Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Emilio Austin, Jr. aka Buddha Stretch, 2021 / Conducted remotely by Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio on March 17, 20, 24, and 31, 2021; Producer: Dance Oral History Project.

Author

Austin, Emilio, Jr

Publication

2021

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Kwikstep
• Dionisio, Gabriel
• Interview with Buddha Stretch

Description

4 streaming video files (7 hrs. and 18 min. total running time) : sound, color. +

Summary

• Streaming file 1 (approximately one hour and 41 minutes), March 17, 2021. Emilio Austin, Jr. aka Buddha Stretch speaks with Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio about his childhood and family background, including where he was born and raised (Brooklyn, N.Y.); his mother's (American) Southern and his father's Caribbean roots; the diverse cultures he experienced while growing up; reminiscences of the whole scale burning of the business district in Bushwick including how this paralleled the burning out of the Bronx (in the 1970s); typically spending summers in the Caribbean or the (American) South, from age 1 to about age 10; his memories of the neighborhood block parties where he saw Brooklyn rockers and (as a teenager) heard rap music; the term "Brooklyn rocking" and various related genres and terms including "burned," "get burned", "rocking", "breaking," "up rock," and "Bronx rocking"; growing up with music from both sides of the family including gospel and various Latin genres as well as funk and jazz music; his preference at the time for the rock music he heard on the radio; social dancing as what everyone (in his family and the neighborhood) did; how he was inspired by seeing his cousin Charles "popping"; learning about and further exploring hip-hop music and culture (including dancing and graffiti) in middle school and high school; his keen interest in the (visual) arts and how the art of graffiti writing differed from what he was learning in art classes at school; television shows that inspired him including the Shields and Yarnell Show, What's Happening, Soul Train, and Dance Fever; the role roller skating rinks (Empire Roller Skating Center and Park Circle Roller Skating) played in his development as a dancer; his discovery at Park Circle of cyphers; what "battles" meant in his youth including as compared to what is called a "battle" now; the etiquette of cyphers; the origins of his dance nickname Stretch including his first nickname Slinky; getting "smoked" including an anecdote about getting smashed (smoked) right in front of his own home; more on battles including the ultimate accolade of getting "props" from the other side; some of the better-known names in popping including the Pop O Matics and Shock a Lock whom he met through his friend and mentor Jameek (also known as Dr. Jam); other people and venues Jameek introduced him to; various styles and moves for which different crews and individual dancers were known including his own specialties of ticking and tutting; reminiscences of Float Master John and Lock a Tron John; auditioning (at age 15) at The Roxy for the [1984] movie Beat Street where for the first time he met dance artists from all over the city; an anecdote about how he and his friend Snake later went to the The Roxy on a club night; after that experience, regularly going to The Roxy to dance as well as parks in New York City where he met other dancers; hitting (busking); what is meant by "park jam"; his spending just about every weekend at park jams and The Roxy; the pleasure of dancing on the wood floor at The Roxy contrasted with dancing on concrete in the streets and parks; learning about other clubs and neighborhoods from his peers; reminiscences of Unique Boutique, Canal Jean Co., and other stores where he (and Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio) bought clothes; the female dancers Peaches [Rodriguez], Coco Pop, and Josephine including his particular admiration for Coco Pop; an anecdote about being told how to dance by his (dance) partner at Studio 54.
• Streaming file 2 (approximately one hour and 53 minutes), March 20, 2021. Emilio Austin, Jr. aka Buddha Stretch speaks with Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio about Albee Square Mall in Brooklyn (New York) including as the site of a rap battle between Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie; dressing in style (looking "fly" or "fresh") as essential to being taken seriously as a dancer including examples of the styles worn; by 1984, mainly going to Manhattan clubs rather than in Brooklyn; his hair style at that time; the message sent by wearing kung fu movie-influenced gear to clubs; financing his stylish clothes with his job delivering pizzas; "bombing" including an anecdote about almost getting caught by the police; more on the clothes worn for clubbing including his focus on comfort for dancing; the pervading politics of the dance floor as "show and prove" or be "wack"; more on the etiquette of the cypher; his view of the core group of people with whom he danced as his extended family; how the crack [cocaine] epidemic and commercialization of [hip-hop] (around 1985) contributed to the decline and fall of break dancing and popping; how his father steered him away from the "street life," in part by making sure he had jobs including at The Roxy and Inferno's [Inferno]; his mother's and other family members' support of his dancing; his introduction to Buddhism by his father including his bewilderment upon first attending temple [Soka Gakkai International Buddhist Temple]; eventually finding a refuge in Buddhism