Detric Frizell gave an incredible dance performance at the Meadowbrook Church block party in Ocala in December 2012. I was immediately impressed by his performance and knew he and his partner Jose Vasquez had something special.
I recently caught up with Detric and interviewed with him about his dance career and future aspirations. What I found was not only interesting, but inspiring.
Detric was born and raised in Chicago, the “windy city.”
Dancing is just one of Detric’s many loves. When not dancing, he loves to discover new music and sounds. He also has fun being with friends and discovering new places. Shopping, modeling and trying new foods are all exciting to Detric, but site seeing is his favorite.
“Experiencing life is what I do when I’m not dancing, but when I dance I show you my experiences,” he said.
Detric has always had it in him to move.
“I’ve always emulated the people I saw and the most influential one of course had the biggest effect: The “King Of Pop,” Michael Jackson…I danced every time I heard his songs. But even when I didn’t, I still found myself dancing–doing head spins in my mom’s living room on a December night while snow covered everything outside. But in middle school me and my nephew started a dance crew called The Looney Toons. We used to go to the local YMCA dances in our town and battle other kids. We were so serious about it. It really put that battle drive there. But this was just a hobby back then. I was heavily into sports and basketball. I loved basketball with a passion back then. But dance was never a passion then, it was just fun to do until my mom made the decision to move to Florida. This is where I met my passion for dance and it is because of my brother/good friend Bboy SunnyFresh aka Sunny (Jose Vasquez). It was him that really set the dance in me. He kept me involved in the world. So for six years now we’ve been best friends and crew mates. He keeps inspiring me just as much as my famous inspirations.”
Detric has been dancing about four years. He started with “Krumping” as a style and graduated into “Bboying” as a lifestyle. After that, he practiced “Popping” and “Boogaloo.” “Memphis Jooking” came next for Detric, and the latest style he is practicing is “Hip Hop/Newstyle” with a bit of “Animation.” When asked which of the styles is his favorite, he said they are all favorites. He is adapting and changing his style each day. If inspired by a certain style, he will adopt it and add it to his own style.
“I’m just a freestyler right now. I feel that’s all I’ll ever be, which in my eyes is a truly free dancer.”
The story behind Detric’s dance name is quite compelling.
“I went through quite a few names for a while…because I was struggling with my identity as a person and dancer. ‘Monster’ came about because I always felt like there was something else inside of me. A person people never understood…making him a Monster. Humanity seems to call things they don’t understand monsters. My height played a part in this alias because I am very tall, 6’4, per say. So naturally when I dance I will do everything bigger…”
Part of Detric’s dance name also came from the lovable Disney movie, the Lion King 2. He chose Scar’s predecessor as an identity.
“I related to that character so much I named my monster “Kovu”…giving it an identity and freedom in my dance. I am now ‘Kovu The Monster’.”
Detric the Monster has several major dance inspirations including “Les Twins” (the twins), Criminalz Crew, and Dragon House dancers BluPrint, Androiid, Glitch and Nonstop.
“I try to soak in all the inspiration I can,” said Monster.
Monster had great things to say about his dance crew.
“They really are a part of my heart, they all inspire me to be a better person, dancer and to strive harder than I’ve ever. To be a strong and loyal leader. My crew name is “South Paw Wolves” but the name runs deeper than people would think. The members are all great friends of mine and my second family, my pack! My right paw wolf SunnyFresh aka Sunny, his Prodigy Danny-ILL; that kid is amazing and dedicated. My strong willed wolf, Aztec Wolf aka A-Dub. He will come through in the clutch. Then our last wolf, the hard worker and hungry for dance, Circus. That guy is going to bring a new meaning to popping and storytelling. Being in a crew should start with a friendship that should blossom into a family. A crew is a unity of souls sharing one passion or multiple loves and art. You want the passion to outweigh the trials and difficulties…”
Detric has been in many dance competitions along the east coast. His biggest accomplishments include participating in So you Think you Can Dance Season 9 and becoming a part of the Cirque Du Soleil dancer database. Many train years to audition for the Cirque, and this has been a big dream for Detric.
In the future, Detric plans to pursue a career as a model and TV host for MTV or another big network. His long term goal is to become a public speaker.
“I have to become an international figure so my message can be clear. You can become anything you dream of; it’s not impossible or intangible. I am doing it and so can you, so long as you put God first and trust him with faith. He will pave your path and you will become someone you’d never imagine. I just want to inspire people; I’ve seen too much talent get wasted away because people don’t pursue it. ”
Freestyle by Monster
Monster and the South Paw Wolves
A video interview with Detric
Contact and support Monster:
Twitter @KovuTheMonsteR
Instagram @kovuthemonster
Vine @kovuthemonster
Tumblr www.stepintothelifeofdtrix.tumblr.com
Faith, Love, & Travel 