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  • 10 years ago
Shaakir and Naazir, Brooklyn natives who received full scholarships to the prestigious American Ballet Theatre’s school, are also the debut stars of In Motion, our new series with H&M. If you’re able to briefly take your eyes off of the grace with which they move, listen up to hear how Shaakir and Naazir’s style has evolved on-stage and off, about their outlets for self-expression, and how dance has changed them. You're going to want to watch this mesmerizing couple of minutes on loop.
Transcript
00:05We started dancing when we were six years old.
00:09I hated it.
00:09It was so bad.
00:10I hated Balor.
00:11I just sat out and watched the girls do it because they were pretty and stuff.
00:17Yeah.
00:19At the end of the program, this one black guy came out with the fattest Avro.
00:25This guy was just flipping, turning, throwing those and stuff.
00:29And secretly inside.
00:29I didn't tell my friends.
00:31I was like, that was kind of cool.
00:34I'm not going to lie.
00:44No one would ever expect that we were dancers.
00:47Every time I tell a person I would dance, they're like, what do you do, hip hop or pop or
00:49Britney?
00:50And they're like, nope, it's American Ballet.
00:52They're like, you're lying.
00:52I'm like, no, I'm not.
00:54We used to dress so Brooklyn.
00:56Big sweatshirts, sweatpants, big jackets.
00:59But now I wear more like, you know, fitting.
01:02Clothing.
01:03Yeah.
01:03I like to wear things that I can, you know, breathe in.
01:08People don't understand like, with dancing, like on stage, you can never be perfect at it.
01:15That's why I think I like it so much.
01:20It's a really weird feeling when you're on stage.
01:23It's like, I'm Nazeer, but I'm not Nazeer when I'm on stage.
01:26I'm a completely different person.
01:28But when I'm on stage, that's when you dance.
01:31There's nothing.
01:36There's nothing.
01:38I'm not going to say, you know, I mean, you don't be perfect in it.
01:39I'm not exactly.
01:39I'm not going to sing along though.
01:39Oh, that's something that's good.
01:42I'm not going to sing along though.
01:43I'm not going to sing along, but I'm not going to sing along those songs.
01:46I think I'll be very sorry.

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