The Middle Room Issue #1

“WHEN I DANCE, IT'S THE MOST HONEST
THAT I CAN BE IN THAT MOMENT.”
MR: How did you get the name
S0Phamish? Did you come up with
that yourself ?
P: It came from a joke, a guy named B-boy
Airsick. We were on the way back to my
friend’s crib and basically I kept saying how
hungry I was and he was like, “Oh bruh
you’re so famished.” He was like, “you should
make that your name.” So I slept on it and I
was like, “oh damn, I’m bout to change my
name.”
What was your name at the time?
P: Poppin Pham [Laughter], but I gave myself
that name, and in the dance world you
should never give yourself a name. I learned
that you should always earn it.
You definitely earned it. So where
would you say your dance style comes
from? How do you set yourself apart
in the dance world?
P: A lot of people study foundations and
techniques, the way a move is supposed to
look. I don’t really have like a solid style so I
was like I’ll just do whatever I want, make it
look cool. It’s all about presentation. If I look
at an object, [I ask myself] how do I feel the
object looks dance wise? It may not look like
it to you but that’s how I feel when I see it
and I act it out.
That might be the coolest thing you’ve
ever said, that you find inspiration in
objects. That’s wild.
P: Yea, I mean it sounds silly but that’s what
helps me create moves.
So you’re saying you find inspiration
in objects...so this hot sauce bottle
in front of you, how would you dance
that out?
P: Yea, so like that bottle right there, off the
rip, without even thinking, I’ll do this [starts
dancing], and wave like that, you know
what I’m saying. I’ll cut it open and it spills
[Laughter], and I’ll wipe it all over myself
and I’ll throw it. That’s how I view dance. I
take whatever I see and I act it out how I feel,
like charades.
Do you find inspiration in fashion as
well?
P: Yea, like when I’m putting on a fresh pair
of sneakers bro, or whatever it is, I don’t
know how to explain it, I feel like I dance better.
I feel like I’m untouchable.
Who are some of your style inspos?
P: Kanye West, Chris Brown, Pharrell, my
friends, my surroundings, seeing how people
wear things. If I like it I’ll take it. I saw
how the Asians in Korea were wearing these
beat up ass shoes but nice ass clothes, and I
was like damn I wanna try that. That’s what
influences me. So I literally went back home
and busted up my Air Force 1’s.
Who are some of your favorite
brands?
P: Right now I’d say local brands, but if I
had to pick one thing to wear every day, it
would be Dickie suits.
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THE MIDDLE ROOM