Posts tagged Red Bull
Can You See The Parallels In Sports & Dance?
Noted dancer, actor and choreographer Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee, Step Up 2) has always had a vision to explore the similarities in dance and sport, ever since he saw a TV special that aired in 1958 called “Gene Kelly: Dancing – A Man’s Game.” Gene Kelly created this Christmas special where he interpreted the moves of some of the top athletes of his time – including baseball star Mickey Mantle and boxer Sugar Ray Robinson – to choreograph dance routines, while also teaching the athletes to dance as well.
To continue this ongoing conversation in a visual format and update it for audiences today, Harry Shum, Jr. teamed up with long time collaborator and filmmaker Cole Walliser to work with leading contemporary dancers and premier Red Bull athletes in a new video series entitled “Parallels.” The series of videos draws parallels between disparate dance forms and extreme/action sports, utilizing slow motion to accurately pinpoint the striking similarities between both genres, both in movement and approach.
In one video, ballerina Kylie Lewellan’s measured leaps and jetes are juxtaposed with freestyle motocross biker Alexey Kolesnikov as he meticulously executes cliffhanger and Superman moves in mid-air. In a second video, tricker Remi Bakkar’s acrobatic dance moves and BMX bikers Andrea Lacondeguy, Syzmon Godziek and Thomas Genon’s aerial tricks are analyzed in the context of their constant battle with the force of gravity to execute their precise maneuvers. In the third video, the themes of rhythm and balance are explored through the similar kinds of moves that B-Boy Kid David and skateboarder Johnny Johannes can execute. “Parallels” ultimately identifies and expounds upon the various themes of control, rhythm, grace, timing, strength and balance that are omnipresent in movement whether one is a dancer or an athlete, creating undeniable parallels between both of those worlds.
“I think all movement is interconnected and the only thing that separates it is the intention behind it,” said Harry Shum, Jr. “The goal for a dancer or an athlete is to reach the highest level of athleticism that their bodies are capable of in their respective disciplines. Ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov proved to be one of the greats where no one can deny his incredible athletic abilities, and the artistry behind athletes like Michael Jordan can be clearly seen when you take the ball out of the equation. I hope this sparks a conversation to explore the question, ‘Is dance a sport and is sport an art form?’”
Jul 30th
Red Bull Mini Drome Fixed Bike Competition Comes To Brooklyn
On Friday, June 27, Red Bull Mini Drome will make its triumphant return to Brooklyn where top fixed gear cyclists from across the five boroughs and beyond will compete on a shrunken velodrome that measures about the length, width and height of a New York City subway car.
Although it’s only in its second year in New York, this unique high octane race has quickly become a top cycling competition on the east coast bringing speed, balance and bravado together on a steep and shrunken velodrome, custom constructed to give competitors a treacherous challenge. Riders will reach speeds of 25 mph forcing them to test their mental stamina, technical precision and raw strength.
Fifty teams of two riders have been invited to participate in this pinnacle fixed gear competition. Each rider will clock in heats of ten laps with the top eight combined team times advancing. The night will culminate in a showdown bracket of the top eight teams with one squad being crowned the 2014 Red Bull Mini Drome victors. There will also be an individual competition with riders going head-to-head with the better time advancing.
Tickets to the event are free and on a first come first serve basis. For more information, please visit minidromenyc.eventbrite.com.
Jun 24th
Red Bull & Tyree Dillihay Team Up For Red Bull BC One
The one and only Tyree Dillihay and Red Bull are presenting the Red Bull BC One cypher in Philadelphia, PA at Skybox this Saturday, May 31st at 3pm.
The Red Bull BC One is one of the longest running B-Boy/breaking competitions in the world. For the East Coast, U.S. stop of this global competition, the Philadelphia cypher will feature 16 hand-picked B-Boys, representing the best of the best from all over the Northeast, who will compete in intense one-on-one battles to win a spot at the North American Final (August 15, 2014).
To commemorate the host city of Philadelphia, Red Bull worked with Tyree Dillihay to illustrate four of the Philly breakers who will be taking part in the competition on Saturday – Box Won, Mighty Mouse, Napalm and Ookie.
Tyree Dillihay, aka R E E, is a director on the FOX animated sitcom, “Bob’s Burgers” by day, and the creator of the popular web comic about sneakerheads called “SN’EADS” by night. In between time, R E E is a style agnostic “curator of cool” who strives to blend his love of fashion, hip hop, and art collectively in all his creative endeavors.
May 27th
Cole Whitt Interview
Last week we had a chat with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year candidate Cole Whitt as he was preparing for the Daytona 500. Whitt is just 22 years old, but the guy’s been racing for years. HE started racing when he saw one of his cousins with a go kart. He moved from go karts to midget cars to sprint cars and trucks and made his NASCAR debut in 2010. He has 11 top ten finished in the World Truck Series, 18 top ten finishes in the Nationwide Series and now he’s driving the No. 26 Toyota Camry car for Swan Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. Men’s Speed Stick GEAR will serve as Whitt’s new NASCAR sponsor, and the brand will be featuring a documentary series on Whitt’s journey to the Daytona 500 starting in March on the Speed Stick Power YouTube Channel. After overcoming a bit of car damage adversity to make the race, Whitt finished 28th overall at Daytona.
