Bulgaria Trip

Wow, I've been thinking of what to write about this trip and have been utterly speechless. For those of you not in the know, last week I went with Urban Artistry to perform at an event in Bulgaria called "Jam on It". It was the first time ever I've been flown out of the country for a performance. This trip changed my life! I was inspired by so many people. I could probably write a book about everything that happened, but I will attempt to keep it mildly short.

I didn't really know what to expect out of the event so I did my best to keep an open mind. The whole weekend I couldn't stop dancing. The vibe was just so nice, the music was dope, and the dancers were plain amazing. I was skipping dinner almost every night because I didn't want to miss any of the action.

The dancers in Bulgaria are incredible. They definitely have some of the nastiest footwork I've seen in my life. I think the first move everyone learns is Halo, because almost everyone had dope Halos... Everyone repped hard and consistently got down to the music. There was also a huge community of bgirls. They were all very talented. Some with amazing flavor, footworks, and even some with dope power. I was doing my best to keep up and try to throw down, I just hope I didn't look too much like a noob.

The hip hop community in Bulgaria is so healthy. It was truly refreshing. The jam wasn't just for dancers, all members of our culture got to showcase: from djs, bboys, graffiti artists, emcees, beat boxers, and even those who just wished to experience good shows. They had traditional Bulgarian folk music and dance. I also got to see Teodosii Spasov and DJ Cooh, an insanely talented flute player playing experimental music with a dj. Through every performance everyone gave their attention to the performers, it was amazing to see such respect. All of the shows were simply amazing.

This event made me think of hip hop back home in the states and how in some areas it is sadly lacking. We have a lot to learn from our Balkan brothers. I want to try to remedy some of this, but changing attitudes will be a long rough rode.

Overall after this event I just feel so inspired. I was back to training almost as soon as I got off the plane and dropped my luggage off home. I have so many ideas in my head and I don't want to lose these feelings. I really miss Bulgaria already and hope I can return soon.

I really want to thank Sleep Walk Kingz crew for inviting us to their event. The showed us true hospitality and I am very grateful. I would also like to thank the US embassy for funding our trip. They also took very good care of us. I want to thank my fam Urban Artistry for giving me this opportunity and sharing this experience with me. I also want to thank Recognize crew for holding it down and being some of the craziest people I've ever met in my life. Thank you to everyone at the event. Bulgaria is an awesome place and we were treated with much respect and hospitality. I hope someday I can return this to my new family in Bulgaria

Peace
~Halfstep