MT Pop: How Popping & Creativity Unlocked The World #25

In this conversation with MT Pop, we talked about how he overcame his humble beginnings and used creative artforms (Popping) to take him around the world to become a global rising star in the world of street dance. He detailed his upbringing, cultural perspectives and the mindset needed to pursue what was once an unreachable dream. From having been stripped of academic opportunities due to financial hardship, language barriers, and navigating the cultural intersection of East vs West, MT Pop's journey serves as a inspiring tale of grit.

He reveals his secret ingredients for creativity, from exploring both inner and outer space, to embodiment of character development and emotional content. We talked about what his pillars are going into dance competitions and personal judging criteria.

Nguyễn Vũ Minh Tuấn (aka MT Pop) is a Vietnamese (Saigon) dancer and movement artist, specializing in the Popping style within street dance culture. He's been dancing for over 15 years and has been taken around the world in his artistic pursuit. He has not only taught, participated and competed, but also won at some of the world's biggest dance contests including Freestyle Session in California - West Coast motherland of Popping.

Crews: X-Clown (Vietnam), Playboyzinc (USA)

Follow MT Pop
-------------------
IG:   / mtpop.vn  
EM: [email protected]


Get Enculturated!
---------------------------------------------
FB:   / enculturationpodcast  
IG:   / enculturationpodcast  
HP: http://www.enculturationpodcast.com
TT:   / enculturationpodcast  


Time Stamps
-------------------
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:51 - Introduction to Popping
00:07:21 - MT Pop's Inspirations
00:09:55 - Teachers I've Learned From
00:11:06 - X Clown and Playboyz
00:12:37 - How Popping Changed Me as a Person
00:15:45 - MT Pop's Approach towards Creativity
00:19:22 - Original vs Interpretation
00:21:32 - Waving was my first Inspiration
00:23:43 - Vietnamese Street Dance Lineage
00:27:19 - Choosing Creativity in Poverty
00:33:33 - Airchair, Cigarettes & Coca Cola
00:35:11 - Coming Out to the Scene
00:37:12 - Proving Street Dance Isn't Bad
00:41:15 - Support from My Mother
00:43:51 - Wearing Different Mindsets
00:47:41 - Living off Street Dance
00:48:56 - Individuality vs Collectivism (Community)
00:53:48 - Distinctions North vs South Vietnamese Dance Culture
00:57:45 - MT Pop's Approach to Practice & Progression
01:01:42 - Vietnam Airline is Next Level
01:02:34 - Fighting Skill Degradation
01:08:20 - Breaking down MT Pop's Workshops
01:10:51 - Building Upon Ideas
01:17:06 - American Dance Culture's Impact on Vietnam
01:23:02 - Battling Global Icons (Acky from Japan)
01:25:25 - Chasing the Feeling over Winning
01:27:23 - MT Pop's Judging Criteria
01:30:11 - Clip Commnetary with MT Pop
01:30:35 - MT Pop vs Sonya (Freestyle Session)
01:30:35 - Winning in LA / Be Memorable
01:34:02 - Future Goals & Vision
01:37:37 - The Key Takeaways
01:42:53 - How to Best Support
01:44:11 - Shout Outs
01:46:06 - Final Closing Thoughts