turfing

arose in the 1990s in predominantly Black communities of Oakland, California spreading throughout the Bay Area, in the midst of gang violence, police brutality, systemic racism, poverty, and a range of social ills. The foundation of this style is based on the various dances from different neighborhoods or "turfs" of Oakland. As an acronym, it serves as a reminder to its participants to Take Up Room on the Floor. Emerging alongside the Hyphy movement (which also originated in Oakland), turfing has a playful side as demonstrated in the practice of going dumb.

“To go dumb like that is a reaction to unemployment, to feeling abandoned, to feeling like there's no hope. You want to let it all go, so you just go dumb” - Stanley Kirk Burrell (a.k.a. MC Hammer)

Aside from the carousing aspect of the dance, a significant part of turfing is storytelling through pantomiming and performing other optical illusions with the body and movement. When on stage together, it becomes apparent that turfing and ballet share several things in common: an incredible fluidity in movement, a similar aesthetic as seen in the shapes of each style, and above all, a powerful and enduring life force that is incorruptible and irrepressible.

The title of the project comes from the ancient symbol of the lotus flower as representing one who is following “the path.” The lotus grows in mud, under water where comparable life might suffocate. As it ascends and breaks surface, the flower remains pristine, unstained by the waters of experience, though still rooted in the mud from which it came.

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our mission

The project began in early spring of 2015. Its purpose is: (1) to rejuvenate the dance and theatre arts community by pushing the envelope with respect to diversity and in creating sophisticated, cutting-edge work; (2) to celebrate, promote visibility, and support viability of the undervalued street performance art in the San Francisco and East Bay areas; and (3) to traverse barriers in compassion and understanding through artistic expression and storytelling that provokes honest dialogue.

The Creative director | founder

My-Linh is the founder and director of Mud Water. She is a Vietnamese American dancer, award winning choreographer, multidisciplinary storyteller, and former environmental attorney. As a competitive dancer, My-Linh represents one of the oldest, competitive popping crews of the Bay Area, Playboyz Inc., and has taught workshops, competed in, and judged battles around the world. She has danced for artists such as Sanford Biggers and Grammy-winner Kendrick Lamar. My-Linh is also a member of the 2021-2022 “YBCA 10” artist cohort at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.