When Zaya Sosho and his group of friends formed “The Future Kingz” (TFK) in 2010, perhaps they aspired to be the future kings of dancers. Make no mistake of their name: the group of dancers are the dancers of the present after making a name for themselves in the dance industry.
As a group of friends, The Future Kingz are comfortable wearing pacifiers and onesies to match the tone of their music. While most dance groups are confined to the tight bounds of a stage or studio, the group roams limitless throughout the world: in front of a casino, a circus, a basketball court, or a gas station. The Future Kingz are more than street dancers; rather, they are storytellers that are creating a work of art. Guided by the rhythm of the music, each move is intentional: some choreographies involve the group slouching closer to the ground, while others involve gliding horizontally across the space with the camera swiftly following. Each movement also differs based on speed: rapid music may involve small and sharp bounces and movements, while easy, relaxed melodies could have more deliberate grooves.
All dance groups perform to an audience, but the intricate details from The Future Kingz fabricate dance videos that garner tens of thousands of views on Youtube. Take for instance their dance video for “Cry Baby”. Seeing grown men donning a pink onesie outfit complemented with a pink pacifier in front of the Las Vegas Casino is a sight most don’t anticipate. The first thirty seconds of the synchronized choreography displayed a cohesive connection between each dancer that made the music feel secondary to the performance. Even during the freestyle portions, the supporting cast accompanies the spotlight dancer as more than hype men by using each other as props to develop the freestyle. Transitions between each dancer were well-coordinated without feeling choppy or disconnected. As a result, the dance is crafted to match the music, generating a performance that evokes an illusion in which the music moves with the dancers, not vice versa.
The prudent choreographies and freestyles by The Future Kingz group reinvigorates talent into a dance scene that lacks substance, composed of social media consumers that promote dance as 90% appearance and 10% ability to follow directions. With minimal required talent in each move and rarely any movement below the waist from these social media influencers, most teenagers misunderstand the standard of actual quality dancing. What started out as a group of friends has evolved into a group of “Kingz”, taking their throne as the best in the dance industry.