Thursday, August 21, 2008

A TRIBUTE TO BREAKIN': MY INTERVIEW WITH LUCINDA DICKEY


In the golden age that was the 80’s, (when the studios weren’t so Oscar hungry) we got to see some fun, entertaining, and sometimes downright cheesy popcorn flicks. These movies often went on to become “cult classic” films amongst the 80’s crowd. And to this day, many of these films are still providing enjoyment to many with their quirky characters, one dimensional storylines, and big puffy 80’s hair.

The actors in these films were often transformed into somewhat of an icon to this generation (and generations to come) regardless of if they wanted to or not. Fans worshipped these brave souls who so dared to speak bad but hysterical dialogue and who didn’t take themselves too seriously.

One actress in particular proves my theory correct as each day passes and fans of the new and old are still worshipping her for the 80’s movies that she so bravely took on. "Cheer Camp," "Ninja Domination III," and even "Grease 2" are all listed on her calling card. However, "Breakin’" and "Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo" is what provides her with the most fanboys and fangirls. The lady that I speak of?...None other than Mrs. LucindaSpecial KDickey, better known as the first lady of the T.K.O Crew.

I got a chance to chat it up with Lucinda recently and she is definitely a hoot. We giggled like old friends as we talked about her retirement from showbiz, her grown up kids, and if she still can do those legendary flips she’s known for.

Click below to read our interview…

FADE IN:

SHEQUETA
Do you have a nickname?

LUCINDA
No I don’t. I grew up as Cindy so I suppose that would have been my nickname. But I’ve been Lucinda since college. Actually people call me Luce or Lucy sometimes but not very much. Like my husband calls me Luce. I guess that’s a nickname.

SHEQUETA
What’s the craziest thing a fan has done to get your attention?

LUCINDA
The craziest thing…I had a guy that kept sending clips of the movie from Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2 to David Letterman. He was trying desperately to get me on the Letterman show. And he would send me a copy of what he was sending to Letterman and of course I never got on the show but that was pretty bold I thought. And probably the most offensive thing was a young girl crawled under the bathroom stall. (laughter) I was in the bathroom one time. She was only like 8 or 9 years old but you know she just wanted to see Lucinda Dickey. She probably saw a little more than she bargained for.

SHEQUETA
Where are you originally from?

LUCINDA
Hutchinson, Kansas.

SHEQUETA
How long have you been in LA?

LUCINDA
I’ve been out here for twenty eight years. I moved out here in 1980.

SHEQUETA
Where did you study dance at and for how long?

LUCINDA
Well, I grew up in a dance studio. My mother is a dance teacher and she opened a studio in 1964 when I was four years old, and I started taking (dance) from her. And then I studied for two years at Kansas State University as a dance major, although I didn’t do all the requirements to actually be a dance major. I only danced and I went on (with) a performing group and we toured around performing. And then I moved out here in ’80 and I was on scholarship on at Eupree Dance Academy for a little over a year.

SHEQUETA
What types of dance?

LUCINDA
I studied everything. Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Character Musical Theater, a little bit of everything. My mother taught us very well rounded dancing. And college was mostly ballet. My teacher was Ronnie Maller, she was an American Ballet Theater dancer when she was younger. So it was mostly ballet and modern when I was at college. But when I came out to LA on scholarship we were required to learn everything. So I did mostly Jazz but we had to take ballet and tap as well.

SHEQUETA
How did you get your start in the business?

LUCINDA
Well, I got kinda lucky. I had taken a cold reading workshop. You know my very first job was Grease 2. I was a principal dancer in that movie. And I realized that I wanted to get into acting. I didn’t want to just do dancing. So I had taken a cold reading workshop and I studied for a long time and went out on auditions - never got called back for anything for a long, long time. And I just kept going and then I auditioned for Ninja 3: The Domination which was actually my first film that I did before the Breakin’ movies even though it was released after and I just got lucky. I was cast as the lead role, lead female role I should say in the movie. And then I went straight – it was a Cannon Film – and I went straight into Breakin’ after that.

SHEQUETA
How old were you when you did Breakin’?

LUCINDA
I was twenty four. Twenty three…twenty four it might have been the summer that I turned twenty four. Right before I turned twenty four.

SHEQUETA
Do you still do those flips?

LUCINDA
The flips, no. No, only a trampoline. I actually for quite a few years used to do handsprings and aerials in my yard when my kids were growing up. Because I just wanted to make sure I could still do them. And I was around thirty-five…thirty-six years old and my wrists would hurt, my back would hurt, my hips would hurt. And I was like why do I need to still do this. It was crazy. So I finally decided that I didn’t have to do aerials and flips anymore. I didn’t need to prove anything to anybody. So I quit doing them and I haven’t done anything other than on the trampoline. I’ll flip on the trampoline once in a while just for the fun of it.

SHEQUETA
Was it hard to learn those Hip-Hop dance moves that you learned during Breakin’?

