Brazilian artist Neguin is the definition of multi-talented.
He's a formidable competitor in global breaking competitions, utilizing the iconic athletic and expressive dance style to bring improvisational dance to new heights.
Neguin is also a poet, teacher, musician, and activist, someone who sees the ways all the different aspects of his life interlock and relate to each other. He also recognizes the way history influences the present, and the history of dance as a form of liberation shapes his work today. That tradition takes center stage in his new video, "To Be," which features a poem written by the artist himself.
"Am I being or not being?" the poem begins. "That is the question to ask of a person who treads lightly on the surface and wants to uproot hate. To be born with a skin that they make me feel is a sin stifles my mind, and so I just be."
To be, in the context of the poem, is to be free—completely present and devoid of restrictions. That's a feeling that Neguin says he finds in breaking. "It's freedom. Everything that you want to do in the particular moment, you're able to do. The freedom of this art form allows you to go to different dimensions," he said in a recent interview.
But the poem also acknowledges all the forces that restrict freedom. "To be ashamed of a skin I had no control I was born in is a pain that makes the slumber of death welcome," the poem continues. "Why do you make me feel that the sole reason for my existence is suffering?"
Suffering is where this story begins, not where it ends. "When I sleep, the dreams that I have are of what life could be if life was the same for you and me," the poem continues, as the music picks up. "When I am being, the dream is alive. Divine light shines through my skin to provide life to those who I meet...Who I am being is deeply respectful of my forefather, whose unrestricted time was spent elevating human existence. Who I am being is mindful of love while embodying the law of cause and effect in service to the people."
The video ends with the message "Black Lives Matter" emblazoned on the screen. Altogether it's a testimony to the power of art and revolution and connection—and a tribute to the way art can bring us into the present moment, breaking down all boundaries between each other and between ourselves and the divine.
It's also a tribute to Black Lives Matter and to the global movement for liberation and equality for all people, as well as a testimony to art's long revolutionary history and potential.
We spoke to Neguin about the video, dance as a form of protest, and much more. Listen to the interview on Spotify, or read excerpts below.
POPDUST: I wanted to ask when you started with dance and when it first appeared in your life.
NEGUIN: I first started Capoeira, which is a Brazilian martial art, back in 1990—so I was three years old. Then I started dancing in the year of 2000, so it's been 20 years dancing, and 30 years training in Capoeira, which is a form of dance as well. I've been dancing my whole life.
Was there a moment you realized dance was something you wanted to pursue?
Yeah, especially back in 2004. I was still a teenager but I was like, I want to be able to travel the world, competing, teaching—I just want to live out of dance… From 2005, I started traveling the world competing and teaching and eventually became very professional.
When did you come to breaking?
Breaking was in 2000. I started here in my hometown, Parana, Brazil. I was the first B-Boy, the first hip hop head to get into the culture. It took about four years for me to self-teach myself, and I was of course watching video tapes, and I eventually started traveling and getting more information about the culture. And by 2005 I was already competing at an international level.
What does breaking mean to you? What goes through your mind when you're in the middle of a competition?
Freedom. It can be just like dancing in a circle, in a cipher somewhere in the street, or it can be on a big stage, or in a competition—it doesn't matter, when it comes to dance and [when] it comes to breaking. It's a way to explore yourself. It's freedom. Everything that you want to do in the particular moment, you're able to do. The freedom of this art form allows you to go to different dimensions.
Would you say that dance is a healing process for you?
Absolutely. Especially with breaking, a lot of people don't realize, but for instance—when you break you use every part of your body. Your back [is] on the ground, [then] you're spinning on your head… You're generating power and oxygen in your body, so holistically speaking, physically, mentally, and spiritually, you're definitely aligned with all the elements of the universe.
That all comes together in a really powerful way in your video "To Be," which—in the notes it says "amplifies the strength, resilience, and history of Black lives and stories." I'd love to hear a bit about the inspiration behind "To Be" and how that came about.
Well, the inspiration is nothing new for me. Throughout my whole life, that's something that I always highlighted. I represent Capoeira…And Capoeira was created against injustice, [by] the slaves. The slaves revolted, and they [hid their revolt in] Capoeira, [saying]: "ok, I'm dancing, but in the back of my mind I'm actually practicing martial arts so I can surprise the overseer and run away and get freedom and create my community."
There's a historical perspective… It's all about finding freedom, fighting against injustice, finding ways to be united.
If you're willing to do something positive for Civil Rights, that's the message. It's not that that's Black people's struggle. Everybody's part of this, regardless of your nationality or color.
The world we live in today is just messed up, and we need to unite it... We can do better than this, guys, you know?
That's the video. A lot of people say, well, in the video there's this female dancer and she's white… And you know, exactly, because we're all together. It's not about Neguin creating a video about himself and telling his story. This is something that involves all of us. In the video I tried to put so many perspectives, so people can watch the video and feel a certain way.
If there was one outcome that you could see the video have—or one impact you could see it have on the world—what do you think that would be?
Well, if I can do something that changes one person to be more positive, that's my mission. There's no difference if I'm doing that throughout the video, or if I'm teaching a workshop… I try to be a messenger to create a positive vibe. If the subject in the moment is talking about Black Lives Matter, what can I do to uplift society? I'm an artist and when it comes to the moment to speak about something that's happening, that's how you come to create something that has a meaningful message.
The poem in the video is also really powerful. How did this one come to you?
At first I wrote it in Portuguese, and then I spoke to my friend Himyo, who is an African American who lives in California. I spoke to him and we put the words together...We created the poem, and somehow I felt like his voice was reverberating what I'm expressing through my movements. I was like, I want that third person voice.
You do so much. Can you give a summary of all the different fields you work in?
Basically, my body is my instrument. I see myself teaching dance, martial arts… Basically the stuff that I do is just giving back to the community.
You've spoken about how dance is an act of protest. What about dance makes it so revolutionary?
Take this for example: Yesterday was the birth of hip hop culture. 47 years. Back in 1973, the kids danced in the park, breaking and scratching… They had nothing, they came from nothing, and they made something so powerful; that's hip hop culture… Everybody basically profits from hip hop culture… If you go and watch the TV, there's dance there, because of hip hop, and so on…
If those kids back in '73 had nothing and they create something so powerful that everyone is fascinated nowadays, that's powerful. Hip hop means higher infinite power healing oppressed people, which means from nothing, you create something to the world. It's the heritage to humanity, basically.
If I start dancing in 2000, and I can impact so many people today, that's...healing for me. This is just part of the message that my ancestors and the pioneers of this culture created. It doesn't matter if you go back thousands of years to talk about human evolution and the contributions from the African diaspora, or if you just talk about hip hop culture from 47 years ago, or if you talk about me from the video that I did last month. For me, it's just...keep the positive message, and [create] something meaningful for the world. That's dance.
