J Luck, a b-boy sporting a Massive Monkees shirt, watches as performers warm up before the competition
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PHOTO ESSAY | Massive Monkees Day 2023

by Alex Garland

Celebrating 24 years of hip-hop culture, DJs, emcees, footwork, and attitude, the Massive Monkees Day kickoff event on Pier 62 showcased dance moves from over 20 b-boys and b-girls from all over the United States. The Massive Monkees crew formed in 1999 when four young b-boys came together in Beacon Hill. That crew grew, and with it came art, music, dance, and wins at local, national, and international competitions and performances. In 2004, the first Massive Monkees Day was celebrated as then-Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels declared April 26 to be their day, after their first international win. Now, each year, hip-hop and break dancing are shared with a wider audience as people from all over the world visit Seattle and catch slick moves from b-crews.

The following photos are from the Waterfront Park Jam at Pier 62 on May 27 — the preliminary rounds for the next night’s dance battles at Neptune Theatre. The three-day event drew about 10,000 people.

B-girl Mel from San Diego shows off fancy footwork at Massive Monkees Day
B-girl Mel from San Diego shows off fancy footwork at Massive Monkees Day at Pier 62. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A crowd watches as a dancer performs during the 23rd annual Massive Monkees Day at Pier 62
A crowd watches as a dancer performs during the 23rd Annual Massive Monkees Day at Pier 62. (Photo: Alex Garland)
Meen 187 from the Bronx shows off moves at the 23rd Annual Massive Monkees Day
Meen 187 from the Bronx shows off moves at the 23rd Annual Massive Monkees Day at Pier 62. (Photo: Alex Garland)
Jake London, a Beacon Hill original, was both an organizer and a dancer at the breakdance competition
Jake London, a Beacon Hill original, was both an organizer and a dancer at the break-dance competition. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A b-boy shows off footwork at the Massive Monkees Day competition at Pier 62 in Seattle
A b-boy shows off footwork at the Massive Monkees Day competition at Pier 62 in Seattle. (Photo: Alex Garland)
B-girl Mel waits her turn as spectators watch the competition during Massive Monkees Day at Pier 62
B-girl Mel waits her turn as spectators watch the competition during Massive Monkees Day at Pier 62. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A crowd watches as a b-boy competes in a footwork competition at Massive Monkees Day at Pier 62
A crowd watches as a b-boy competes in a footwork competition at Massive Monkees Day at Pier 62. (Photo: Alex Garland)
A crowd watches the Massive Monkees Day competition at Pier 62 with the Seattle skyline in the background
The 23rd Annual Massive Monkees Day footwork competition brought fans from all over to Pier 62 at Waterfront Park. (Photo: Alex Garland)

Alex Garland is a photojournalist and reporter. With a degree in emergency administration and disaster planning from the University of North Texas, Alex spent his early professional career as a GIS analyst for FEMA. Follow him on Twitter.

📸 Featured Image: J Luck, a b-boy sporting a Massive Monkees shirt, watches as performers warm up before the competition. (Photo: Alex Garland)

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