Stay Still Collective: Here, Now

Stay Still Never Stands Still

INTERVIEW BY: EMILY ARAUZA

JUNE 11th, 2026

Stay Still Collective began with breaking, but as this conversation reveals, it has become something much larger. What started as a dance crew has grown into a community of artists, musicians, designers, and creatives connected by a shared foundation in hip-hop culture. Rather than chasing recognition or defining themselves by achievements alone, the collective continues to build through friendship, trust, and a commitment to helping one another grow.

Over the course of this interview, members of Stay Still Collective reflect on the moments that shaped their identity, the influence they have on one another, and what success truly means to them. Together, their responses paint a portrait of a collective that values authenticity over image, family over competition, and creative expression as a lifelong journey rather than a destination.

James Rogers: “Stay still is basically two sides of one coin stay still the crew and then they’re Stay Still Collective. Stay Still Collective is what we’re doing outside of just our breaking. Some of us are doing music. Some of us are making clothes, some of us are designing, some of us are into music a lot. I was doing music, you know, and this is just a way for us all to conglomerate our extra talent and just help each other grow yeah that’s why I think about it. Working hard together and making memories.”

Emily Arauza: “So if Stay Still Collective is bigger than just breaking, when did you realize it was becoming something more than a dance crew? Was there a specific moment, project, or conversation where you thought, ‘we could build something bigger than this?’”

Austin Alvarado and Juan Obregon: “It started as a dance crew, but when I found myself surrounded by other elements of the culture outside of dance and realized that people from the community were showing up to support (for example our first pop-up, September 2024) that’s when I realized this was bigger than just dance. All the avenues we’ve hit have always been a part of hip-hop culture, we’re just continuing to add on as an extension to who we are.”

EA: “Thank you guys, that actually helps paint a much clearer picture of what Stay Still Collective is. I really like what Austin and Juan said about realizing it was bigger than dance once people from the community started showing up and supporting what you were building. The fact that it grew from breaking into music, fashion, design, and other creative outlets while still staying rooted in hip-hop culture is really interesting. Since hip-hop culture seems to be the foundation of everything you do, how do you make sure that expansion into different creative lanes still feels authentic to who Stay Still is at its core? Has there ever been a project, event, or moment where you felt like the collective truly represented everything you stand for?”

Ethan Lee: “So pretty much we were born into the breaking culture. We’ve all been breaking maybe 10+ years and with that, breaking is deeply rooted within hip-hop already. It’s not like we are representatives but it’s a byproduct because we do this every day. We practice, we train, we learn more about hip-hop. We listen to the music and we got people who write, which is like graffiti, we got people who like to design, we create the music too. It all derives from our breaking experience.”

JO: “For me, since the group is so young we are still figuring out who we are. Every event we are a part of we are finding out more about who we want to be and how we want to be represented. I think the event that we will feel most at home for me has yet to come but I am excited for it.”

EA: “Thank you both for sharing that. I think it’s interesting that Ethan describes everything as growing naturally out of breaking rather than feeling like separate creative pursuits. The way you explained it, breaking isn’t just one thing you do, it’s the foundation that connects the music, design, art, and everything else. I also appreciate Juan’s perspective because it sounds like Stay Still Collective is still evolving in real time. A lot of groups try to have everything figured out from the start, but it seems like you’re learning more about who you are through each event and experience. That actually makes me curious: since everyone seems to come from different creative backgrounds and brings something different to the table, what is something another member of the collective has taught you or inspired you to pursue that you might not have explored on your own?”

Steven Bui: “I think for me I wouldn’t be doing any of the creative endeavors that I’m doing right now without my brothers and sisters that are right behind me. I’ve always believed that “if you go alone you’ll make it fast but if you go together, the journey will be even further.” The core of what we do has always been about love for one another as if we are family, even if we aren’t blood related. Each and every one of us inspires each other to be better than who we were the day before. Every avenue we hit within the name of Stay Still will always be shared amongst each other. Whatever we decide to move forward with we decide to move with the intention of love and wanting each other to thrive together.”

Dre: “Within all the art forms we do, I believe each person is their own individual with their own philosophy and approach. Whether that’s breaking, painting, clothes, etc. Even through the art forms that we share together, like breaking, each member has their own approach and perspective. Because of that, everyone has pushed me out of my own perspective and gave me a glimpse of theirs. We help each other by suggesting different angles. To be specific, when I would feel stuck or frustrated with my breaking, Juan and Ethan have played a big part in grounding me. That would be just one of many examples.”

