It’s fun following Jaquency Ford on social media. Like Lil Buck, the Memphis-trained dancer whose reality-defying moves turned Jookin into a global phenomenon, Ford, aka Jaquency the Myth, is a tireless ambassador for Memphis dance culture.
Ford’s a master of the Memphis dance style that gave birth to Jookin, the Gangsta Walk. As he’s buck-jumped across America and the globe, teaching his style and working for community, Ford’s met and traded moves with lots of street dancers working in different styles. He’s invited some of his favorites to Memphis for the “Memphis Gangsta Walk Get-Together,” he’s subtitled “OG Poppers, Picnic Style.” It’s a free day of food and family fun at Ed Rice Park featuring kid stuff and games as well as dance battles, pop offs, artist showcases, and a Gangsta Walk finale.
Memphis Gangstawalk Get-Together
“It’s been fun, it really has, sharing knowledge and culture, and you’d be surprised by how many people want to know,” Ford says of his travels. “I’m doing a workshop in Vegas, and then I’m going to Osaka, Japan, to teach for three weeks.”
For the Gangsta Walk Get-Together, Ford’s bringing in dancers from Texas, New Orleans, D.C., and Baltimore. He’s also showcasing Ed Pruitt, the creator of Los Angeles’ OG poppers picnic. “He’s one of the biggest poppin OGs in LA,” says Ford, who connected with Pruitt at a Pasadena showcase after communicating for years.
“We can come together,” Ford says, connecting his platform of dance to themes of unity. “That’s what this event is about. Communicate, understand, and unite.”
