We met Miami Dancer through social media, it was on Instagram we followed him wondering where he really was from (cuz he wrote mainly in what appeared to us as russian) and why his profile was @Miami.Electro.
So with the excuse of the Electro’s Community Archive is that we decided to approach him and having some difficulties, such as communication (his english is not that strong and we don’t really speak russian) we bring you this Interview in english.
Miami Dancer
Let’s start with the person behind Miami, may you introduce yourself?
My name is Viacheslav, also known as Miami. I am from the Russian Federation, specifically Moscow. Nobody even calls me Slava, which is the short form of my name. In the dance sphere, I am known as Miami. I am currently 31 years old, born on November 15th.
Arty Say Braah, Denis Lyubov, Eddy Electro and Sam Zakharoff
When did you start dancing? (age and year)
I started dancing in 2012. I even remember the exact day. It was December 15th. I still remember my first training session with Arty (Say Braah). However, the group quickly closed, and I ended up training with Denis Lyubov (the brother of Anton Lyubov (@antonlyubov in Insta). Unfortunately, that group also dissolved rapidly, so I began training with famous dancers such as Eddy Electro and Sam Zakharoff.
Getting a Nickname
Where does your nickname come from?
Oh, this is quite a funny story.
Initially, my nickname was Minami because I was a fan of the Japanese visual-kei band Rono Cro. In the band, there was a drummer with this nickname, and I decided to adopt it for myself. Once, during a training session with my friends Anton Lyubov (@antonlyubov) and German Romazanov (@german. romazanov), Anton was wearing a Los Angeles printed T-shirt, while I was wearing one with Tokyo written on it. German jokingly said, “Anton, you’re Anton Lyubov with a Los Angeles print, so your nickname will be AL (the same initials as your name and the city). And Minami, you’re not Minami, you’ll be Miami!”
That silly game of letters and my friend’s imagination gave me that nickname for many years.
From K-pop to Electro Dance
How did you start dancing?
Here is another interesting story:
While I was in university, we had foreign students who studied in a separate group. I really wanted to make international friends, so I started connecting with two Vietnamese girls who had limited knowledge of Russian, and I wanted to help them. Once, I asked them, “What music is popular in Vietnam?” They answered, “K-pop.”
I had not heard of it before, so I decided to try listening to it on YouTube, and I ended up listening to it for over four years. As you may know, there are a lot of choreographies in K-pop videos, so by watching many videos, I remembered some moves.
“I want to dance Electro”
During parties with my group mates would always tell me, “Wow, Slava, you dance really well. You should attend a dance school.”
I would always reply, “Are you serious? I will never go to dance school. It’s not my thing.”
This went on for more than two years, but one day, my group-mate Lina (@digoxin), who danced Tribal, told me, “Slava, you must go to dance school. Just choose a style and give it a try.“
I answered, “I’ll try.” So, I spent the whole evening searching for the style I wanted to dance and came across the Plein Tarif video. I told myself, “I want to dance Electro“.
Since 2012, Electro has been my love and still remains a part of my culture.
Top Dancers from the Area
Can you name top dancers from your area and the places you gathered to dance?
There are a lot of strong dancers in Russia, but here there is a list of my favorites:
- Loony boy (@loonyboyed) – Moscow
- Anton Lyubov (@antonlyubov) – Moscow/Lobnya
- German Romazanov (@german.romazanov) – Moscow
- Orel (@orelelectro) – Saint Petersburg
- Mate (@mateblessyou) – Moscow/Krasnodar
- Valёk (@valek_uforia) – Moscow/Krasnodar
- Kokos (@kokosesc) – Ekaterinburg
- Raday (raday_ed) – Ulyanovsk
- Khamat (Khamat_marat) – Kazan
- Denzo (@denzou.de.la.passion) – Ufa
Electro Moji Crew with Loony Boy
Teams you have been part of?
As for dance teams, I always prefer to be a solo dancer because choreography is not my strong point. However, I was part of the Loony Boy`s crew called “Electro Moji Crew.”. We had just one video, but I quite like it
Do you have any projects related to Electro? (Making videos, tutorials, events, or participating in competitions… How did it start?
I have actively participated in numerous electro battles. I will provide more precise details in the following questions.
Electro culture is a real family in Russia.
When you are travelling in our country you can always write somebody from another city and most probably you will meet together and have fun, even you don’t know him/she personally.