EA: “Thank you both for sharing that. Steven, I think what stands out to me is how often the idea of family comes up throughout these responses. A lot of collectives are built around a shared interest, but it sounds like Stay Still is built around genuine relationships first, and the creative work grows from that foundation. The idea of moving with love and wanting everyone around you to thrive together is something that’s come up repeatedly, and it’s interesting to see how central that is to the group’s identity. Dre, I also really like your perspective because it highlights how individuality and community can exist at the same time. Even though everyone shares certain art forms, each person approaches them differently, and it sounds like those different perspectives challenge one another to grow. The example you gave about Juan and Ethan helping ground you when you felt stuck makes it feel less like a collective and more like a support system. That makes me curious about something. If someone were to spend a week around Stay Still Collective, what do you think would surprise them most? What’s something about the group’s culture, friendships, or day-to-day dynamic that people wouldn’t understand just from seeing the art, events, or social media?”

Bruno: “I feel like the question is hard to answer. I’d say that we are just like any other close friend group, we laugh at each other, joke around together, hang out and make memories. Maybe something that could surprise people is that us being so young we have pretty good conflict resolution in which we talk and air out things and what’s bothering us.”

Jocelyn: “As a whole, they have taught me that showing up and being present means a lot. There are times everyone has to tend to their own matters, regardless we know to come back home. We also know to come back because that is simply the same page we are on with loving dance and our community. Overall showing up is important, it shows support, respect and camaraderie/love. Hanging out with everyone as a group I think an outsider would be most surprised by the actual variety of personalities. Everyone has strengths, a unique way of viewing life, concepts and art that can be passed on to one another verbally or just through spending time together.”

EA: “Thank you both for sharing that. Bruno, I actually think your answer says a lot about the group. The fact that you describe Stay Still as a close friend group first and a collective second is something that’s come up throughout this interview. What stood out to me most was your point about conflict resolution. A lot of people assume creative groups only work when everyone agrees, but being able to communicate through disagreements and still move forward together is probably a big reason why the collective has lasted. Jocelyn, I really appreciate your perspective as well. The idea of “coming back home” is a powerful way to describe a community. What stood out to me was your emphasis on showing up. Whether it’s dance, events, or supporting one another through life, it sounds like being present for each other is one of the values that holds everything together. Something I’ve noticed throughout all of these responses is that nobody has really talked about achievements, numbers, or success. Almost every answer comes back to community, family, support, and growth. That makes me curious: as Stay Still continues to grow, what does success actually look like to you? Is it bigger events, more recognition, expanding creatively, or is success something entirely different for the collective?”

J: “I believe the success as a collective is going to be a combination of things that the individuals see in their own future. For me, success is growing our personal breaking style and expanding our minds by traveling and trying new things. Overall I hope we create a safe space where we continue to be authentic with our self-expression and reach goals along our own paths.”

SB: “I do believe success will always be different for everyone, but I also believe that’s what’s so beautiful about what we do and how we maneuver as a collective. For me, success has never looked like more money, more recognition, more wins in competitions, etc. etc. It never meant any of that. I think I am living in my success right now because I get to do it with my loved ones however way, shape, or form it may take. It’s the people that you surround yourself with that truly make it feel like it was all worth it, you know. I believe a lot of collectives or groups or teams even aren’t really as close as people may think. It kind of feels like a business transaction and everyone just gets a percentage of whatever it is maybe, but it’s never been about that for me or, to be honest, the collective. I believe just knowing that all of us are alive, breathing, healthy has always been the number one success before anything else because all the surface level things like more recognition, bigger events are already coming to us. This year alone we’ve been invited out to headline the New York Fashion Week festival in September. We’ve been invited to two national competitions already. The guys are still pursuing music so heavily and passionately as well, and on top of that, we’re throwing our first ever Stay Still market this summer and altogether breaking is the center of it all because it’s keeping us together. To have this solid foundation of a family is success in my eyes, and I am here to continue living that truth amongst the people behind me. No matter what we do we’ll go together.”

JO: “I don’t think we have a single established goal of what it would mean for the crew to succeed. We all have our own lives to tend to while making time to push each other forward in our creative pursuits. Breaking is my main focus within the group so if I had to judge success, it would come down to competing on the highest level all around the world.”