If Cities Could Dance features dancers from across the country who dare to imagine what it would look like if their city could dance. If you’ve spent any time in Oakland, you’ve probably witnessed some turfing. The homegrown dance happens everywhere: on BART, at the First Friday art walk, at the Warriors’ Oracle Arena and even in music videos for Bay Area rap stars like E-40 and G-Eazy. Turfing emerged on Oakland streets in the early 2000s, and has become synonymous with regional urban culture. Combining abrupt, angular movements like popping, tutting and bone breaking with graceful, ballet-like footwork, turfing stands for “taking up room on the floor.” Watch local crew Turf Feinz dance in front of the Creators Gone Create turfing mural in West Oakland, MacArthur BART station and Youth UpRising teen center in East Oakland.
