By Samantha Pak
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
From left: b-boys Ronnie, Kig Guppy, Scout and Dann Vital at The Beacon. (Photo provided by Massive Monkees)
The Beacon is returning to Seattle.
After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, Seattle-based breakdancing crew Massive Monkees has reopened its studio—marking the occasion with a grand reopening event on Nov. 5. The celebration included breaking workshops for all ages and levels, a one-on-one battle, an open styles cypher, and more.
Like many businesses, The Beacon—which first opened in 2013—closed in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And as the world began to reopen, the crew regrouped to discuss the possibility of reopening their studio.
“We still wanted to do it,” member Hocine Jouini said.
They weren’t the only ones. Jouini said while they were closed, people would approach them on a weekly basis, asking when they were going to reopen. So with this support and demand from the community to bring back the studio, Massive Monkees got to work.
A new, more accessible location
Jouini, alongside fellow crew members Brysen Angeles and Rodericko Francisco, began searching for a new location for The Beacon.
They looked at more than 50 potential locations, but ran into issues such as the rent being too steep, the location being too far from where they wanted to be, or landlords who weren’t in line with Massive Monkees’ mission.
They finally landed on 812 Rainier Avenue South, which had previously been a Chinese antiques store called Explore Decor. Located right along the border of the Little Saigon and Hiawatha neighborhoods, Angeles, who was studio director during its first incarnation, said The Beacon’s new spot is still close to its former Chinatown-International District (CID) location, and very much in the heart of Seattle. In addition, he said with their proximity to freeways, they’re now more accessible.
Jouini added that their previous location on King Street had restrictions such as no designated parking and because they were connected to an apartment building, they had to turn off their music at certain times. Because of this, the crew knew what they wanted and what they didn’t want for the studio.
The new location doesn’t have these restrictions. It’s about the same size as its former location (roughly 2,500 square feet), but Jouini said the new studio has two rooms, so they can hold two classes simultaneously. And those classes—taught by Massive Monkees crew members, as well as a cadre of “all-star instructors,” according to Jouini—include various styles of dance including breaking, house, whacking, popping and locking, and hip-hop. There will be classes for all ages and levels, as well as a breaking academy for kids, with different levels so students can grow and progress through the program.
A space for more than just hip-hop
B-boy Walle-Roc in a freeze during the grand reopening event for Massive Monkees’ studio, The Beacon. (Provided by Massive Monkees)
Beyond dance, Massive Monkees want to create an inclusive and safe space for the community. Angeles said they plan to also hold classes and events such as panel discussions to educate people more about all four elements of hip-hop (which are breakdancing, emceeing, deejaying, and graffiti painting), so people know more about the culture and lifestyle, and its origins.
They started this educating of the community during the grand reopening event by inviting Seattle graffiti artist Sneke One to create pieces on the building to showcase a visual history of Massive Monkees.
In addition, Angeles and Jouini said the crew is opening up their studio to the community so people can rent out the space for their own events (the wall between the two rooms opens to create a larger space).
“It’s everybody’s studio,” Jouini said. “It’s everybody’s space.”
It takes a village
Since its inception, community has been a big part of the Massive Monkees’ culture. Angeles said as a crew, they might be successful, winning breakdancing battles and titles, but looking back, the thing that has kept them grounded and going has been the community’s support. That sense of community continued during the COVID closures, as the crew pivoted, holding outdoor classes in parks around the city, as well as virtual classes.
“The community keeps going,” Angeles said.
But he and Jouini admit that it wasn’t the same as having a home base where they could all get together for events—something they really missed during those early days of the pandemic.
As they were considering a comeback for The Beacon, Angeles said they realized how the studio was a big part of many people’s stories. They heard from community members about their experiences at The Beacon and what it has meant to them. This helped reenergize Massive Monkees to bring back the studio—especially as running a small business in the arts is not easy.
The crew launched a donation campaign to help fund the reopening project, as the space needed to be renovated to serve as a dance studio. The community contributions were super helpful, according to Jouini.
In addition, Massive Monkees received support from Seattle Restored, a partnership program with Shunpike, the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development, and Seattle Good Business Network that focuses on reviving neighborhoods around the city, through creativity and commerce.
According to its website, Seattle Restored projects benefit “neighborhoods, small businesses, artists, and property owners by creating vibrant and engaging streetscapes that encourage the public to visit downtown Seattle, support local businesses, and support local artists—particularly Black, Indigenous, and other entrepreneurs and artists of color.” The program is funded by the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which was established under the American Rescue Plan.
“It definitely takes a village,” Jouini said about the efforts to bring The Beacon back.
Samantha can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.