Illusion Apparel: What’s your favorite thing about your craft?
Nico Castro: My favorite part about dancing is that I can create on my terms. From exploring the foundational movements of breaking to the high-risk dynamics, my pace of improvement and achievements are on my terms. If I fail, it's on me. If I succeed, it was from the time I put in.
IA: How long have you been working on your craft?
NC: I’ve been dancing for 11 years.
IA: How did you get started?
NC: By my family members, I was exposed to Hip Hop culture at the age of 9. After tough transitions in my family dynamic, breaking reintroduced itself at the age of 12.
IA: Who or what are your current inspirations?
NC: My current inspirations would have to be my family and crew mates. Being 11 years deep into this artist lifestyle, dedicating my life into the competitive circuit, developing my personal approach, and making this my career, the family and friends that have shown me support dating back to when I had nothing are the inspiration for me to bring value to.
IA: What are your other interests?
NC: Aside from dance, I love to listen, dig, and curate music as a DJ. Ranging from the classics, present, and innovators of that industry, they inspire me not only as a dancer but as an artist and human.
IA: What advice do you have for others who want to pursue breakdancing?
NC: If anyone else is interested or inspired to dance, I’d simply recommend being present and to simply enjoy the feeling that dance gives you.
IA: What was your best moment / most memorable event in your craft?
NC: The best moment of my craft happened relatively early, maybe within the 3rd to 4th year. I realized that once you found the outlet of expression that you truly like, it's one of the clearest and most humbling moments you can ever feel. One of my greatest goals of this dance is to be able to share the opportunity of happiness and meaning that it gives me with humanity.
IA: How do you define ‘illusion’?
NC: If I could define the word “illusion”, I would refer to taking something that already exists and surpassing it. And not just on the physical sense related to dance, but more so what can I do spiritually, what can I do to impact people emotionally, and something that goes even further than that, maybe even financially.
IA: How do you break illusions in your craft?
NC: I break illusions in my craft by taking what already exists and positively manipulating it. Whether that be taking a physical sequence of foundational moves, or implementing my approach, or that I’d be going beyond the generalizations that this is just another dance style. But more so turning it into a life fulfilling journey and career.
IA: Anything else you'd like to add?
NC: While there’s cheer and happiness from prizes and championships, the real glory is living within, loving, and leading within this journey and process.