"There was never anyone in the community to hyperfocus and
actually show kids where to go..."
Five years ago Chris joined forces with the Bboy Federation (“The Fed”), a bboying group,
co-founded by his good friends Jimmy Karren and Josh Perkins. Considering the ease at which
he moves, it’s surprising to know that he didn’t begin dancing until his senior year of high school.
Youth engagement is particularly important to the work of The Fed. Chris and the rest of the group
mentor aspiring urban dancers. The group performed at the Multicultural Youth Leadership Summit and brought students to their feet with a highly engaging performance.
“When we first grew and started seeing some traction, the education part was huge. We were
teaching a bunch of teenagers how to breakdance. But in doing it, we saw that they lacked a lot
of social skills,” he says. “There was never anyone in the community to hyperfocus [bboying] and
actually show kids where to go for practice spots and evolve it if they wanted to perform instead
of compete.”
As a multifaceted artist, his advice for students looking to pursue their passions is simple: “Just
keep doing it.”
MCA.UTAH.GOV | VOICES | 06