One rainy day in 2009, the sidewalks of East Oakland became a place of tribute, embodying this month’s skyMEMO theme of Street as Theater.
Just the day before the filming of this video, a man named RichD died in a car accident on that very street corner. D-Real (in the white shirt) wanted honor his brother’s memory, an expression of his mourning. His pals from the urban dance group Turf Feinz helped him tell his story through rhythm and music in a unique style called TURF dancing (or ‘turfing’). TURF stands for “Taking Up Room on the Floor” — or in this case, the street and sidewalk.
“Dancing in the Rain” is a beautiful tribute with a backstory that touched us. We hope you enjoy it as well, moved by how the street can become a canvas to tell a story, bringing the block together and expressing even the deepest of emotions.
Learn more about D Real, the story behind the tribute, and turfing:
Videos by Yak Films
Sources:
TeamBackpack
Yak Films
MTV’s World of Jenks
The Bay Citizen
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Have another story that transforms the street into a community theater? Let us know through the contact form, or post on our Facebook page or on your platform of choice using the hashtag #streetastheater.