Akif en The Pigeons Crew kunnen lol trappen èn op topniveau dansen
Akif Dalkiran and The Pigeons Crew have been dancing together for seven years. We talked to Akif about their two father figures, and their close friendship makes them better dancers.
Who have been real game changers for your dance crew?
With our crew The Pigeons we have two mentors. Hassani and Argil. They are two dancers, cousins of each other. They come from Suriname, but when they moved to the Netherlands they built up a dance career with great success. About six, seven years ago, they were really big and well-known. In the dance scene, but they also came on TV. The name of their crew was X-gen.
When we came together as Pigeons, it actually started as a joke. We all took classes at the HipHopHuis, and were dancing there weekly. We formed a dance group, and then that joke actually got very serious. Now we’ve been touring the world for seven years. When we were just starting out, Hassani and Argil were there to take us by the hand. They had the experience with the scene, and with the success. They have helped us by saying, this is what you need to think about, and these are your pitfalls.
We see them as father figures. They don’t ask money for it or anything. It just feels like family. The effort they put into us from the beginning was a motivation. We thought, wow, they’re so big, but they still want to help us. We must seize this opportunity. The people within the crew are all equal, but Hassani and Argil don’t dance along. Their vision is therefore a vision from above. And it works.
What did they see in your crew when you were just starting out as rookies?
When we were less than a year old, we were still small, but what we did have was the strong bond within the team. That’s also an important reason why Hassani and Argil saw something in us. They felt, okay, no matter what they’re going through, they’ll figure it out. Because they are like family to each other. A lot of crews go together because they just like each other. We are a real group of friends, we talk to each other every day. Some of them I see more often than my parents. I think this is the most important thing a crew can sustain.
Do you feel that you are already real game changers yourself?
We hear that a lot. There are a lot of crews in the dance scene who don’t survive long. They get into an argument, or break up for some other reason. We have been around for seven years. And even with all the fun we kick, we still manage to be successful. Our vibe evokes memories in the old generation, and they also give it back to the young generation. We also teach the younger generation ourselves, and organize bootcamps. For others, we try to be a Hassani and Argil.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram: Pigeons Crew
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