and comic books; his self-calming through Buddhist practices as a teenager when he was accosted by the police; the meaning of the logo showing one hand with the palm up and the other with the middle finger raised; changing his name to "Buddha Stretch" long after having been known as "Stretch;" the moves he was known for as a break dancer: pole-wrapping, ticking, and tutting, the last of which was strongly influenced by a Bugs Bunny cartoon; his signature "W" move, which was inspired by pantomime he saw on the Shields and Yarnell Show; teaching this move to his friend Danny (Prince D), who (with his blessing) made it his own; his focus on coming up with new moves; after the disappearance of break dance and popping from the clubs, continuing to dance, in new forms that incorporated elements of his B-Boy era repertoire; around 1985 winning second place with his crew the Poison Clan at the PBA (Police Benevolent Association) Ball dance contest, which entitled them to go on tour with Whodini to the Fresh Fest; not getting to go but performing and touring with Whodini some three years later; after the Inferno closed, regularly dancing at Latin Quarter; the Underground club, also known as Union Square; reminiscences of the Roseland Ballroom including its enormous dance area and the many different kinds of music played there; the almost complete lack of venues where one could break and pop at this time without getting heckled; the circumstances that led to his and his friends, including Tron [Lock a John Tron], to be the opening dance act (for the featured rap artists) at the Underground; how this led in turn to his first gig as a choreographer, an act for Joeski Love and his Peewee Dance; other gigs, including a video for Eric B & Rakim, Eric B for President; performing regularly at the Underground in the emerging style christened "freestyle" hip-hop; an anecdote about Cliff Love and Jalil's recruiting of him to tour with Whodini on the Def Jam Tour (1987); choreographing and dancing in routines with his crew [J.A.C. Dancers] for Whodini on the tour, and how this functioned in effect as a showcase for his choreography; the hiring of Freestyle hip-hop dancers by other rap artists, for example, Salt-N-Pepa who engaged his partner Trini as well as the female crew Non-Stop (Hi-Hat, Swatch, and Lil Bit, who also danced in all of Kid N' Play's videos); various choreographic jobs that came his way thanks to his reputation and the increased demand from rappers for dance acts; being recruited with Cliff Love and his crew to work with Rosie Perez on Diana Ross's album "Working Overtime"; some of the people he met through this gig including Caleaf [Sellers]; being engaged to tour internationally with Diana Ross including an anecdote about having to return home early due to an administrative snafu; as of the summer of 1989, finding himself in demand as a choreographer; some of the many artists he worked with, including Salt-N-Pepa, Doug E Fresh, and MC Hammer; Fatima [Robinson], in particular her role in recruiting him to work with her on the choreography for Michael Jackson's "Remember The Time"; his experience working with Jackson and his team including an anecdote about meeting Jackson in the studio after mistaking him for his body-double; Jackson's attention to detail; filming the video.
• Streaming file 3 (approximately one hour and 50 minutes), March 24, 2021. Emilio Austin, Jr. aka Buddha Stretch speaks with Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio about the filming of Michael Jackson's "Remember The Time" including an anecdote about how Jackson's spontaneous dancing energized the production crew; Jackson's asking him to explain various movements and techniques, including how impressed he was by the depth of Jackson's questions; some of his favorite dance music including that of the band Art of Noise; the song "Remember The Time" including an anecdote about hearing it for the first time a few months before he choreographed it for Jackson; Teddy Riley, including how he met him before Riley became known for new jack swing (dance style); Diane Martel and the circumstances that led to his working with Mariah Carey for about 15 years, initially in connection with her appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show and including the music video Dreamlover (directed by Martel); his work for Will Smith, whom he first met on tour with Whodini, including his choreography (in 1997) for the movie Men in Black and various music videos; regularly going to clubs after work, often with cast members including on at least one occasion Mariah Carey; dancing in clubs as an extension of his professional dancing (and vice-versa) including an anecdote about Robbie Vincent and a battle in a Los Angeles club; how he came to have an additional career as a lyricist and MC, including his having grown up listening to MCs; rhyming as a part of (hip-hop) culture in which he wanted to participate; while on tour with Whodini, performing with Big Ill The Mac in their group The Wise Guys; after returning from the tour working more seriously on his MC skills including the writing and arranging of music; some of the other artists with whom he worked as he developed these skills; his dedication to all aspects of hip-hop culture while never quitting dance; his relationship to the Mystidious Misfitss [Rubberband, Marquest, Kito, Peek A Boo,and Prancer]; Martel and her documentary Reck'n * shop * [live from Bklyn; 1992 PBS documentary], in which the Mop Top crew [including himself, Peter Paul, Caleaf, Henry Link, and E-Joe] was featured [along with the Mystidious Misfitss]; the origin of the