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An interview with Princess Kumari of the Imperial House of Waacking

Interview: Nicky Short

She’s in the UK courtesy of B-Better to spread the word and the knowledge of the style of waacking. TooMuchFlavour caught up with Imperial Princess Kumari Suraj, also known as Franki Douglas, from the Imperial House of Waacking to find out what it’s all about.

Princess Kumari Suraj of the International House of Waacking

A dance that gets bundled under the urban-dance umbrella and more specifically tends to be found alongside club dances like house and is often mistaken for punking or vogueing, waacking is a style of its own that has a very special place for Kumari Suraj.

Originally studying ballet as a child, she discovered hip hop in the form of new-jack and party dances around the age of 10, promptly fell in love with the culture and still describes herself as an ‘original hip hop chick.’

From that early age, training hard with a crew of church youth group kids, Kumari developed a hunger for excellence, accuracy and knowledge that is now key to her teaching and philosophy.

Studying fashion (the yin to her dance yang) at university in Philadelphia, she discovered b-girling, locking and popping. Partying in the east-coast club scene also exposed her to house and finally waacking - she saw it and loved it but struggled to find it in class.

Waacking was late in its resurgence and has only started to be recognised again in circles and jams in America in the last five years.

“It’s the way my mom dances!”

Kumari on waacking

First attracted by the girliness and sensuality of the style and the room for her own self-expression within it, Kumari had seen waacking all her life without knowing what it was and even had even embarrassed by it: “because it’s the way my mom dances!”

The importance of history and technique is fundamental to her learning and teaching style, Kumari fought through a fair amount of nonsense in her quest to learn correct waacking and finally found it in the shape of Tyrone Proctor. He is, in Kumari’s words “the only original waacker living who can communicate and articulate the meaning of the dance.”

Tyrone founded the Imperial House of Waacking, to which Kumari belongs, and teaches all over the world; there are Imperial Houses in France, Scandinavia and South Africa.

Like all the members of her house, Kumari has a waacking alias to reflect her personality: Imperial Princess Franki Douglas is the androgynous, outrageous tomboy with a flamboyant style doing her thing on stage whilst Princess Kumari Suraj is professional, serene and wise, communicating her art in the studio.

“The freedom within this dance it what makes it so special”

Kumari has learnt her history and emphasises the importance of technique and training while at the same time is mindful that the style is young, malleable and open to interpretation: “Yes there’s rules, yes there’s guidelines but the freedom within this dance it what makes it so special.” She says that all the time she is waacking, she is expressing herself and developing her own ‘Franki Douglas style.’

As waacking is popularised and commercialised she is understandably concerned that it will become diluted and seeks in her teaching to maintain the purity of her mom’s dance.

Get out there while it’s possible to seek out teachers and practitioners who know what they are talking about and learn from the learned. But also, and maybe more importantly, be inspired by the inspired - Kumari is a dancer truly in love with her craft. So, take her advice and be better! B-Better is hosting workshops with Kumari here in the UK where, in her words “there is no scene yet.” Come and be amongst the first to learn real waacking.

Kumari in action

Kumari’s Promo Video:

To book a place go to

www.b-better.co.uk/wt/

London masterclass: Saturday 26th September 11am-3pm Holiday Inn Kings Cross, 1 Kings Cross Rd, London WC1X 9HX

Kumari Suraj, Princess of the House of Waacking and Damien Anyasi