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How one dancer broke out of his shell

BERKELEY, Calif.— Gizmo responds to his opponent with a series of sharp hand movements to a fast-paced beat. He incorporates contractions and twists of different limbs to articulate his intention. 

Tariq “Gizmo” Witherspoon, 23, is the cofounder of The Aspects, the only street-style dance group in Berkeley. The group draws from various styles, including flex and turf dancing, which creates a unique mode of expression.

Their style is a fusion of dance styles from both the East and West. Flex dancing is a dance style sometimes called bone breaking because of its rhythmic contortionist movement and incorporation of waving, tutting, floor moves and gliding. It has origins in Braco, Jamaica,and took off in Brooklyn, New York. Turf dancing is an American style of street dance that originated in Oakland, California, in the late 1990s. Witherspoon describes the dancing as more of a “feeling.”

A Berkeley dance group, The Aspects. Witherspoon on the far left. (Photo by Algerion Bryant)

It started with the friendship between Witherspoon and his best friend, James Palmer. Witherspoon would often watch his friend’s dance performances.

“I just thought it was really cool,” he said.

When he was 17, he tried it himself.

“I was a pretty shy and reserved person,” he said. “And I literally sat in my room and watched these videos and practiced for a whole year.”

Dancing has created an outlet for him to express himself, allowing him to open up in a way that would have been difficult to do without it.

“It’s really therapeutic, to be honest,” he said.

Witherspoon works full-time at Urban Outfitters in Berkeley and finds time afterwards everyday to practice.

“If I hadn’t become a professional dancer, I probably would have been a lot more shy,” he said. “And it definitely helped me come out of my shell.”

In the last year, The Aspects have gained recognition performing at Mission in the Mix at the San Francisco Dance Mission Theater.

The group is  working on new choreography for the International Hip Hop Dance Fest, which will take place this year from Nov. 16-18.

“They fly people in from all over the world,” he said, “and do a couple days of shows. It’s one of the biggest venues in the area. I did it in another group called TURFinc. This is the first year we’re going to be by ourselves.”

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What it means to be a peach farmer

BERKELEY, Calif. — As you peruse down Center Street at the Downtown Berkeley Farmers’ Market, you are met with the welcoming feeling usually found in a local coffee shop or a hometown park. Making your way through the medley of colorful canopies, it is difficult not to notice the plethora of peaches. Although this is not an inconvenience to any passerby, individual vendors are trying to come to grips with this abundance.

In 1987, The Ecology Center opened the Berkeley Farmers’ Market, which allowed the community to access organic fruits and vegetables while supporting local farms and families.

Angelina Sarver-sack, 17, who has been involved with the Berkeley Farmers’ Market for 10 years, samples peaches and helps with sales. (Photo by Althea Champion)

Being a peach farmer entails more than it lets on. The Golden State in particular is a geographical hub for growing and harvesting peaches. Out of the 33 peach-growing states, California grows more peaches than the other 32 combined. Peach season happens from May through September, according to California Dream Big.

Danny Lazzarini, who has been involved in the market for 15 years and now manages the Peach Jamboree, described how the market can be ever-changing.

“There used to be one farmers’ market a week in Oakland, and it used to be the Jack London Farmers’ Market,” she said, “and that was a really good market for us. Now that market is struggling because there is pretty much a farmers’ market every day of the week.”

Lazzarini expanded further how farmers invest in their produce.

“You have to factor in the gas. You have to factor in the stall fees. You have to factor in the staff.  You have to factor in the trucks. You have to have three times as much,” she said with a warm smile.

The livelihood of a peach farmer is extremely dependent on their growing season, with their lifestyle in constant flux based on how well their crops turn out. Peach farmers “have three months to make a livelihood for the rest of the year,” Lazzarini said, which creates a hectic daily life.

She described how farmers can have financial security one day, and overnight that security can be lost. The Berkeley Farmers’ Market provides an outlet for these farmers to sell their goods, providing security.

But despite the uncertain lifestyle and ever-changing market, these farmers would not want it any other way.

Gary Spivey, a long-time employee at a peach stand at the market, said he loves the interactions he has with the customers, and the fun he has with the business.

“I love it,” he said. “I love talking to people and handing out grapefruit. It’s a lot of fun.”