is so much honestly and I want some fucking more. Step on my neck, ya know?
That song is “Abusadamente” by MC Gustta and MC DG by the way.
THE ROYAL FAMILY - HHI NZ MEGACREW 1ST PLACE 2019
Bubblegum makes another wild appearance at 2:55 but the real stars of this are Corbyn Taulealea-Huch (2:10 center) and Kristen Dodgen (center 3:40).
That song is “Bola Rebola” by Tropkillaz, J Balvin and Anitta. Don’t fear, people put together Spotify playlists for all RF performances.
The reason they are top of mind this week is their performance at the 2019 World Hip Hop Dance Championship which was incredible and also didn’t crack the podium, I told you we were fighting, didn’t I?
THE ROYAL FAMILY - MEGACREW DIVISION 2019
There are a few reasons RF remain outside of the latest championship spots. For one, The Royal Family represents New Zealand both literally and within this own cultural space. The Maori and Samoan cultures are well represented within crew itself, but there is no specific “New Zealand Style” of dance. Actually, can you think of anything you would see and observe as instantly New Zealand (other than our sweet New Zealand prince, Taika Waititi)?
Parris has defined New Zealand dance as Polyswagg. An accomplishment in and of itself, but her style still exists outside of the broader definitions of hip hop as a whole. In a competition setting, The Royal Family tends to stay firmly in a fan favorite realm, separate from those crews who podium on routines that include salsa, jazz, pop and lock and other more defined genres or styles.
There’s another less specific reason I think The Royal Family stands apart. It’s their willingness to embrace sexuality. Parris has stated that her work is about empowerment, about embracing yourself and embracing specifically women in this field. It’s unusual enough to see a dance crew made of women, another more unusual thing to see that crew led by a young and powerful woman of color, and still another thing for them to purposefully understand and celebrate their sexuality on a world stage. I don’t want to believe this excludes the crew from championships, but when you begin to watch the other crews performances it becomes abundantly clear that they are void of any sexuality. Frankly, it’s a really stark comparison.
At the end of the day, The Royal Family took a “loss” but from the views on their YouTube video I suppose they won in more far reaching ways.
If you want to know more about The Palace, a local New Zealand TV station did a documentary on them, and it’s available on YouTube HERE.
Thanks for subscribing everyone! I promise to read and hear all feedback, comments and concerns as we get started. Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into The Royal Family, and don’t forget to share with a friend if you think they’d enjoy the newsletter!