Fresh From Birth had been to Prelude Carolinas before, but a lot of people were telling us that we should go check outPrelude DMV. It’s a bit of a hike for us, but we just had to do it! So we drove from Charlotte, NC up to the DMV area; staying in Springfield, not to far from the competition venue. Besides making it up to Prelude DMV for the competition, we also wanted to see our good friends Chris Munar and Kristin Santiago. They are both amazing dancers that we sponsor, were showcasing at Prelude DMV. All that said, it only made sense for us to pack our things and bring some Fresh From Birth to the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas.
Check out some photos we took while having fun with the dancers and supporters at Prelude DMV
Back on August 31st of 2013, Fresh From Birth setup a tent at the Elizabeth Avenue Block Party near the central campus of CPCC in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a great event setup by the folks over at AKA Creative. The block party started at 5pm, and went on into the night, ending around 11pm. We got there early to setup and stayed till the end. We had a lot of fun chatting with friends, meeting new people as they came into our tent, and watching the performances on stage.
It had been a while since Fresh From Birth had been out and about at UNC, but with so many of our friends in the area for the epic dance weekend, we ensured that we’d make a go of it.
A lot of the dancers from the teams that competed in Prelude came out to Players that night. I had not been to Players in about four years, so it was pretty cool coming back. It’s a typical college ‘club’, not very busy at first, and then it gets busy out of nowhere with kids looking to put their studies to rest, and party the night away. I have plenty of memories of the place, but it was special to be there with a lot of friends who had a common interest of dance.
Some of the dancers formed a circle and began showcasing their unique styles to one another. Both Prelude and the after party felt like a family gathering. Each event had a buzz about it, and that’s what I love about these weekends. Getting together with people who are passionate about their craft; whether it is learning, practicing, performing, or just having fun.
When Fresh From Birth was invited to participate in Prelude Carolinas, we were really excited! We had new products, new energy, and new expectations. In the weeks prior to the competition, we helped contract Jae Scott, the guest judge for the event, and planned our brand’s table display. Our new canvas and skateboard creations were going to take the spotlight, and boy did they!
Dance teams and their supporters came to Prelude Carolinas from all over. I had a blast interacting with everyone. People were feeling the energy of the event, and were more than happy to talk about their teams, practices, the road trip to the event, and the show itself. Dance competitions and showcases are our family reunions!
That is one thing that I love and respect about the dance community, it truly feels like a family. Although we may be from different cities and regions, events like Prelude Carolinas gives us all a chance to catch-up and support the growth in talent and passion for dance.
I kept an eye on social media, and saw a stream of tweets and instagram photos contain the hashtag #DanceFam (or similar).
My first time at Prelude Carolinas = Awesome People, Awesome Dancers, Awesome Event, & an Awesome Experience! – Justracy
What I thought made the event even more special was seeing members from other teams hug one another and greet each other so openly!
I saw friends from NC State run, jump, and chest bump friends from VCU. I had a friend come over and ask how all the teams knew one another, and I told him that through dance workshops and showcases, a lot of us had come to amass friendships across campuses and regions.
We saw teams exchange contacts to setup collaborative events, t-shirts, or video shoots for the near future. Needless to say, a lot of friendship and creativity was in the air! Although we may be from different cities and regions, events like Prelude Carolinas gives us all a chance to catch-up and support the growth in talent and passion for dance.
The one thing I love about these events is the mutual respect we all have for one another. Fresh From Birth has supported dance since we came into existence, and what’s awesome is that the dance community has supported us as well. We saw friends walking into the event with our gear, and we just had to snap a photo ^.^
All the team’s were having fun seeing old friends and catching up, even I had a surprise. As many of you know, I now live in Charlotte, and although I try to make it back up to the RTP as much as I can, sometimes I just can’t. Three of my really good friends came by the event, and spent time at our table. Ah man, we were cutting up, talking music, memories from undergrad, and watching the team performances when we could sneak away from the table.
It was awesome catching up with old friends, but it was even better meeting new ones! I met John when he came up to the table and we started a conversation about what how we both got started in what we love.
Dance and design have a lot in common and I think that’s why it just makes sense that they go hand-in-hand. John eventually left to go in and watch the show. Later on, during intermission, he came out and bought one of our Dd is for Dance tanks. We were so appreciative!
Back in the beginning, people were curious as to why Fresh From Birth was organizing dance events, but now we are part of the family too! Seriously, the community has grown. In the RTP, there were not as many dance workshops as there are now. Now, I hear about a workshop popping up every two or three weeks. Even better, Im seeing new names and organizations putting them together – dance is contagious!
You guys are doing a lot for us. Honestly though, FFB, MTD, KCX, all of you guys…you are all really making it easier for us to learn and spread DANCE! – Eric S.
In between team performances, we played music out front, caught up with the other apparel brands, and talked shop. I think the cool thing about the grassroots apparel game is that brands want to learn and help one another.
We had questions about our quality printing process, our stickers, and how we do our table setups. It’s really humbling! I mean, no one else is doing canvases, but some of the other brands expressed the interest in doing it as well.
I’ve been drawing since I young, and I love sharing that with others; it’s my craft, and I genuinely love it! I mean, it’s the same rush that dancers get from sharing their art form.
Support breads support in all you do! Respect is BIG in our sub-cultures, that’s what makes us unique over the mass-market folks 😛
Meet Mike, another new face, and now, a new friend! He is a dancer, but spoke to the difficulty of finding a post-undergraduate dance team to dance with. I’m sure that after meeting new friends at the showcase, he’ll be getting more involved in the RTP’s dance scene!
Mike is also into design. He had drawn and made some graphic designs in the past. He liked FFB’s designs. I thanked him for his compliment. I mean, we strive to be unique, supportive, and ensure quality. We are happy to see people wear our shirts; it’s such a cool feeling to see your work on someone’s chest!
After eyeing our Fresh From Birth Domo, sporting our famous I ♥ NC, he went ahead and grabbed one of the tanks himself. Of course, we had to snap a pic of these two, they are an awesome pair, wouldn’t you agree!?
I think the cool thing about the grassroots apparel game is that brands want to learn and help one another. – G
Hey now, you guys know that dance showcases can run a little long…so sometimes you can get a little hungry lol. We ordered in, and got some pizza, but you know…a pizza box looks like canvas in a way; perfect for a Sharpie!
So what did Justracy do when all the attendees were inside enjoying the show? She decided to start creating & drawing. I mean, what doesn’t FFB & Co. draw on these days!
Look at her, she was concentrating on her lettering haha. Many of you met her, she was holding her own at the Workshop Registration Table, getting people to buy tickets, and be excited at our instructor line-up. I mean, the workshop featured: Kristin Santiago, Napoleon Wright, JJ Zhang, and the SUPER combo of Jae Scott & Jae Breez! Who wouldn’t be excited! People came out during intermission and after the show buying tickets left-and-right. Justracy and I switched between the FFB and Workshop Registration tables, but it was all LOVE!
Fresh From Birth had a great time at Prelude Carolinas. The team and our friends were SUPER impressed by the various performances and the excitement around the event and dance community in general. We hope to see you at the next event!
We were honored to attend and vend at ORIGINS, a growing Hip Hop Showcase presented by the Bboy Club of the College of William & Mary in Willamsburg, VA. ORIGINS allows dance crews the opportunity to showcase their latest choreography, for the bboy community, a chance to cypher and perform, and for vendors, a chance to show-off their latest apparel & accessory creations.
SONG | Goldfish – Get Busy Living (Feat. Emily Bruce)
GEAR | Canon T2i | Canon EF-S 15mm-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM | Final Cut Pro X
