Hey, guys! While it is not Tuesday yet–surprise–here’s a bonus Culture Canvas in your inboxes!
Yesterday, I talked to Mehdi Arshed, a Detroit street dancer who is set to embark on a globe-trotting trip spanning several continents. Today, he is on his way to London where he’ll stay for a little while before he jets off to Switzerland, Croatia, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Brazil over the course of six months.
Arshed, 32, plans to reconnect with family and friends he’s made over the years in the dance community and show off his skills at events like The Legits Blast, a dance and music festival in Slovakia and the Red Bull Dance Your Style competition in India, where he’s been a previous qualifier.
Specializing in break dance and freestyle, Arshed has performed at the African World Festival in Detroit and as far away as the Electric Forest music festival in Rothbury, Mich., and the Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tenn. He has also been featured in music videos and advertisements for Ford and Delta Airlines.
And Arshed doesn’t always dance alone. He’s part of the Battle Attack Destroy (BAD) breaking crew and he teaches and mentors young dancers at the Motor City Street Dance Academy. The organization is sponsoring part of the trip and helped pay for Arshed’s camera gear to make it possible for him to vlog his experience on YouTube.
Arshed talked to BridgeDetroit about the trip, how he got his start and what it means to him seeing breakdancing reach a global audience with its debut as a sport in the 2024 Olympics.
BridgeDetroit: What’s the reasoning behind this trip around the world?
Arshed: I’ve been traveling a lot for the past decade and I just feel personally that it’s definitely what my soul needs. I just love connecting with people worldwide, and also, there’s the training aspect. I wanted to train with different people and elevate and compete and really push myself, too. I’m getting older, and I just feel like it’s the right time to expand and connect with different communities.
BridgeDetroit: Is there a big dance community overseas?
Arshed: Oh, yeah. Street dance is bigger in Europe. They take it more seriously there. People go to school for it. It is growing here (in the US) though. There’s a lot of studios opening up.
BridgeDetroit: How did you get into dance?
Arshed: My mom danced and she did Detroit ballroom in the 70s and my older siblings danced, so I was around it. When I went to Wayne State, I started a school dance club with my best friend and that’s how I got started.
BridgeDetroit: Why did you gravitate toward break dancing?
Arshed: At first, I was doing other dance styles. When I was young, I didn’t really like breaking that much, but I eventually saw a few videos that really showcased the musicality part of it and then I fell in love. The culture and the community is definitely one of the strongest and that’s what got me into it.
BridgeDetroit: Why does dance continue to be a passion for you?
Arshed: I think it’s a passion for me still because of the friends I made along the way and it’s a way to stay active and keep my brain going. I just think it’s a very special art form and culture. I always feel honored to be a part of the community and it’s always been elevating.
BridgeDetroit: How do you feel seeing street dancing on a global stage with the Olympics?
Arshed: It’s one of the most athletic things you can do, you’re literally flying around. I think that people are going to be interested and therefore, are going to research and then find (dance) communities. I think that’s going to have a crazy ripple effect. But I worry about it sometimes because breaking started out being for Black and brown kids in New York who were poor. Now that it’s gaining this attention 50 years later, I wonder if it’s going to remain affordable. But there’s tons of nonprofits, communities that are focused on bridging that gap. Overall, I think it’s a positive thing.
