Alien Ness, is a world-renowned b-boy who has earned praise and recognition from prominent breakers across several generations. He is not just a dancer, competitor, and historian, he is the game’s most prolific instructor with some of the best b-boys crediting him as their teacher. Known by Kid Ness, a nickname passed down to him by Mr. Ness of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, when he first started rockin’ the dance floor in 1982, and quickly rose in the ranks earning himself mentorship from Iconic dancers of that time including Buck4 and Mr. Freeze of the Rock Steady Crew, as well as first-generation B-Boy pioneers such as Fantasy Fast of Ready to Rock, and Trac2 of the famed Starchild-La-Rock.
His intricate footwork, elaborate aerial moves, and an unearthly elbow spin immediately attracted the attention of Dance System 10, who is credited with having the first breakin’ showcase on vacation cruise ships, pioneering one of today’s most popular form of employment for b-boys Nationwide.
In 1985, with the help of B-Boy icon Tic Master, Kid Ness was recruited by the late Scott La Rock to be a part of what we know today as Boogie Down Productions alongside Krs One. Thereafter, a chance meeting with the legendary Mr. Wave dancing with the legendary New York City Breakers, then the Rock Steady Crew in 1999. This was about the time he grew out of his nickname and became known as “Alien Ness”, the name gifted to him by Godfather of hip-hop, Afrika Bambaataa, and Zulu Nation’s Grandmaster T.C. Izlam.
Today, Alien Ness is a multimedia performer with numerous credits under his belt. He appeared in the movies The Last Dragon and Krush Groove, working alongside Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, Fat Boys and Sheila E. He also danced in the film Bomb The System” and the independently released “PROMISE”. Recently, this South Bronx native scored high reviews with a leading roll in the film “All Out War” where he bought his no-nonsense gritty street demeanor to the colorful world of dance films.
Alien Ness can be seen in Tony Touch’s music video, “I Wonder Why (He’s The Greatest DJ)” and heard on several guest appearances on the Afrika Bambaataa albums Everyday People and Dark Matter Moving At The Speed Of Light released under the iconic Tommy Boy record label.
Alien Ness has rocked the stage in concerts for the likes of T La Rock, Special K, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Salt ‘n Pepa, Kool DJ Red Alert, The GZA, Donald D, The Black Eyed Peas, Dougie Fresh, Grand Master Caz, The Fugees, Tony Touch, Naughty By Nature, Coolio, Wycleff Jean, and Jadakiss. He even toured the U.S.A., New Zealand, and Australia as Afrika Bambaataa’s sole MC for “The Big Day Out” music festival.
Inspired to give back to his community, Alien Ness has taught dance classes at neighborhood centers throughout New York City, notably The Point C.D.C. in the South Bronx, The Henry Street Settlement in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and after school programs in Queens. Later, he took his skills around the globe conducting the highly acclaimed Blueprint Workshops where he solidified himself as a highly sought after instructor and molding successful competitors out of his students. He has also choreographed the half time show for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury Hip-Hop Squad and also participated as an instructor for a yearly dance camp which includes one week of intense training and choreography in Phoenix, AZ. as well as in Seattle, WA. He has participated at the “STYLE IS KING” dance workshops in Switzerland, as well as bringing his famed 5 day workshops to Scotland and Slovakia, while countries such as Poland, Switzerland, and Taiwan never had any contenders in the international b-boy tournament circuit until Alien Ness graced their studios.
His experience and insight of the hip-hop culture has earned him invitations to lecture at Arizona State University, Yale, Rutgers, New York University, San Francisco State University, and Sacramento State University.
In 2009 the literary “Alien” rounded off his talents and made history once more with the release of his first book “The Art of Battle: Understanding Judged B-Boy Battles” which has not only raised the skill level of today’s competitors, but takes the reader on a metaphysical journey towards “knowledge of self.”
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