First Things First, I’ll Eat Your Brains

[Post title refers to: Kanye West featuring Nicki Minaj, "Monster"]


I'm a Monster.
I figured I would start my post about how I joined an all guys’ team with a Nikki Manaj reference. Not that I love her. But her verse on Monster is really working for me. Like when I listen to that song when running on a treadmill I run at 8 mph singing out loud, twisting my wrists all around like I got somebody to yell at. It is ca-razy.

A lot of people ask me how I joined LBC. Here’s the story. In the Fall of 2004, I watched a competition in Houston, Texas. LBC was performing there. I had seen these dudes’ videos online and heard about them, but didn’t know much aside from the fact that they were well-respected dancers. When I saw them perform, I absolutely fell in love with their grace, their choreography, their simplicity. Everything about them seemed so… cool. Of course, I was like those are cool Northern Cali guys, I am not going to talk to them. Maybe it was Sukh’s long curly hair I was intimidated by? Or Ambi (aka Phil Jackson)’s gutti? Bill’s huge calf muscles? Not sure.

See ya ‘round.
I competed against some of the LBC dudes at VIBC in January of 2005 when they danced with 3D (Davis Di Dynasty) (I was still on MBT at this point). That was actually where I first met one of our dancers, Gurjit, but he has zero recollection of this meeting. I remember where we met (the lobby), what I was wearing (blue MBT shirt, white pants and red, white and blue sneakers). And I remember that Gurjit was carrying the daangs. But mostly, I just remember his braces. (HA! How much do you hate me for bringing those up on a blog?) But again, I think these guys are cool cats. Tandiyaan billiyaan, if you will. Feel free to take that and spread it around.

Next, I saw LBC compete at CSUN in March of 2005. By now, I am in full on love with their style, their performance, everything. I decide that I will make them my friends. Those of you who have been the victim of this decision know that I don’t take this task lightly. I will attack full force-talk to you, wave at you (with both hands if you are lucky), ask you ridiculous questions, pretty much do whatever I can to get to know you. And get to know them I did. I hung out with them after the show, at the after party and at the hotel. Annay just reminded me that I was wearing a "funny green jacket" at CSUN. That's cool. At least it was memorable.

In particular, I came to know a one of the nicest guys on LBC—Hans. He was an LBC member from Northern Cali that happened to be moving to AZ to do some real estate investment work. How fortunate for me that my parents are from Arizona! So, I befriended Hans, inviting him to my family’s house (even though I wasn’t there) to kick it with the fam. To this day, my parents still ask how Hans is doing.

So during this time of getting to know Hans, I was graduating from undergrad and was starting my first year of law school, going through major bhangra withdrawal and going through major school-related stress (the first year of law school is seriously rough, for those that don’t know). So I start to joke around with Hans about dancing with LBC. Literally, I would say stuff like “Man Hans, wouldn’t it be cool if I danced with LBC?” He would give me a weird nervous laugh and change the subject.

Then in January of 2006 I went to Vancouver to get my bhangra fix and watch the VIBC competition, where LBC was competing. I sat in the third row with my lovely friend Harmeet and cheered louder than I had cheered in my life. Not only because I loved these bears but also because I was fully engaged in Operation Make LBC My Friends. I am pretty sure I scared them. Nonetheless, I kicked it with those guys, got to know them a little better, and continued my joking about dancing on their team. Enter Friendster. Man o man. Remember Friendster!? I recently was reminded of it and looked back at some of the messages between me and the LBC guys--they were awesome. And how appropriate that I found them in the midst of writing this blog. Fate, I say. FATE. One of my favorite messages was from Bill. It said "Jasmine + LBC = History." And that's it.

The Call.
Lo and behold, over Spring Break (March of 2006) I was studying in the law library and got a call from Hans. I went outside to the benches in front of the library and called him back to see what was going on. I was studying torts that day. Shudder. Sidenote: I am like Rainman status with all these memories. Side, sidenote: I actually have never seen Rainman and many other important movies—I just know what they are about and reference them to be in the cool crowd. So Hans calls and says, “So Jazz, were you serious about dancing with LBC?” I am lying. I don’t know exactly what he said. But I said something along the lines of HECK YEAH. And the rest, as they say, is history.

