A Dance Class, a Drag King, & the Pedagogical Possibilities Of
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Interview A Dance Class, a Drag King, & the Pedagogical Possibilities of Performative Hip-Hop An Interview with Carmen Morrison & Alex U. Inn Scott M. Schönfeldt-Aultman & Carmen “Alex” Morrison Introduction Rights Academy was the early adaptor of that program because I don’t think there Alex U. Inn is the co-founder and one were any other hip-hop public school pro- of the two MCs of the hip-hop drag king grams in the city at the time that were group, Momma’s Boyz. Momma’s Boyz specifically for those age groups. I know celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2014. there were older kids having dance in Carmen Morrison is the offstage name of school but not there. The Friends of Harvey Alex U. Inn, though “Carmen” now goes by Milk, who were the fundraising arm for Alex offstage, as well. the academy, are the ones who paid for the Within the interview, we have used program. There was a stipend that I got, “Carmen” and “Alex” to suggest the fluidity but I pretty much did it for free. of identity and to roughly distinguish ac- As a volunteer I was there once a week tivities related to (being in) drag (Alex) or for two or three hours. It was my passion. out of it (Carmen). The core of the interview I felt that they couldn’t afford the money is rooted in exploring how Carmen/Alex that I would get normally if I was just do- employs hip-hop in varied contexts (e.g., ing it from a dance class perspective. So afterschool program, performing in drag) most of the money that I got went right for educational purposes, and often with back into the kids. We were buying discs, Alex U. Inn underlying social justice objectives. and outfits, and all that stuff for the per- formances. could put on country or something slow, a The Interview waltz, and they would do their routine to SCOTT: So Carmen, Alex, can you talk a SCOTT: So what did the program look like? that music. And I would do that sometimes. little about your use of hip-hop in educa- What would you do in there? Just throw some music in there so they can tional settings? really understand that choreography can CARMEN: Well, at the very beginning of any be applied to any music. It’s just the way CARMEN: I started an afterschool hip-hop semester, I would break down how to listen that you’re listening to the beat. Listen to program at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Acad- to music. So, the beats and the bars, and the beat. Apply the same movements. It’s emy (in San Francisco, California) almost trying to get them to understand how any a whole different technique. 11 years ago. It started with kindergarden music that you listen to . has some sort Some of the other things I would do to fifth grade and I had all of the kids, and of count of eight beats, right? And in hip- for them is have them close their eyes I had an average of maybe 45, 50 kids in hop everything is eight beats, no matter and sit on the floor and go through their my class, and I had one assistant. And that whether it’s ones and twos or ones through routine by moving their body. You know, if was all the ages. And then it grew so much eights but everything has eight beats. And you had to kick out your leg and move it that we divided it up, and I ended up taking usually, like an introduction, has four bars, to the side, if you’re moving to your arm, the kindergarden to second, and then the which is each bar is an eight beat. And the and those kind of things. The other things third to the fifth went to another teacher. middle part using anywhere from 16 to 32. I had them do is once they were more We hired somebody else. And then the ending anywhere back to four confident about their movement is they’d And so, I think Harvey Milk Civil and sometimes eight bars. close their eyes as they’re doing their Those kind of things—and to really movement. Another thing I would do—it Scott M. Schönfeldt-Aultman is teach them how to break down music. And was more of a meditative piece—is they an associate professor when you break down that music, then you would close their eyes, they would listen in the Department of Communication can really understand the choreography to the music, and they would meditate on at Saint Mary’s College of California, that you’re doing. It’s like if you know that what their choreography was. Moraga, California. you’re gonna go four steps to the left and And they could not move one inch of Alex U. Inn is featured in a recently completed four steps to the right and that you’ve been their body. They had to stay within. And I documentary, “Momma’s Boyz: Alex U. Inn,” through one bar of that music and you can have that on film. These little tiny babies directed by Carlos Torres hear the beat of the music change. just with their eyes closed and just listen- ([email protected]). And they were so good at it that I ing to the music. And then I would yell out MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION 16 Interview like, “What are we doing here?” And they would yell back at me, “We’re going to the right.” “What are we doing here?” “We’re going to the left.” What are we doing here?” “Spinning.” “We’re breaking out.” You know, those kind of things. And then by the time that they got on stage, it was really part of who they were. And then, they could ad lib. And that’s what they generally did. I would see kids do stuff that I was like, “What? You just, you did what?” You know, and it was also another way for them to have self-confidence. That when they’re up there in front of four or five hundred people or at the county event, which was almost eight hundred people, or when I put them on the stage with me with the Momma’s Boyz, which is thousands of people, they were so confident that they weren’t stage fright. They played with the crowd. They did all these kinds of things that were outrageous. Alex U. Inn performing with students. So, that’s most of the way that I would teach, is like more of getting some self- yeah! Duh! So, alright, so you know, Alex U. SCOTT: That’s where Momma’s Boyz opened confidence, really understanding what you Inn and the Momma’s Boyz have done, you for Lady Gaga, right? can and cannot do as part of who you are know, college settings. Matter of fact, we’ve in that classroom and what your body is in sat on panels around hip-hop and racism. ALEX: Yes. That’s where we can proudly that classroom, and not getting so stressed We sat on a panel in Winnipeg, Canada, on say we were on the same stage as she out that you can’t dance like him or you hip-hop and racism—hip-hop, drag kings, was. You know, we went on before she did, can’t dance like her—that you have your and racism. And that was off the hook! So so we can say we opened for her. Ha. Ha. own way of moving, and that makes the that was a good thing. Ha. Ha. Ha. whole crew one. Everybody in the crew is I, as Alex U., was in Saint Mary’s [Col- doing something to participate, to contrib- lege of California], and sat in that educa- SCOTT: That’s cool. So, given all of your work ute to who we are as a crew. tional setting. We performed at University with Harvey Milk [Civil Rights Academy] of California Merced, and after that we had and with Momma’s Boyz, what do you SCOTT: Yeah. So it builds a unity there? a panel. At University of California Berkeley, see as the greatest possibilities of having we did a performance and sat on the panel. hip-hop in the classroom or in educational CARMEN: Totally. At Portland State University, we performed settings? What emerges out of that? there and then were on the Q&A panel SCOTT: What about other educational set- afterwards. And we did one up in Eugene, CARMEN: Well, as far as the elementary tings that you’ve done hip-hop in or been Oregon, the University of Oregon—did the setting, lots of different things came out of involved in? same thing—we were on a panel there. that for those kids. You know, I had some kids that were super shy, that by the time CARMEN: Well, I did do a senior citizen SCOTT: So, the panels, were they all about the program was over, they were spinning movement class that I’d play old school the same stuff? on their head and across the floor and hip-hop at. It was an assisted-living home teaching other people how to do it. I had in San Francisco. I didn’t do a lot of move- ALEX: No. Some of the panels had more kids who were uncontrollable in the class- ment with them, but we would do a lot structure where the facilitator had some room, but yet, they behaved themselves of chair exercises, but we would do it to set questions that were prepared either and were respectful and contributed in this music.