A couple of months ago, I heard that there was going to be some dance performances at Anime Los Angeles and Ninja-Con by a group called Corps Dance Crew. Being around people in that Hip Hop, Choreo, Dance community, it definitely peeked my interest and so, it was something that I had to check out, no matter what. I’m glad I did….
Something about incorporating anime and video games into a dance group just makes performances more exciting. The fact that it’s not normal to see these kinds of industries together, and yet, they’ve mixed it well, making it 10x better,
With this in mind, I had to get an interview with them and here was what happened.
INTERVIEW WITH THE CREW:
1. What is Corps Dance Crew?
The Corps is a professional dance crew dedicated to all things anime and comics. Bringing fandoms to life through all styles of dance, for everyone to enjoy. Sourumeito!
2. How/Why did you guys start Corps Dance Crew?
We, (Kayla and Sonali), started the team back in 2013 as a dance project for Maxt Out Hip Hop Dance Competition, but it gradually grew into a full company. It was at Anime Expo 2014 that we found our niche: we showcased a 30 minute Attack on Titan themed dance set at their Masquerade Halftime, and from there shifted our focus towards anime, manga, and comics.
3. Why did you guys decide to name yourselves, Corps Dance Crew?
At the creation of the team we were both greatly obsessed with the Attack on Titan anime, and as fangirls are wont to do, we decided to have it engulf our entire lives. We originally called ourselves The Survey Corps Dance Crew, but as our crew started to gain more exposure we decided on a more universal name in order to streamline our brand and not be restricted to only one anime.
4. What styles of dance do you guys include in your routines?
EVERYTHING. Hahahaha. But really though. We’re mostly hip hop based, with waacking, housing, iso and choreography, but we have an emphasis on the classic styles of dance as well. We regularly train our dancers in ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary, and try to incorporate cultural dances along with stage combat and theater. So we basically do the most.
5. How do you come up with the stories behind each performance?
We’re fangirls, so fan-fiction comes easily to us. Hahahahahahahaha, but really. Everything we create is because we love the material that we’re working with. Sometimes people assume we’re just alluding to what’s popular at the moment, and that we have no concrete knowledge on the characters or the worlds that we’re in…but we love these stories as much as anyone, and created this team BECAUSE we wanted to express that.
When it comes to the storylines, most of what happens starts off as a joke that we all laugh at…until someone looks everyone else dead in the eyes and says “But really….” And that’s our creative process.
6. What is all your favorite anime (and yes, that’s everyone)?
Everyone? At any one time there are at least 26 members on the Corps, not including our reserve members…so getting everyone’s favorite anime is kind of a large feat. We can do our best to name the top ones though. We’ve discussed this at length with the team, hahaha.
Okay, here we go….
FLCL, Cardcaptor Sakura, Attack on Titan, Inuyasha, Sailor Moon AND Sailor Moon Crystal, DBZ (mostly anything before Buu), Akame Ga Kill, Naruto, Fairy Tale, Hunter x Hunter, One-Punch Man, One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Pokemon, any Studio Ghibli film, Cowboy Bebop, Tenchi Muyo, Avatar the Last Airbender?, Your Lie in April, Parasyte, Elfen Lied, Rurouni Kenshin, Sword Art Online, Beyond the Boundary, Noragami, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Bleach, Soul Eater, Gurren Lagann,
Deadman Wonderland, Dance in the Vampire Bund, Blue Exorcist, Seven Deadly Sins, Kill la Kill, Magi, Ajin, Haikyuu!, Initial D, Fruits Basket, DNAngel, YuGiOh, Love Hina, Samurai Champloon, Voltron, and Eureka 7
…video games? (Ones that we incorporate into our sets and favorites)
The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Spyro, Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock Infinite, League of Legends, Prince of Persia, Overwatch, Call of Duty, Marvel vs. Capcom, Super Smash Bros., Arkham Asylum (eh on the rest of the series), Ultimate Alliance, Plants vs. Zombies, Sailor Moon Drops
…and Solitaire.
7. Since you guys are called Corps Dance Crew, is there a person that represents each of the characters from Attack on Titan?
We actually do have a team member for almost every character in Attack on Titan, (including some of the titans! hahaha), and while they may not resemble their physical appearance, they have that character based on their similar personalities. What’s really awesome is that when one of the team members is given a character, they get really protective of it, and do their best to exemplify what makes them great.
8. Do you guys all come from a dance background, or did some of you guys pick it up as you go?
Everyone on the team has had prior dance experience before joining the Corps. While what we do is really fun when it comes to comics and anime, on the technical side it’s not a beginner’s class. Half of us come from a professional dance background, while the other half comes from years of dancing in the competitive scene. This ain’t no picnic. We work hard and try to challenge ourselves as dancers first and foremost.
9. Do you guys perform year round, or only at anime conventions?
We split our time between conventions, the hip hop community, and various performances. One week we’ll be getting ready for a convention, and then immediately after that we’ll be performing at a hip hop competition only to all pile into a car and hit up LA for an industry performance right after. We try not to limit ourselves to one genre of performance. We’re always looking for something new to do, to push our boundaries and see what the team is capable of.
10. Can anyone join in on the action?
We actually get asked this question A LOT, and unfortunately the simple answer is no. What we do is unchartered, unknown, and UNPAID work, (sometimes), and navigating these waters requires a certain amount of trust and professionalism between the directors and their crew. That means a Corpsmen needs a certain level of established skill and experience in the dance world. We’re also an adult team, so we only consider people who are 18 years or older. But apart from that, we require a personal relationship with our dancers because what we do is so unorthodox. That means spending A LOT of time together, and being able to communicate on a personal and professional level. Our dancers are our friends as well as our teammates, and it’s the understanding of those two relationships working together that make The Corps what it is now.
All teams will say this, but The Corps Dance Crew is special. We’re still the odd man out. We don’t have a mentor or a predecessor to follow on the path that we’ve chosen, so we have to be the ones to blaze the trail. To some we might look like we know EXACTLY what we’re doing, but behind-the-scenes we’re really just a bunch of Magikarps, flopping around and hoping one day we’ll be a glorious Gyrados, hahahahahaha. This adventure is wild and crazy and far from over, and the dancers we take with us on this journey are as unique and rare and terrifying as a Mewtwo…and we all know those aren’t just walking around like a Pidgey in there afternoon. XD
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Make sure to follow them on all of their social media down below:
Instagram: @thecorpsdancecrew
Facebook: facebook.com/thecorpsdancecrew
Website: www.thecorpsdancecrew.com
Tumblr: thecorpsdancecrew.tumblr.com