name Mop Top as an acronym (MOPTOP: "motivated on precision toward outstanding performance") he had created in homage to his father's ethos; Caleaf's idea to use the name for the crew; the popular misperception that it referred to the group's hair (then in dreadlocks); the authenticity of Martel's documentary in that it recorded him and his colleagues just being themselves; the personality (shy) and interests (visual arts) of his elder daughter, who was filmed as part of the documentary, as compared to those of his younger daughter (more outgoing, a dancer); his thoughts about taking up drawing again; memorable experiences in his performing career including his first show with Whodini when he realized how much he enjoyed performing before an audience; some of his injuries from dancing and how he treated them; upon returning from a tour with Mariah Carey in 2000, his decision to stop pursuing commercial choreography; performing with Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio (and others) at the Limelight as a watershed event in his career; getting two standing ovations at the San Francisco Hip Hop Fest [San Francisco International Hip Hop DanceFest] in 2003 as another revelatory experience; how he advises his [younger] daughter regarding her career; how he advises his daughters (and other young family members) about life in general including parenting; reflections on how fortunate he is in that he can still make a living from dance after over 30 years; his resolve to keep dancing "until the wheels fall off"; various experiences working on music videos over the years, in particular the consistent lack of respect for his artistic choices, that left him disillusioned with the business.
• Streaming file 4 (approximately one hour and 53 minutes), March 31, 2021. Emilio Austin, Jr. aka Buddha Stretch speaks with Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio about his career after leaving the music video industry, in particular his work with Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio's Full Circle [Full Circle Souljahs, founded by Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio and Ana "Rokafella" Garcia]; the spiritual refreshment he found in dancing with Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio at Limelight; Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio speaks about what motivated his [and Ana "Rokafella" Garcia's] founding of Full Circle; Emilio Austin, Jr. aka Buddha Stretch speaks about how he was immediately drawn to Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio's work Afro-Latin, in part because of his Caribbean roots; more about the performance at Limelight, in particular how it underlined the inclusiveness of hip-hop; choreographing for hip-hop theater as compared with choreographing for concerts and award ceremonies; the [Full Circle] piece set to the Outkast song "Bombs over Bagdad"; choreographing [a music video] as compared with choreographing a 75-minute show for himself and his peers; his work with [his crew] Elite Force as preparation for working with Full Circle; more on the porous boundaries between his professional life and his personal life performing with his friends in the clubs; his neck injury (a pinched nerve) and how he treated it; his attempts at hollow backs as the source of this injury; his use of the phrase "code-switching" to mean "not cussing"; using the Buddhist concept of "skillful means" or "expedient means" in order to persuade a director to agree with his artistic choices; the problem of directors [of music videos] regarding dancers merely as background; his transition to teaching and judging including how Robin Dunn first recruited him as a teacher at BDC (Broadway Dance Center) in 1989; leaving BDC to go on tour but continuing to teach overseas, in Japan and elsewhere (in the mid to late 1990s); at Dunn's invitation, eventually returning to teach at BDC; the satisfaction of teaching students whose subsequent embrace of hip-hop culture had its origins in his class; his first European teaching tour, in Switzerland (in 2002); his experience teaching in Russia; the challenges of teaching in Europe with its multiplicity of languages and students whose knowledge of hip-hop came almost entirely from television and film; his having always tried (while teaching) to illuminate the relationships among hip-hop culture, the world shown in movies like New Jack Swing, and the reality of the oppression from which hip-hop culture originated; how, in the last five or six years, people in Europe and Asia have become much more aware and understanding of this reality; his experience with blackface in Japan; racism in the United States as compared to racism overseas including cross-cultural differences in how racism is perceived; some of the more memorable [discussion and judging] panels in which he has participated including insights he has gained from them; his thoughts on the term "all styles" [as a category in dance contests] including how he interprets it from his perspective as a judge; situations where he has wanted to disqualify more than half the contestants for not being on the beat; the tendency of dancers who win contests in a particular style to continue dancing in that style; reasons he has often been unhappy with the DJs at contests; anecdotes about contests where he had to step in and DJ; after receiving a DJ controller as a gift, starting to DJ in earnest; how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected him over the last year, including the loss of interaction with his students and peers; the importance of focusing on what we share rather than our differences.