LUCINDA
Yes, I’m not gonna lie it was hard. And I studied some hip-hop when I was on scholarship. Bill Goodson who choreographed Breakin’ 2 was head of the scholarship program at Eupree. So I had studied under him for that year, year and a half. But as far as the breakdance scenes, it was very hard. I just never quite mastered it. I actually did more breakdancing when I went on tour to promote the movies after they were finished. Because we would go to nightclubs and perform and that’s when it kind of all clicked. I actually did get windmills maybe once or twice. Yeah it was very hard. The locking I could do a little bit because we had done some of that stuff in classes but the popping, oh my goodness I just never could really get it very good. I never could hit very hard.

SHEQUETA
How old are your kids?

LUCINDA
My kids are 19 and 21.

SHEQUETA
Are either of them interested in dancing?

LUCINDA
Neither of them dance, no. My daughter, I would have thought that any daughter I would have had would have wanted to dance but she didn’t like tights. I taught for two years at her school when she was in first and second grade and she did dance those couple of years because it was convenient and I was the teacher and then we moved away. She changed schools and all that and I never could get her into dance class. She just didn’t have the desire to do it.

SHEQUETA
What do they think about Breakin’ ?

LUCINDA
You know, I don’t know exactly what they think. When they were little I pulled out the movies and put them on and I thought oh they’re gonna think this is so neat to see their mom on the TV. And they could care less about me, they were more interested in the guys. I just don’t think they really got it, you know. I mean they just kind of amuse it they don’t really – I mean I think they probably thought it was great that I did it but it’s not like they sit around and watch the movies very much. I don’t think they’ve seen them in years.

SHEQUETA
What was it like filming Breakin’?

LUCINDA
It was a lot of hard work. It was a lot of dancing, a lot of rehearsals, a lot of fun. You know, it was a long time ago. It’s hard to remember all those minute details. I’ve actually just completed – I’m in the very very final edit stage of the memoirs. I’ve written a book over the last four years and I had to do a lot of thinking back. And there were definitely a lot of good times but there were a lot of bad times too. You know we didn’t always get along real, real well between Shabba Doo and Shrimp and I. For the most part yes but it was challenging. It was hot (and) we were on concrete. You know a lot of the stuff that we filmed was in the street and you can see it in the movie. And it was really a lot of hard work but you know it was basically a lot of fun .We always had a lot of people around us. You know we shot in Venice Beach and so there were a lot of fans that would come around when we were filming outside. It was a great experience. I feel very lucky that I had the opportunity to do that because a lot of people that move out to California from Kansas because they want to dance or act or do modeling or whatever they don’t always get that lucky break. So I feel very fortunate that I did it.

SHEQUETA
Do you remember anything from your Breakin’ audition?

LUCINDA
Well yes (laughter) I do. I had just finished filming Ninja 3 and I had heard about Breakin’ but I didn’t really think about it too much until I got back to LA and I found out that they had another girl in mind for the lead and I went crazy. I’m like no wait I should be doing that you know. So I talked to the producers and I met with the choreographer. I had known of Jaime but I hadn’t really studied under him. And you know they were like sorry we’ve already got somebody else in mind. And so I went to the open audition and we had to just improvise, make up our own little dance. It wasn’t a typical dance audition where they’ve got a choreographer and they teach you choreography and that whole thing.

LUCINDA CONT'D
So I went in there and I just pulled every handspring, aerial - what I thought was breakdancing. I think I did a front spin. I did a worm which was just ridiculous. I don’t know if it was a combination of that and the fact that Menahem had just seen a rough cut of Ninja but they cast me as the lead from that. So it probably was a little bit different experience for me because I had just come off doing a film for Cannon. So I could have had a shoe in - you know it was a shoe in thing because I was right there in their face. They’re watching the dailies and all the stuff from Ninja so they knew what I looked like on screen. They knew what I was like to work with and I was a dancer so it made it all that much easier. They didn’t double me for the movie. I did all my own dancing.

SHEQUETA
How do you like being a judge on the show “Master of Dance?”

LUCINDA
Oh my God that was soo much fun. I loved it! It was fun. I mean I haven’t done you know anything for a long time and I’d never done anything like that. It was high energy and I loved the other judges. We just all clicked, it was a great show. I wish they would’ve picked up more. You know I thought it was a great concept because these are everyday people that of course they were good dancers - some of them had a little dance training here and there or whatever but anybody could’ve been on that show. It wasn’t a requirement that you had to be a dancer. Not like “So You think You Can Dance” and some of the other dance shows that they have out. And it was a lotta fun…I thoroughly enjoyed it.

SHEQUETA
Would you be interested in doing Breakin’ 3?

LUCINDA
(laughter)
I would have to be the mother. (laughter) I’m too old. You know, I think that the Breakin’ 3 days are gone. But hell, you know, I would consider anything at this point (laughter). Why are they talking about Breakin’ 3, is there something that I don’t know about?

SHEQUETA
I would hope so since I want to write it. But there have been talks for years but nothing’s happened.

