Body Roc Crew

by Tyler Bloomquist

Kaleena Chung from the Body Roc Crew invites us into the B-Boy circle.

– What is Body Roc? What is your mission and vision?

Our crew strives to represent the four elements of Hip-Hop culture with the mindset of brotherhood, foundation, funk, dignity and integrity. We are a group of dancers mostly, but Body Roc members are also practicing artists, graffiti writers, emcees and deejays. We live and breathe Hip-Hop—we want to continue to learn and grow, as well as share our knowledge and give back to the community by spreading the strength and inspiration of Hip-Hop culture.

 

– Who are the members of Body Roc?

My name is Kaleena Chung, member of Body Roc Crew. I’ve been dancing since 2009 and joined Body Roc in 2014.

Body Roc will be reaching its 8-year anniversary this year. Right now, there are 16 core members:
Ali Acuna, Max Crebs, Wyatt Crebs, Kaleena Chung, Chris Dimalanta, Jonathon Nelson, Anthony ‘Alien’ Fierro, Ikkei Tatsumi, Roberto ‘Robo’ Pacheco, Shunta Nagano, Esteban Montiel, Justin Tran, Kenny Ho, Chase Loter, Eric Salazar, Miguel Olague.

– What inspires your work?

Our love and passion for Hip-Hop is what connects us and inspires our work. The members of Body Roc come from diverse backgrounds, each member having a different life story and perspective. That fact alone brings so much inspiration for the crew to build from.

– How does downtown SLC inspire and inform your work?

I find seeing Utah’s diverse cultures and people from all walks of life interacting on a daily basis very inspiring and informing.

– What is your vision for downtown SLC in 2 years? 20 years?

I hope to see downtown SLC more inclusive and diverse with an even stronger sense of community. Having a downtown with a much more lively atmosphere would be a dream too, with more festivals, art, activities and sub-cultures freely expressing themselves.

– What dream venue would you love to activate downtown?

I’m sure there are many hidden gem locations downtown that I am not aware of. Creating an accessible atmosphere for all of downtown will invite everyone to explore the area, get to know their downtown community better and start to see opportunities for new activations.

– What’s next for you? Where can we see your upcoming works?

We plan to travel to different states, and eventually different countries, to see the world and compete in more competitions as a crew. Body Roc is having our 8-year anniversary jam coming up, which will be open to the public to compete in or to just watch. The format will be a two-versus-two B-Boy battle, alongside special exhibitions of various Hip-Hop related dance styles. We will also be featuring a workshop from B-Boy Born, a world-renown artist from Korea, and a battle pre-party, featuring local DJs and artists. Follow @bodyroc_slc for more information. It’s going to be a party!