Alternative Title

• Dance Oral History Project.
• Dance Audio Archive.

Subject

• Austin, Emilio, Jr. > Interviews
• Jackson, Michael, 1958-2009
• Kwikstep
• Dionisio, Gabriel
• Riley, Teddy
• Carey, Mariah
• Martel, Diane
• Full Circle Souljahs (Musical group)
• Broadway Dance Center
• Racism against Black people
• Hip-hop dance
• Hip-hop
• Break dancing
• Rap (Music)
• Disc jockeys
• Music videos > Production and direction
• Rap (Music) in motion pictures
• Rap musicians
• African American dancers
• African American choreographers
• African American dance teachers
• Hip-hop > New York (State) > New York > History
• Hip-hop > Social aspects
• Hip-hop > Political aspects
• Hip-hop dance > Competitions
• Graffiti
• COVID-19 (Disease) and the arts

Genre/Form

• Video recordings.
• Oral histories.

Note

• Interview with Emilio Austin, Jr. aka Buddha Stretch, in New York (N.Y.), conducted remotely by Kwikstep (Gabriel Dionisio), in New York ( N.Y.) on March 17, 20, 24, and 31, 2021 for the Dance Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
• For transcript see *MGZMT 3-3503
• As of May 2023, the video recording of this interview can be made available at the Library for the Performing Arts by advanced request to the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, dance@nypl.org. The video files for this interview are undergoing processing and eventually will be available for streaming.
• Title supplied by cataloger.

Access (note)

• Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Funding (note)

• The creation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Call Number

*MGZMT 3-3503

OCLC

1379191790

Author

Austin, Emilio, Jr, Interviewee.

Title

Interview with Emilio Austin, Jr. aka Buddha Stretch, 2021 / Conducted remotely by Gabriel "Kwikstep" Dionisio on March 17, 20, 24, and 31, 2021; Producer: Dance Oral History Project.

Imprint

2021

Playing Time

071800

Type of Content

spoken word

two-dimensional moving image

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

video

computer

Type of Carrier

online resource

volume

Digital File Characteristics

video file

Restricted Access

Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Event

Recorded for for the Dance Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts 2021, March 17, 20, 24, and 31 New York (N.Y.).

Funding

The creation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Connect to:

Added Author

Kwikstep

Dionisio, Gabriel, Interviewer

Interview with Buddha Stretch

Research Call Number

*MGZMT 3-3503

*MGZDOH 3503