LUCINDA
With the Step Up and Step Up 2 - I mean those are probably the closest thing. Those movies definitely rank pretty close to Breakin’ - the trained dancers vs the street dancers. You know, everybody loves dance movies. That’s the reality of it, they love them. I’m sure that there are good reasons that we didn’t do a Breakin’ 3 right at the time cause there were a lot of issues going on back then but if you made a Breakin’ 3 I’m sure people would come to see it.

SHEQUETA
Do people still recognize you and approach you about the movie?

LUCINDA
Believe it or not they do. And what amazes me is people recognize my voice and that always blows my mind. Because I don’t think I have that distinctive voice. I was at the Macy’s counter at Lancome’ and the girl recognized – she was young, she was like twenty two or something and she recognized my voice. It still amazes me that young people still love the movie, they still watch it, they rent it. It’s definitely had a very long following. Yeah, I still occasionally get recognized. Not as much now as I used to but it still happens.

SHEQUETA
Do you keep in touch with anyone from the movie?

LUCINDA
No, not a soul. I ran into Shabba Doo maybe once or twice. I know once for sure and I’m kind of thinking I feel like I’ve seen him twice in all these years. I’ve run into Christopher McDonald twice. And I have not seen anybody else. We haven’t kept in touch at all. And Phineas I loved Phineas I actually read your interview with Phineas and he was just such a sweetheart and he really got me through that filming and made - he helped through more than you probably would ever know. Because he was just such a nice guy and he just stayed out of all of the politics and you know some of the crap that went on on the set. You know he was just always a pleasure to be around. Good guy, good friend.

SHEQUETA
Do you teach dance anymore, anywhere?

LUCINDA
No, I only taught for those couple of years when my daughter was in first-second grade and just haven’t had the desire to do that. The main reason that I didn’t continue on with teaching is because of my kids. I grew up with my mother teaching dance and it was a wonderful experience and we all took from her - there’s five girls in my family. But you teach dance when the kids are out of school and my mother was teaching from four to seven or eight or nine o’clock everyday and I just…you know my son was the first born and that’s when they play with friends, that’s when they go do soccer, and I just wanted to be available to do the stuff with my kids afterschool and I didn’t want to be tied down to a studio. So I’ve been a stay at home mom all these years. They’re both gone, I’m an empty nester now. Both of my kids are gone. My son is going into his Senior year at Notre Dame, he’s just home for the summer but he leaves Friday. And my daughter is at Santa Monica Community College. So I just stayed home and raised the kids.

SHEQUETA
Are you retired from the business?

LUCINDA
Pretty much. I did do one film when my son was nine months old and it was Cheerleader Camp. I don’t know if you know that film.

SHEQUETA
I haven’t seen it yet but I’ve heard about it.

LUCINDA
(laughter)
Well…it’s a good one. Yeah I did Cheerleader Camp when Joe was nine months old and I just wanted to work. Actually, Geno Havens was my cold reading workshop teacher. And he had called me and told me…and I took it. Everybody said don’t do it – it’s gonna be a terrible film, no money blah, blah, blah. But you know what we had a ball. My husband went up with me and he helped take care of Joseph and it was only four weeks up in Northern California. But it was just hard. After having a baby I really didn’t want to leave him so I kind of fizzled out. I mean I tried out for a lot of soap operas and television.

LUCINDA CONT'D
And then after I had my daughter that was it. I did one…we moved to Las Vegas for one year. My husband was working for the ABC affiliate there and I did the Perry Mason episode. I had one line I think (laughter). It was like a hundred and fifteen degrees and my shoes literally melted to the bottom of my feet - we were out in a parking lot. And I was like you know this just isn’t worth it. That was the last thing I did. So yeah I gave it up. I did commercials for a long time. I did a Total Gym infommercial that ran forever. They still run forever with Chuck Norris but they pulled me out because that was a long time ago. But you know my husband is in the industry, he produces reality television. So I’m connected to the business in that respect. Just hearing all of his stories and living it through him. I never really had any desire to go back to it. I’m totally okay…totally happy with what I do.

SHEQUETA
Do you want to say anything to your many fans that will be reading this?

LUCINDA
Well tell them I said hello. It’s funny because a couple of years ago - I don’t know maybe it was five or six years ago – I was listening on the radio one time and there were saying I wonder what happened to so and so and they went through all these people. And then they went to the stars of Breakin’. They only mentioned Shabba Doo and Shrimp and I almost called in. I was like wait a minute what about the girl? (laughter) They’ve forgotten about Kelly! Occasionally I’ll see online people will say what ever happened to her cause I kind of dropped off the face of the planet. You could just tell them I’m still here and I’m happy and it was fun doing “Master of Dance” and maybe you’ll see me on something somewhere down the road but we’ll see.
THE END
Check out some of Lucinda's work below...


BREAKIN' BATTLE SCENE



CHEERLEADER CAMP



NINJA DOMINATION III