As for videos, I have a fairly active Instagram account where I share my dance videos.
Big fan of Hard Electro and Mexican Trazh Electro
What are your inspirations from Electro Dance and in general?
My main inspirations are music and flow. I am a big fan of hard electro and Mexican trazh electro.
DJs such as TakeOverBlood, Fast Food, O.V.E.R, Cromosoma, 9Deer, Disaster, PVLZO, DNZO, Digital Fun, Melek Mania, Spellcastr, Mvrder, Frenetik, and Btronik, among many other LATAM DJs, inspire me.
And also, I really inspired by South and Central America dancers, since there is another continent, they have their own concepts and style which you can`t find in Russia
I also would like to share some of my favourite dancers:
- Rowy (@rowy.om) – Mexico
- 5pooky (@5pooky2.0) – Guatemala
- Tania (@tania.fleur13) – Argentina/Mexico
- Yodo (@X__yodo__x) – Argentina
- Elvislush (@elvislush) – Peru
- Ibalde (@johnibalde) – Columbia
- Davixx (@zekrom_electro) – Argentina
- Brax (@braxvap) – Mexico
- Fadel (fadel_area_17) – Nicaragua
- David (David_rdz_98) – Mexico
- Buzz (@buzzdv) – Mexico
I really have a dream to visit all these countries and participate in LATAM electro battles.
Jumpstyle and Shuffle
Other artistic or sport activities?
I also danced Jumpstyle for over 2 years, but there came a time when it started to fade away in Moscow, so there wasn’t any logical continuation. However, I still know some basic movements and can surprise people with them. I am also knowledgeable in Shuffle movements and actively incorporate them into my dance.
More about Miami Electro
What other music do you enjoy besides Electro?
- Japanese Visual-Kei
- Russian rap
- Russian emocore
- Nintendocore
- Hardstyle (Happy Hardcore and Frenchcore)
- Bulgarian Chalga and Serbian turbofolk
- Russian hits of the 90’s
Favorite films, series, books?
I’m a fan of X-Men films, and my favorite characters are Mystique, Magneto, Storm, Gambit, and Rogue.
Pokémon is my second favorite. I still remember the childhood times when we played by сaps)
I also enjoy reading Dan Brown’s books and watching their film adaptations. “The Da Vinci Code” is a masterpiece.
My favorite video game is Mortal Combat, my besties are Mileena, Rayden and Reptile)
How would you define your dance?
- Power
- Energy
- Flow
- Connection with the audience
“Electro community taught me how to communicate with others.”
What experiences, friends, or reflections have you gained from Electro?
When I first started, I was quite shy, but the Electro community taught me how to communicate with others. I’m really grateful to everyone I started dancing with and those who inspired me. Without Electro, I could have been a completely different person, and I’m sure I wouldn’t have been as happy.
I also want to add that since we compete and have a lot of audience members, the feeling on stage is electrifying. The Electro community is one of the best ever, and the support you receive from it and your dance friends is absolutely incredible.
Bum-Pam – Ayayaya. Ay-ya-ya Kika!!
International Events
Have you traveled elsewhere for Electro? Where?
I have traveled abroad twice. One time was for LRC in Belarus in 2014 (Minsk city), and I also had business trips to Moldova where I met the Zerogravity dancer, and we shot some videos together.
During the coronavirus lockdown, I actively participated in online battles. I won battles organized by DiscoDivaEntertainment and was also the winner of Top Solo Baile Repechaje.
Regarding Russia, I participated in most of the Electro battles, such as Move and Prove in Saint-Petersburg, Oh My Style in Krasnodar, Kipish in Ufa, Pskov battles, and many others. Russia is a very big country, and we have a significant Electro community here.
The future of Electro
What would you say to someone who doubts dancing Electro Dance?
Oh, Electro is such an unusual style with unique movements and techniques. You can dance it in various ways, with different feelings and to different music. You should just give it a try, and I’m sure you’ll be hooked. The supportive and inclusive community will help you with your first steps.
Electro is the future!
What can media, promoters, brands, and events focused on Electro (such as Urb4no.net/) do to improve?
They can:
– Continue to be open to stories not only from top dancers but also from the “middle class.” Every dancer has their own unique story.
– Be active on social media and invite interviewers from different countries
Bye,
Miami from Russia
(Майами из России)