Hip-hop

I learned a few months ago about the passing of an old friend of mine, Gary Kendall, from back in High School that was also a member of my old dance crew, I.S.K. (International Stage Kings)

My old friend Gilbert Mincey contacted me through Myspace with the news. We started our dance crew back in the late 80s when breakin’ had faded and people were freestyle dancing. There were dance crews from most of our neighboring cities and we were already in the club scene going to all ages clubs in Morgan Hill, San Jose and SF. We would freestyle battle individuals and crews and decided to form our own crew ISK out of Monterey, CA. Gary lived in Seaside, CA and was our choreographer and mentor. He helped us be organized and got us booked to open shows, concerts, tours, and car shows. We opened for artists like MC Hammer, Ice T, Kool Moe Dee, Shanice, Todd Terry, Rodney O & Joe Cooley, Sir Mix-a-lot, L’Trimm and others.

Gary was a barber and gave me my first and only jerry curl when I had a flat top haircut with a tail in the back. I think they call them Asian mullets nowadays. We went to Monterey High School and my best friend Manny Quebec was at North Salinas High School. It was interesting having Manny in our crew as their was a big crew at his school, The Boys in Black that we ended up battling at the Sherwood Hall center before a Kool Moe Dee / Ice-T concert.

I have been following “America’s Best Dance Crew” with my wife on TV for the past few months and heard about the JabbaWockeez story about one of the members of their crew that had just passed. I just came to find out from Manny this morning that the member was our old friend Gary Kendall of Seaside, CA. I watched the season finale show on my Tivo and saw the pictures of Gary during the Jabbawockeez recap clip. I have a ton of respect for these guys that dedicated their performances to Gary. This has occupied my mind all day and I just wanted to send out my own shout out to Gary. Rest in Peace Bro!

Here is Gary’s Obituary that I took from a posting online about him:

Gary Ray Kendell passed away December 14, 2007, in Denver, Colorado. He lost his fight to pneumonia and meningitis, but lived a full and expressive life as a dancer, teacher, director, producer, and entertainer. Gary was born November 7, 1970, to Franklin and Kisun Kendell and was raised in Seaside, California. In 1990, he took his dancing from the streets into the studio as a Hip Hop teacher at All The Right Moves in Santa Cruz. Later he went on to teach regularly at Motion Pacific and provided workshops at DanceCenter and DanceSynergy.

Gary taught at dance studios and performed at events throughout the United States and around the world. Most recently, in November 2007, Gary taught Hip Hop dance to hundreds of students in the Republic of Estonia. Over the years he was a member/director of numerous professional dance groups including ISK, Jughead, MindTricks and Jabbawockeez. The past ten years found Gary spending time producing, directing, and traveling with Monster Shop Bumpin’ and BreakShop, dance productions designed for County and State Fairs around the United States. These productions also toured China.

Locally, he founded several dance troupes including the Boom Squad, Boom Boys, City Heat, and the Flava Unit. He participated in dozens of benefit performances and teaching activities in the Santa Cruz community such as various County Parks & Recreation afterschool programs, First Night Santa Cruz, A Gay Evening in May, Moving Mountains benefit for women with Breast Cancer, National Dance Week, AIDS Walk kick-off event, Free Mumia rallies at UCSC, Kwanzaa celebrations, and the Monte Foundation Fireworks show. In 2001, Gary was a recipient of the esteemed Calabash Award Honoring Excellence in the Ethnic Arts, from the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz, due to his vast contributions to the community.

For almost 2 decades Gary served as an ambassador of Hip Hop Culture to the Santa Cruz area. Many boys, girls, men, and women from varied walks of life have been escorted down the path of rhythm with Gary as their interpreter. His warmth, his fun, and his care-free, energetic expression engendered his students with self love and a sense of community. He succeeded in opening the hearts & minds of thousands of students to the beat of Hip Hop music.

Gary leaves behind his mother, Kisun Kendell of Yuma, Arizona, his brothers Ronnie Kendell and David Kendell, and hundreds of friends and students who love him like a brother.

“To the lives you touched, to the rhythms you followed, to the footsteps you left behind, and to the talent that will never be forgotten. Here’s to a beautiful life lived. We love you Gee. We will miss you. Dance for us in Heaven.”

Spotlight on Gary on the MonstersofHipHop.com

Jabbawockeez Official Site

Jabbawockeez on Myspace

One,

Theory