Vietnam Vet and Father of Eight Mentors "KRUMP" Dancers
"Sometimes it's not even you dancing. It's just your spirit takes over you, and you feel so good after."
(Oceanside, California)—For the many Christians who have never heard of it, "KRUMP" is an acronym for Kingdom Radically Uplifting Mighty Praise. It is a high-energy dance, or "spiritual movement," whose Christian roots originated in South Los Angeles as an alternative to gang violence.
As reported in the San Diego Union-Tribune, One Accord is a 12-man KRUMP dance team who are doing Gospel concerts around the country. Notes reporter Angela Holman: "Instead of fighting in the streets, KRUMP dancers "battle" each other with their moves, and true KRUMPers promote nonviolence." (Photo: KRUMP Dancers on YouTube)
One Accord is under the mentorship of Antoine Bradford, a Vietnam Vet and father of eight, whose 16-year-old son got into KRUMPing two years ago. He is quoted as saying that all of the members of One Accord had faith in God before, but KRUMP has given them a sense of maturity and spiritual integrity they otherwise wouldn't have.
Bradford has reportedly let all of the members of One Accord stay at his Oceanside home at one time or another, feeding them and letting them practice their moves in his driveway.
"I've been with them since day one, but they still flabbergast me because of all of the energy and all of the moves," Bradford said. "All of them are unique. If you notice, all of them have their own style."
The group's leader, Joey Turman, 19, is quoted as saying KRUMP allows him to share with others the gift God gave him.
KRUMPer, Lavarr McCree, 17, said: "In high school, everybody tries to follow other people and act like something they're not, but with KRUMPing you can express yourself," McCree said. "Sometimes it's not even you dancing. It's just your spirit takes over you, and you feel so good after."
