Las Vegas Weekly

Full Force, dance crew

12 to watch in 2012

Full Force members, from left, Chris Gatdula, Ronnie Abaldonado and Rock Gallego, are opening their own tattoo parlor/barbershop/apparel shop/dance studio, called Distrct, on January 7.

Photo: Bill Hughes

The members of Full Force have been wowing audiences with their b-boy moves since 1995, but in 2012 they’re taking their game to another level. This month, they’ll open Distrct, a combination dance studio/tattoo parlor/barbershop/apparel business in a 3,000-square-foot space at Tropicana and Spencer.

It’s been a longtime dream for Full Force members Rock Gallego, Chris Gatdula and Ronnie Abaldonado, all of whom appear in the Jabawockeez show MUS.I.C. at Monte Carlo. Gallego and Abaldonado also represent Super Cr3w, which won the second season of America’s Best Dance Crew, and Abaldonado is also a Red Bull-sponsored athlete. [Full disclosure: Weekly designer Wesley Gatbonton is also a Full Force dancer.]

“We’ve always had our headquarters at people’s houses,” Abaldonado says. Distrct is the result of years of hard work.

In addition to hip-hop and DJ classes, workshops and demonstrations, the trio also plan a series of “surprise” b-boy battles and encourage fans to follow them on Twitter at @distrct. Their apparel shop will host a multitude of Las Vegas streetwear brands, and the barbershop and tattoo parlors are staffed by people they’ve met over the course of their careers. It’s a true locals endeavor.

And that’s what it’s all about, according to Abaldonado—bringing locals together in an attempt to broaden the culture in Las Vegas. “There’s not a big dance community out here,” Abaldonado says. “We’re just trying to do our part and give back to Las Vegas.”

The January 7 grand opening starts at 11:30 a.m., with the first workshop at noon. The gang will then host an after-party at Insert Coin(s) at 11 p.m.

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