Whitt told us about his leisurely activities, his participation in the Red Bull Driver Development Search program, his favorite tracks and, after seeing this photo on his website, you know we had to ask the man all about bow season:
CS: So to start off, I was checkin’ out your website and it looks like you’re into hunting because you got a picture of you front and center with a bow and arrow. Can you explain to me what bow season’s all about?
CW: You know the bow hunting is just something that I’ve enjoy. It’s not so much going out and having to harvest something, but just the fact that bow season is kinda the opposite of racing. It’s nice to be able to slow down and relax. Bow hunting is all about getting close. There’s a whole other challenge to it. I enjoy the tricking part of it. Technically, I just spear hunt mostly, so tricking deer for the most part.
CS: Racing is kind of in your family – well, not kind of, it certainly is. When did you first realize you were going to be a professional race car driver?
CW: I don’t know. It’s in me right now, you know it can be taken away at any moment I know that that’s why I don’t take it for granted. You know I’m very blessed to be able to do this and to do it at the level I am right now and I’ve just been doing it. Even when I was racing go karting, we just never took it for granted and we always knew at any moment things could be taken away. And you know, there’s been many times where it has and things have always worked out to come back around for something else. Just staying focused with having a good family behind me and raising me the right way made a big difference and I think just being able to be this far is pretty exciting, regardless of what happens from here.
CS: Can you tell me a bit about your participation in Red Bull’s Driver Development Search?
CW: Yeah. That whole thing kind of came together last minute. They were doing that Red Bull driver search looking for actually an F1 driver and I wasn’t going to do it. I was actually just kind of racing go karts at the time with my family and just having fun. We were winning a lot of races and championships, but we were just having fun and clearly didn’t think anything of it. And the next thing you know someone’s like, hey you really need to go do this thing they’re going to let you go straight to a qualifying round. So alright, we go out there and have fun with it and after the whole thing was said and done, long story short, they wanted to meet and it progressed into a sponsorship. They’re actually probably the only reason why I’ve made it this far in the sport. It was a great partnership and it was great while it lasted. Just a great company. They did a lot for me.
CS: Their racing program has since shut down. How did that go down, do you know?
CW: Yeah, I don’t know the specifics on it but I think whatever they needed to do was for their best interests and I support every decision that they’ve ever made just because of how much they’ve done for me. You know, they were great people. They were great to me and took care of me well. I don’t know the logistics behind why or what they did, but I’m sure they had good reasoning.
CS: You’re a rookie of the year candidate this year, so you’re certainly holding your own and then some. Is there specific preparation that you go through or any kind of rituals or superstitious stuff that you do before each race?
CW: Nah, I’m not superstitious. I kinda feel like it’s going to be whatever it’s supposed to be. I’m pretty confident that everything will take care of itself. For the most part though, like you said, being in that rookie class, this is one of the biggest rookie classes they’ve had in the cup series and one of the most talented. To be part of that’s a pretty cool honor and to be able to say that we had a good shot of winning it is pretty cool also. It says a lot about me and what we stand for as a team and what we’re getting ready to build. I’m pretty excited to see how that turns out.
CS: What’s your favorite track ever? Go karts, sprint cars, stock cars, any of the above.
CW: I’d say my favorite track so far is either the Old Phoenix before they repaved it and then probably Kokomo speedway the dirt sprint car track in Indiana.
CS: Nice. Now I also saw that you’re pretty up on social media. How do you leverage social media to connect with the fans of the sport?
CW: Yeah, social media is pretty neat and I’ve actually gotten better with it over time because I really didn’t use it to connect with fans at first, but now I’ve been using it more to connect with fans. It’s been a lot more fun once you do that and you realize how much they enjoy it and I like that. You know there’s no reason why we can’t, it takes two seconds. You’re on your phone anyways probably looking at it or reading it and when someone posts something to you and you reply or talk to them or give them something they want to know or give them an inside look at something, that’s what gets people excited. And without those fans our sport would be nothing. Just having the gratitude and the mindset that these guys are paying for the seats and coming to watch us at the race track is what drives our sport in the first place.
CS: What would you say is your most anticipated race of the season?
CW: I’d say right now Daytona 500 is probably my biggest anticipation. There’s a lot riding on this and there’s a lot that could happen here. But at the same time if things don’t work out for the best there, I know I can pull through and look forward to Phoenix and other races down the road. I look forward to the whole season, but Daytona 500 right here is something I’m really looking forward to.
CS: I got one more question about your leisurely activities. How good is your golf game?
CW: (laughs) Um, not too well. I actually started playing more in the past little while (laughs), but not too good. I’m more into the cross fit training and a lot of fitness is what I probably do the most.
Feb 27th
