Who are some of your contemporaries and Bgirls you've met in your travels? Who inspired you?
Asia One and Honey Rockwell were my peers. Asia One was organizing the Bboy Summit in
California with her boyfriend at the time EZ Rock and that was a big deal to know she was at the front line with plans. Honey Rockwell was inspiring since she also did gymnastics and incorporated that into her Breaking which added to her explosiveness. I had heard about Lady Champ from Chicago and Beta from Florida but I met them later on in the 90's along with Abgirl from Problems Kru, and then Jules from California/Philly/Colorado. In France I had heard about and met Karima from Aktuel Force and then I met Hurricane, Malika, Bintu and Bibishe. From Germany I had met Petra who had real dope headspins and from Japan I had met a bgirl named Tamba. I met Aruna in 2004 and Bgirl Grillo in 2008.
“We were all aspiring to next levels on the dance floor...”
These were the women on my radar at the time when I was emerging as a Bgirl after being a Hitter with Zone--Boogie-ing with
Shaik, Rob and D Rock--and being a House-head. Beta, Ms Twist and Jules had flairs, 90's and turtles so I also got down with that. Lady Champ had those moves plus 2000's and also Asia had head spins. We were all aspiring to next levels on the dance floor.
How did you get your name?
I was 19 and dancing in front of Rockefeller Center when the cops came to move us. They had a habit of breaking up our shows because we didn't have a permit and, you know, we weren't supposed to be there. I got really fed up because I was enjoying this independence—you're your own boss when you're dancing in the street—so I went up to one cop and told him it wasn't fair, that we were making an honest dollar, that for all he knew I could be related to the Rockefeller's. I told him I could be an illegitimate child and could have him fired. He was cracking up and said, "OK, this is your formal invitation to vacate." I replied, "That's right. You address me like that every time you see me, sir." Every time I saw him afterwards, he would call me Lady or Duchess Rockefeller. Then other dancers started to call me that and it became Rokafella because, also, the name was a job description—I was rocking the fellas.
"... the name was a job description—I was rocking the fellas."
Did you ever hear stories of 80s bgirls from baby love or other bboys you knew?
No I never heard about bgirls. I only heard about local female dancers like Violeta, and Roxane who I met in High School. I had heard about Peaches and Marjorie (Smarth). I saw Peach at the Palladium and Marjorie at Sound Factory Bar. I met Baby Love in 2006.
What do you feel are your biggest accomplishments in the breaking scene?
In NYC, I began teaching as soon as I had mastery of basics like 6 step, CC's, 12 step, 3 step and baby freezes. When I learned something, I was teaching it. I worked in the public schools teaching this and new jack swing and some Popping. I was one of the few from that generation who did power moves like windmills, drills, backspins and swipes.
Eventually I also did tracks, munch mills plus footwork. I was of the first to do school assemblies describing the trends and cultural aspects of Hip hop. I also loved to do poetry and create theatrical storylines for Full Circle Prod Inc, the dance company I co-founded with Kwikstep. I have judged major international Bboy events which solidified my status among bboys as someone who had earned their stripes. I have been featured in commercial and underground rap videos and films. It makes me proud to have been invited to speak on panel discussions that deal with women's issues of inequality and about Hip hop's aesthetics alongside well known authors and activists. I am very proud to be a professor that can share knowledge and be a bridge for aspiring dancers. I am happy to have created long lasting relationships with other dancers who are and some who aren't local and also sustained good connections with many arts organizations through out the years.
In what ways do you feel you've impacted the breaking community?
The breaking community witnessed my growth as a teacher, dancer and business woman. The bgirl community has been influenced by my confidence to stay in the game and feel like
I belong in the circle as an equal. I have proved that my skills are important because they give me access to the dance floor but also my ability to speak my truth without fear is equally important. I can back up what I'm saying with real facts about whatever the issue.
Are there any other women/bgirls that you feel have also made and impact or been a leader?
I would definitely include from USA, Asia One and Baby Girl from Texas. Bgirl Lynx from Canada, Aruna from Rotterdam, Bgirl Grillo from Colombia and FabiGirl from Brasil.