We had the good fortune of connecting with Minilik Addis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Minilik, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
That I cared the most about people getting it/understanding it. That I made people feel something either within my work or while working with me. That it’s gonna be fun, no matter what. Because that’s what’s authentic to me, there’s nothing deeper to it than that

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I don’t like to put a classification on my art/choreography. It is simply movement inspired by hip-hop culture, club culture, television, music videos, friends/family, and many other aspects of my life. I think what sets it apart is the fusion of all of that and my personality. I have found a way to incorporate my character into my choreography and I think that over time it has started to read more clearly.

It took a very long time for me to form the style that I have today though. I have been creating non-stop since 2012 and I don’t feel like I really found my style until around 2018/2019. I think what made it extra hard was that in the beginning, I wasn’t able to physically translate what I was seeing in my head. And when I would try, it would end up looking a bit awkward. I think as I have been growing as a dancer, I have also been growing as a creative artist. Nowadays, I’m more able to physically demonstrate what I am seeing in my head, along with incorporate more vocabulary as I experience more life.

For me, the dance and the groove comes first. I’ll always start off by nodding my head to the song. Whatever that natural bounce is, that is the basis for my choreography. Most of the time people don’t have to think too hard when learning or dancing in my class because everything is not only there musically, but follows the natural flow of the song, even if it’s not on a particular sound in the music. Follow the snare. Follow the clap. The 2 and 4. Sometimes 3 and 7, if it’s slow enough. For me, at least.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My first instinct is to go to the beach anytime I wanna show people a good time, so we’d definitely spend the day probably in Malibu at the beach. The vibe in Malibu has been my favorite so far. Plus, it’s not a typical beach spot. Most people would go to Santa Monica or Venice, where it’s super crowded and not as fun (in my opinion).

Theme parks are also fun to me, so we’d make our way to Universal and/or Disney Land. I actually have yet to go myself so best friend(s), come visit the kid and give us a reason to go together! It’s on the itinerary now!

It’s pretty customary to go on at least one hike while here in LA, so we probably would do that too. In all honesty though, I went on one hike and have never gone again LOL it really hurt…shoutout to Devin Brown for the whoop. So really here is what I would do for that: I would refer them to Devin and have him take them on the hike LOL! I’ll meet you later for dinner haha.

Lastly, tacos. That’s the tweet, tacos.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My story wouldn’t have started if it weren’t for my home dance team: DyNaMiC. My journey would not have kicked off if I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to join the team and prove that I could do it.

Culture Shock DC deserves a huge shoutout too. From the jump, CSDC was the standard for all of us coming up. Watching them perform, taking their classes, learning from all of the members, joining the team. Thank you for being a community where we could be challenged and grow.

My fiancé Monique Watson, of course. Funny enough, we had known each other for years, but we didn’t get closer and start dating until we both were on CSDC together. So….further shoutout to CSDC lol! But in all seriousness, she is the one who has pushed me the last 6 going on 7 years. She has helped me as a dancer, creative, and businessman. Additionally, she has been so loving and supportive even before we both knew we wanted to be in the creative career path. Thank you for being my love and best friend, I love you.

Instagram: mini1ik

Image Credits
Alissa Roseborough

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