The trailer for fashion photographer David LaChapelle’s documentary about krumping, Rize, has been released. Despite appearing a full year ago on BoingBoing, the art of krumping (a.k.a. clown dancing) remains the next hot thing in hip-hop dancing.
Most recently, krumping was featured to great effect in the Chemical Brothers’ video “Galvanize,” although Missy Elliott probably deserves the most credit for piping it into the mainstream with last year’s summer jam “I’m Really Hot.”
From the reviews collected at LaChappelle’s site, it sounds like Rize impressed the Sundance crowd. It’s been compared to Paris is Burning, a strong contender for my favorite documentary of all time.
At least superficially, the comparison makes sense. In PIB, a straight Jewish woman captures New York’s brilliant, predominantly black and Latino voguing scene at its height — and also at the height of AIDS and violence against queers and within the queer community on and around Christopher St. With Rize, a gay white photographer takes on LA’s brilliant, predominantly black krumping scene — a splash of positivity set against the violent backdrop of South Central L.A.
Here’s hoping it makes it to Fresno.