NOVEMBER 30, 2006
I BREAK FOR GIO
LOS ANGELES, CA
I've heard of dancing 'til the cows come home and dancing the night away, but I've never heard of dancing as an alternative to gang violence. But apparently that's exactly what our latest character has done. Gio, a 28 year-old b-boy from the streets of Los Angeles, found himself involved early on with some after school "extra-vehicular" activities. With very little money, he felt he had very few options, which I guess is why he opted for cars that had every "option" (Thank you, I'll be here all week).
Gio said that eventually he started to think about the influence he was having on his younger brothers and decided that he needed to change. It wasn't long before he found himself dancing on street corners instead of lurking on them. Now, years later, he has a store that sells merchandise to push his message, a mentoring program for younger kids, and love in a b-girl named Peppa. Bad boy done good.
We caught up with hip-hopping Gio and Peppa in east LA at a church social hall/ dance studio. Within minutes we found ourselves being challenged to battle them in a dance off. Being that weren't prepared; we needed to "freshen" up a bit and get into some clothes we could groove in.
It was hardly "Dancing with the Stars" when Jaron and I took to the floor, although I would like to think that we did show some promise. So much so that Gio and Peppa took the time to show us a few basic moves… like how to count off (5, 6, 7, 8)—fascinating.
Honestly, there was a time that I really wanted to be a break dancer—circa 1987 at Benji Goldstein's Bar Mitzvah. He had these awesome dancers and all the girls were so impressed. That was all the motivation I needed. I bought a pair of parachute pants and was on my way. That is, until my mom saw some piece on the news about some guy breaking his neck from a head spin. And for a lady who saw every sharp object the second she entered a room, that was more than she needed to see. Game over.
Anyway, enough about me (is there such a thing?), hanging with Gio and Peppa proved to be quite a learning experience and I'm hopeful that the next time we're on tour and I see a bunch of guys dancing on the street corner, I'll jump out and show them some of my new moves. Just don't tell my mom.
Truthfully, I got a lot of respect for a guy like Gio who can make the turn and change his ways and then focus his energy on helping others. It shows a lot of character. And out here on the dance floor, all characters are welcome. Even one's with sketchy pasts.
Past Entries:
- (11/9) Geek Cubed
- (10/31) Danish is Not Dutch
- (10/25) Pali Adventure Camp
- (10/18) From Birds to Ligers
- (10/11) The Man Behind the Mascot
- (10/3) Top Banana