Baldwin
Wallace
graduate
Samuel
(Sammy
Mac)
MacIntosh
'15,
has
utilized
his
arts
management
and
classical
ballet
and
modern
dance
experience
at
BW
to
develop
a
career
as
a
dancer,
choreographer
and
teacher
of
hip-hop
dance,
specializing
in
the
genre
known
as
"popping."
Popping is a form of movement where the artist exhibits control of specific muscles - both contracting and releasing them to accompany the beat of the song or parts of the song, usually through hip-hop.
In
a
profile
for
Creative
Compass,
a
publication
of
the
Community
Partnership
for
Arts
and
Culture
(CPAC),
McIntosh
talked
about
defining
hip-hop
as
a
technique-driven
art
form,
advocating
strongly
for
its
gravity
in
American
society.
"Though the culture has come a long way, we still don't place enough value on Hip Hop dancing in America yet," he told Creative Compass.
To recognize and support his artistry, CPAC awarded McIntosh a one-year arts administration fellowship.
McIntosh is also part-owner of the Cleveland hip-hop collective known as AyyeDeesMM (or 80's MeetsModern), a group that modernizes old hip-hop. Finally, he raps and writes music.
Drawn
to
and
influenced
by
hip-hop
culture
in
his
youth,
McIntosh
said,
"I
can't
say
or
even
recall
being
introduced;
it
felt
more
like
Hip-Hop
was
always
embedded
in
my
DNA...The
beauty
I
saw
in
Hip-Hop
dance
is
that
after
being
given
a
specific
foundation,
you
are
encouraged
to
provide
a
sense
of
individualism.
This
gave
me
confidence,
purpose,
and
freedom
to
express
emotions
and
ideas
that
I
have
never
opened
up
before."
Check out some of his moves on YouTube.