In the Spotlight: Richie "Natural" Greenfield

Richie Greenfield, also known as Natural Bboy, is a part of a well-known bboy crew, SickStep. Being one of the few founding members left in the dance crew, Richie has branched out of his field and into other areas of interest in the recent years. Despite the drastic change of going from a member of a respected crew to a lone artist, he always finds a way to to make ends meet and inspire those around him.

Personally, I was walking through the halls of my school when I recognized the familiar face of the bboy I watched dance on stages past. Oddly enough, he ended up in two of my four classes and, because the class sizes were rather small, I had the honor of meeting and working with him. Kind and friendly, he agreed to this interview.

TC: When did you get your start in dancing?

Richie: I first got into dancing as a kid. Watching Michael Jackson, mc hammer, vanilla ice, etc., and just mimicking their moves. When I was in junior high I was pretty short and most girls were taller than me, so anything I could do to make sure I still got some attention from girls I was open to. I skated, did theatre, and was my own goofy self. I would always go to school dances just cause I liked to dance and made a connection, girls like guys that can dance! Just another skill I thought I would work on to help my chances, hahaha. So I began to get into b-boying (break dancing). In high school it became more of just something to do to help my chances. I had falling in love with the whole culture and history of b-boying. I danced everyday during lunch with a group of people. We would perform, go to other schools and battle people and everyone knew me as the one white breaker in a group of Asians. After high school my passion for dance continued to grow as well as my want to perform. I went through a couple dance groups till a group of guys, that I had danced with in crews or met through the dance scene, we all met up and formed SickStep. With the goal in mind to just entertain the crowd and have fun doing what we love.

TC: How did that change as time went by? (When/what was the turning point of making the switch from dancing to filmmaking?)

Richie: As time went on my love for dance grew and grew. It's a huge part of my life and I will always be a b-boy/dancer. But as we grow up things get a little more difficult. You have to make a living and to do that you have to make money. The downfall to that is that some people get too engulfed in doing things for money and forget about the passion. This was pretty much the case with what happened with certain people in my crew. And through that it pushed me away from something I had built up with my sweat and blood. It was an extremely rough period in my life. I wasn't dancing, I was having financial problems, my girlfriend left me, I felt as if I had hit rock bottom. That the past 10 years was all a waste. It took me some time to get myself back together, and when I did I had to start doing things for myself instead of relying on others. That's when I decided to go back to school. And even better, go to film school since film was the one other passion I've had since I was a child.

TC: What are your interests in film?

Richie: I've always loved watching movies. I wanted to act and direct any way I could. In junior high and high school I would ask my teachers if I could make a video instead of writing essays all the time. So through that my friends and I would put together short films and sketches. When I was dancing a lot more I put my film aspirations aside, I had the mind set that I could only really focus on one thing, probably one of my greatest flaws. But I'm older now, and a little bit wiser so I am trying to accomplish as many goals as I can. But my main focus now is definitely becoming a well skilled director.

TC: How has your dance career helped with your film career?

Richie: Being a dancer I have been fortunate enough to work in the industry as talent. Being in front of the camera I would always have a great respect for people behind the camera, so I would be there and always try to do my best to make sure they got the shots they needed. It also gave me an understanding of how to direct talent, what directors would say or not say to me, how they would get me to pull out a certain performance that they were looking for. Which I can use when I am behind the camera.

TC: What are your goals in becoming a filmmaker?

Richie: As a filmmaker all I want to do is to make something that someone watches and for them to connect to it and make it memorable. I want to make quality work that just could be seen and for people to remember me by my work.

TC: How is your family's reactions/feelings on all your choices: becoming a dancer and now becoming a filmmaker?

Richie: I have been fortunate enough to have a lot of support in what I do form family and friends. The support has changed a little, as I've gotten older of course, but in a good way. Mostly around the areas of 'do what you love, but make sure you can survive'. And as of right now I feel that I am on that path to make my family and friends proud of me, and to make myself proud of what I'm doing.

TC: How has filmmaking changed your life? (for the better?)

Richie: Through everything I have been through, filmmaking has been extremely therapeutic to me. I've learned to take what I've gone through, good or bad, and just write about it. With that, I can take my experiences and use them as inspiration in my films. Hopefully I can make something that touches someone's heart, teaches them an important lesson, make them laugh when they really need a pick me up, or to help them escape for a moment the things they are going through. If I can accomplish any of that, then what I have gone through was worth it.

TC: Who do you look up to and why? (filmmakers? dancers?)

Richie: I definitely look up to my mom. She's gone through a lot and yet she still was able to take care of 2 siblings and myself with a smile on her face. As far as dancers or filmmakers, there are so many. Anyone that does what they love with a passion, that doesn't conform and makes something that is outside the box and isn't scared to try.

TC: How has the change from dancing in a team to filmmaking on your own been on you, emotionally?

Richie: The transition form working with my crew in dance to myself becoming a filmmaker has been a little rough. And I think that's mostly just because I don't always have people to help me. Usually I am the writer, director, grip, cinematographer, and actor... I have been a one-man studio. It gets a little frustrating at times, but at the same time I have to push through and keep moving forward. As I do that I think people will see how passionate I am and will come. Time will tell.

TC: What can we hope to see from you in the near future? (types of shows, movies, etc.)

Richie: In the near future you will be seeing a lot form me. I've been training again in dance and plan on making a come back to the stage. I am continuing to write and will be pushing myself to film more and more, especially working on my goal of finishing film school and my thesis film. Also I am planning on bringing back my clothing line that I had started with my ex-girlfriend. But this time it will just be me and I will have complete control over it and won't let myself be held back. Not just in the clothing line, but in dance and film as well.

To contact or collaborate with Richie, send him a message through his Myspace or Facebook Page. In the upcoming years, Richie will continue his education a a filmmaker and work on many side projects, including the revival of Shizen Clothing Comapny.