Rising Stars: Meet Jaime Burgos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime Burgos. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Jaime “Venum” Burgos isn’t your average B-boy and he’s certainly not your average mentor. Hailing from Tampa Florida, Jaime grew up in between the projects where narcotics, prostitution, and gangs lingered around most street corners. And while both his father and older brother got caught up in their surroundings, frequenting prison, Venum found his escape through movement and dance.

His journey began with climbing the neighborhood trees who introduced him to acrobatics, which led him to flipping on, off, or around anything that peeked his interest. From there it was thanks to The C & C Music Factory, Snow, and Snap who all helped provide the inspiration and the jams to gear him up for his journey as a professional performer.

By thirteen Venum won his first dance competition in New Jack Swing, A.K.A a style often associated with the M.C. Hammer and every other move you could possibly find in a Bobby Brown music video. But mastering the art of the “running man” was just the beginning of this soon-to-be legendary B-boy’s adventure.

If we fast forward to his early 20’s we’d see destiny doing its magic once more. Through a neighborhood friend, Venum became acquaintances with Benji, a seemly average guy, whom he found himself at a nightclub with. It was that fate-filled night when Benji stepped out onto the dance floor that changed Venum’s life forever; Benji turned out to be a phenomenal break dancer. Venum felt a whirlwind of emotions, but more importantly, it was as if time stood still and his purpose was finally revealed; he had to become a B-boy.

The next few years Venum spent all of his free time devouring the art of breaking, from documentaries to training under mentors, and eventually joining the world-renowned Skill Methodz crew, again via a chance meeting at a dance club. With a crew of equally devoted dancers and the grit of a lion, Venum set out to become the best with nothing more than the love he had to be great. By the way, if you ever have the chance to witness him in action, and we hope you do, the one thing you’ll notice is that he makes it look EASY! His precision, fluidity, explosive power, and ability to “sting” the competition is what earned him his B-boy name, Venum. P.S. In case it crossed your mind, no he didn’t give that name to himself. It is tradition in the breaking community to be given a name by others based on your style. According to Teknyc, Venum only seemed appropriate.

Venum went on to land his dream job a few short years later working at Universal Studios Orlando as a stunt person in Terminator and a dancer in G-Force and Street Breakz. He had done it! He made it! It was his first time leaving Tampa and he felt like he had it all: an eight-year contract, gaining global recognition in competitions around the world with Skill Methodz, and a framily (friends whom are your chosen family) within his B-boy community.

But once his contract expired it was time to face a big decision, does he stay in Florida in search of a new theme park gig or does he trust his gut and aim for something higher? With that question still up in the air, a trip to L.A. to visit some of his other crew members who’d taken the leap seemed reasonable. And in that short vacation Venum went to his very first commercial audition ever…and booked it! Okay Universe, sign received, bags packed, now it’s time to do the damn thing!

Having an unwavering faith that he had what it took paid off quickly. Within six months the dancer had joined the Screen Actors Guild and found himself dancing on screen for Step Up 3D, Honey 2, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, and many more. On stage Venum was fortunate enough to work alongside some of the greatest entertainers of our time: Janet Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Justin Bieber, Avril Levine…the list goes on. But this article isn’t a means to be braggadocios, more so to illustrate that no matter who you are or where you come from, taking chances and following your dreams will always find a way to reward you. Perhaps not in the way you expected, but sometimes it’s even better.

And, it’s because of all those successes that Venum’s overflowing heart led him to give back to his community. Thus giving birth to Free 2B Free, monthly workshops he provides to any student free of charge where they can learn and connect with others while dancing with the best DJs, live musicians, and special guest instructors. Why? Because he recalls the feeling of wanting nothing more than to join a dance class as a kid, but not being able to afford it. Venum feels that something as beautiful and enriching as dance should be accessible to everyone.

However, if you are that student that wants to take your career to the next level, you’ll want to dive in and train tenaciously. The best way to do that? Find a mentor who’s been around the world, walked the walk, and has both the love and patience for the students and the craft. Fortunately, Venum checks all those boxes. If you or someone you adore is breaking-curious, there’s no one better to help you grow than Venum. He’s truly done it all and is a wealth of knowledge, experience, and inspiration. The best part? You can be anywhere in the world and he’ll be happy to train with you via Skype despite any outlandish time differences. He’s that dedicated. But if you are in L.A., be sure to check out Free 2B Free or one of his in-person classes/online one-on-one coaching sessions. It’s an experience you definitely won’t regret!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
B-boy, movement specialist, mentor. All of the above should be answered within the first question I answered, as I filled it out as if it was an article in itself. However, I’ll add a little extra detail here:

Known for precision, explosive power, technique, dedication to the craft and emphasis on foundation with my students. As a mentor, I’m proud every time one of my students masters a move they’ve been working on and one day it just clicks. My goal as a mentor is to honor the breaking legacy by teaching the art as true to the original craft as possible while encouraging students to grow and innovate the art.

My experience alone sets me apart, but more than anything, my patience as a teacher and ability to articulate to my students how they can achieve success within each movement, as well as my eye for detail, and ability to pinpoint where an error might be occurring so that I can get the student back on track. You’d be amazed at how one small adjustment can make a world of a difference.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the diversity and meeting people from all walks of life. I love that L.A. is filled with passionate people from all over the world who came here to pursue the arts. To me, L.A. is an endless land of opportunities.

I also love that you can drive one hour in one direction and be in the snow, then drive an hour the other direction and be at the beach.

Dislike: The cost of living being so high and traffic.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.BreakMethodz.com
• Instagram: @venumskmz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spaa7shbkrA 

Image Credits
@reptank. Little Shao. Unikue Productions.