Etymology

what's this? two posts in a single day? why, that's unbelievable. either that, or i have a lot of free time.

i realized that i hadn't explained the name of my blog. what exactly is a "jamesawockee"? what does that even mean? what's with the mask on the side?

those are all relevant questions. well, "jamesawockee" is an adaptation of a hip-hop dance group's name "jabbawockeez" which is an adaptation of part of a Lewis Carroll poem from Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There. the verse reads: "beware the Jabberwock, my son! the jaws that bite, the claws that snatch." apparently, the poem is one of the greatest nonsense poems ever written in English (thank you, wikipedia). likewise, the jabbawockeez are one of the greatest dance groups to walk this earth.

their claim to fame was winning mtv's first season of america's best dance crew. they did so with unparalleled synchronicity and mind-blowing creativity. their performances week after week were linked and were flawless throughout. their dances have been copied and uploaded onto youtube by so many different people. they went on to get sponsored by gatorade and now have their own show in las vegas. to say that they have become successful and influential is an understatement.

obviously, they have influenced me if i named my blog after them. the reason i have the mask over there is because all of them wear these masks when they dance. it brings a sense of unity among the group and makes you wonder just who is under each one. little does it matter since they can all dance extremely well.

here are their performances from week to week on the show.

live audition special: we came to party by tony yayo
week 1 (crew's choice challenge): apologize by one republic
week 2 (video star challenge - incorporate moves from a music video into performance): ice box by omarion
week 3 (dance craze challenge - must include illusion that they can defy gravity): lean wit it, rock wit it by dem franchise boyz
week 4 (movie character challenge - act as thieves): ayo technology by 50 cent and JT
week 5 (thriller challenge): PYT by MJ
week 6 (broadway remixed challenge - incorporate the charleston): all that jazz from chicago
week 7 (last chance challenge/ encore round - leave the final mark on the competition): the red pill
week 7 (evolution of street dance challenge - tell the history of hip-hop): mix of 5 different songs
week 8 (step challenge with other finalist group status quo)
week 8 (championship performance): harder, better, faster, stronger by kanye west

enjoy!






thanks for reading (and watching).

-jdv