When athletes point skyward after a win or celebrities thank God in their acceptance speeches, it often feels… performative. It can be easy to be cynical, questioning the depth of faith when displayed so publicly, especially from those in privileged positions. However, sometimes, a public expression of faith cuts through the noise, demanding attention and prompting deeper reflection. This was precisely the case during season 6 of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) with the krump crew, Street Kingdom. Their journey on the show, and their reactions to both victory and elimination, offered a powerful and authentic intersection of faith and dance, challenging preconceived notions about both.
For those unfamiliar, krumping might seem like just another aggressive street dance style. However, as highlighted by Ceasare “Tight Eyez” Willis, the founder of krump and leader of Street Kingdom, it’s deeply rooted in faith. Street Kingdom’s presence on America’s Best Dance Crew wasn’t just about competition; it was a platform to showcase the spiritual foundation of krumping. Their performances and interviews often referenced their faith, and their elimination episode further solidified the profound connection between their dance and their beliefs.
The Roots of Krumping: From the Streets to Spiritual Expression
Krumping’s origins are as compelling as the dance itself. Emerging from the clowning movement in South Central Los Angeles, pioneered by Tommy the Clown, krump served as an alternative to the surrounding environment of poverty, violence, and gang culture. Tommy the Clown, a former drug dealer, started performing at parties after his release from jail, providing positive entertainment and a creative outlet for the community. Krumping evolved from this, characterized by its intense, raw energy, improvisational nature, and signature moves like jabs, chest pops, stomps, and arm swings.
The documentary “Rize” (2005) by David LaChapelle vividly captures the birth of krumping and its inherent spiritual dimension. The film features a section titled “Krumping for Christ,” emphasizing the faith-based understanding many krumpers have of their art form. While the untrained eye might see similarities between krumping and African tribal dances or Afro-Caribbean religious rituals, the krumpers themselves, as depicted in “Rize,” were unaware of these parallels, underscoring the organic and independent development of their spiritually expressive movement. Initially, krumping was not about performance; it was about “battles,” raw dance-offs in the streets, a powerful emotional and physical release.
However, tragedy struck when a fellow krumper fell victim to gang violence. This event profoundly impacted Tight Eyez and Miss Prissy, leading them to seek deeper meaning in their dance. They began dancing in their church, under the gaze of a painting of a Black Jesus, consciously “krumping for Christ.” This marked a turning point, solidifying the explicitly faith-based identity of krumping for many within the community.
Street Kingdom on America’s Best Dance Crew: Faith in the Spotlight
Street Kingdom brought this faith-infused krump style to a national stage on America’s Best Dance Crew. For Tight Eyez and his crew, America’s Best Dance Crew was more than just a competition; it was an opportunity to share their unique dance form and its spiritual message with a wider audience. They aimed to showcase krumping’s power as a positive force, contrasting it with aspects of mainstream hip hop culture they found problematic.
Street Kingdom openly distanced themselves from the hyper-commercialized aspects of hip hop, often characterized by materialism, objectification, and explicit content. They famously recoiled at the idea of dancing to a Nicki Minaj song on America’s Best Dance Crew, citing her lyrics as vulgar and contradictory to their mission of “krumping the Godly way.” This stance highlighted their commitment to their values and their desire to use their platform on America’s Best Dance Crew to promote a different message.
Tight Eyez himself is a testament to krumping’s transformative power. Having survived being shot, he credits krumping with leading him to faith, stating, “Krump led us to Jesus and got us saved.” This sentiment resonates deeply within Street Kingdom. Their faith isn’t abstract; it’s intertwined with their lived experiences and their dance. When Street Kingdom was eliminated from America’s Best Dance Crew, their reaction wasn’t one of defeat, but of continued faith. They spoke of “walking by faith and not by sight” and reaffirmed their commitment to keeping Christ at the center of their krump. For them, “being saved” and walking by faith are not just religious concepts; they are tangible realities shaped by their experiences and expressed through their dance.
Krumping as a Form of Theology and Worship
Krumping, in this context, transcends mere entertainment. It becomes a form of embodied theology, a way of expressing faith through movement. The acronym K.R.U.M.P. – “Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise” – while a backronym, encapsulates this understanding of krumping as praise and worship. It’s a powerful declaration that salvation is not just a spiritual concept but a lived reality, acted out through the physicality of dance.
Unlike some forms of “Christian hip hop” that might be seen as appropriating existing art forms and “baptizing” them for evangelistic purposes, krumping emerged from a spiritual core. It’s inherently linked to faith from its inception. In many ways, krumping embodies a liberation theology, freeing both body and soul from the constraints of oppression and hardship. It’s a raw, unfiltered expression of faith born from the realities of urban life.
Historically, discussions of dance in Christian contexts often focus on European or American traditions, highlighting figures like Luther and Calvin and liturgical dance within established churches. Dances from marginalized communities – women, minorities, the poor – are often overlooked. Even within contemporary Christian dance studies, Pentecostal and African American church dance traditions, including “praise dance,” sometimes receive less academic attention compared to “high church” liturgical dance. Krumping, emerging from the margins of both society and traditional church structures, further challenges these narrow perspectives.
Therefore, when krumpers like Street Kingdom, with tears in their eyes after an intense performance on America’s Best Dance Crew, point to the sky and speak of salvation, it resonates with authenticity and power. It’s not a shallow gesture, but a profound expression of a faith deeply intertwined with their art and their lives. Krumping, in its raw energy and spiritual depth, is indeed theological, salvific, and worshipful. It’s a testament to the power of dance to change lives and express profound faith, even on a platform as mainstream as America’s Best Dance Crew.
