Still moving on strong, slick, sharp and dynamic,let's meets a slice of British cool, known as The Twilight Players
BY DISHI PHANGURHA | MAR 23, 2009
Sinbad Phgura, Jimi 'The Quiff', and Ammo 'Too Sweet' make up the formidable trio known as The Twilight Players. Three brothers for whom B-Boy culture and everything retro is a way of life; their look is unique and is reminiscent of a by-gone era of slick, sharp and cool. "Twilight Players is a state of mind, it's how we live and it's our vision. We are mostly known for the dance but that forms just a part of who we are and what we do", says Sinbad Phgura. "The dance came from a west coast point of view, it was boogaloo popping but we've taken it, changed it and moved along with it. To most people, yeah we are just a dance group but you've always got to label something, but I think Twilight Players, for example, have become a brand."
Their performances are high energy and cannot be described as just an act; putting on an electrifying show and taking you on a fun filled adventure, "When we are together, there's energy to us. I still get excited when we are on stage. If I wasn't in Twilight Players, I'd like to watch us perform." Awarded the first ever 'UK OG's (Original Generation) Award' at the prestigious 'Carnival - Choreographers Ball' in 2005, their beat popping dancing has taken them all over the world from LA, Casablanca, Mumbai to even performing at Glastonbury. Having worked with the likes of Sophie Ellis Bextor, George Michael and Michael Jackson, the list is endless. Last year, the cult brand held a week long workshops in Whistling Woods; Subhash Ghai's Mumbai based Institute for Film, Television and Media Arts. "We've documented and made timelines of the underground dance movement which started in the states. We've been working closely with the originators to achieve this. With the information, we've carried out seminars where we have been explaining the dance and having workshops at the end of it."
Now back in the realms of their studio, the players are concentrating on developing workshops for 2008 to give aspiring dancers insight into the world of Twilight Players and their dance. Complementing these workshops will also be a seminar held in conjunction with Jeffery Daniels - Sinbad's mentor and part of the dance group Shalimar known for the bringing about the birth of the 'locking' dance movement.
"We have a system which we work from to teach the old West Coast dance style. Last year we were working on another one called Open Hand alongside Cool Pockets from LA. Ammo was going back and forth to LA to master it. System is a method of teaching, just like your learn martial arts. There's a structure to the learning and Open Hand is a real old school funk dance style."
"The Twilight Players flavour is the way we dress, the vibe, the music choices - we have not changed to fit in with the times. Currently, we are basing our performances on burlesque styles. You don't see many old school groups where there are three guys dancing, let alone three Indian guys. Most people have heard of us but have not seen us perform; I think that's quite cool, it means we're still fresh."
On giving advice to aspiring dancers the trio are very clear about their views, "It's always about integrity and passion. This is what it always comes down to. It's one of the things we always talk about in our workshop. Do it for the right reasons and anything's possible." It's clear to see that only great things are in store for the Twilight Players. With true honesty in their work, they are admirably sharing their talent and knowledge to all interested. The beat will definitely be going on in 2009 for these boys.