But I will still tell that history. So a couple back and forth phone calls later Hans and I discuss a couple things—how will I dance with LBC? Will I put a pagg (turban) on and just pretend I am a guy? (No seriously, we considered that.) Will I dance the entire time? Will I be a surprise at the end? We chose the latter option, obviously.

It’s Bruin Time, Baby!
So I finish my first year of law school and take my last final. Immediately after my last final, I go home, pack and get myself to LA. Once there, my wonderful friends Harmeet and PJ pick me up and we begin our journey driving up north for my first ever LBC practice. It is the second week of May 2006. We arrive in Walnut Creek on Friday night. The competition is in two weeks. Practice begins in the Walnut Creek BART station parking lot. At this point, I had met most of the guys on the team but had not hung out with them for that much time. So, I get to talking.

One of my most distinct memories from this fine Saturday afternoon was Annay’s purple shirt and bright green shorts. He will be SHOCKED that I remember this. Rainman, remember? Plus, I like bright colors. Throw a little neon and sparkle at me and I will be distracted for hours. (Actually Annay won’t be as shocked anymore because I ended up telling him I remembered all of this the other day when we were drinking Coconut Waters and now it is kind of anti-climactic. Oops.) So when I met Annay, I knew we’d be buddy bears for life. Six years later, I still think that is the case. Annay was my ultimate defender. Slight break in the chronology to give props to the little bear: when people would post negative things about me on POL (inevitable when you are the only girl dancing on an all guys team), he would be the first to reply. He'd call me family in the face of people calling me a gimmick. When I'd get weird about continuing to dance on all-guys team and maybe wearing out my welcome, he'd be the first to say "No Jasmine, No Annay."

Back to the story. We  were in the Walnut Creek BART parking lot and practice started with Gurdeep teaching me the choreography to Sardaar, the song that pretty much defines my career with LBC. I just about melted. Gurdeep is one of the illest dancers ever. EVER. And the man does a mean Jazzy B impression to top it off. Then I saw Gurdeep and his brother Ambi (aka Phil Jackson) do the choreo together, and I almost melted again. Ambi is a force to be reckoned with. His grace is unmatchable. And his humor is side splitting. More on that later.

Then I saw the rest of the guys—Bill, Hans, Manna, Harps, Gurjit, Sukh, Turbo—learn the dance in about 30 seconds. I was impressed, to say the least. Every single one of these guys was an ill dancer. And every single one had a unique quality that I appreciated. Hans is/was focused, directed and efficient. Bill was practical, respectful and random (anyone who knows him knows this is true!) Manna is one of the nicest human beings alive. Harps has an amazing work ethic. Gurjit is absolutely hilarious--I laugh at every single thing he says. Turbo is a ridiculously talented dancer with an honest and fresh perspective. And Sukh--aka 40, aka Sukh Dawg, aka Rawhna, aka 40, aka Sukhy Wukhy, is one of the most generous and genuine people I have met in life. More on team personality later.

So I practiced as much as I could with those guys for my two days in Walnut Creek. I learned a lot that weekend—first and foremost that I was not in Michigan anymore. No more drill sergeant practices, no more cleaning until you are blue in the face. I also learned about grace. And on a corny tip-I also learned then and there that I would be forging relationships with some of the coolest and nicest dudes I would ever meet.

So Bruin 2006 rolled around and I met the guys in LA. I WAS SO EXCITED. I literally brought every single white and red item of clothing I owned. (Don’t front like ya’ll don’t pack every item of clothing in your team colors for bhangra competition weekends.) Literally, I could not wait to dance again, to be part of a team again. Literally, I could use the word literally 5 times right now and be okay with it. Literally. I had been waiting for this moment for an entire year. An entire lifetime. It had finally arrived.