Inktober 2018 - Dancer

Inktober 18 - Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez is a Nyorican (New Yorker + Boricua) from Brooklyn. She started her creative journey as a dancer in the clubs of NYC who was known for getting down to hip hop, house, etc. The first time I saw her was in the film Do The Right Thing, then followed her career as an actress. She has been an actress lending her voice and physical performance in over 60 films, documentaries, and TV shows. Because she is such an amazing dancer she also worked as one of the Soul Train dancers, and has done choreography for Heavy D, Bobby Brown, LL Cool J, Diana Ross, and Broadway. And now she's an author and a director who has written about her experience, mental health, and has been an advocate for Puerto Ricans. This is Rosie from the famous opening credits of.....you remember that movie?

Source: Sway in the morning, Various films, Wikipedia

Want this original drawing? $60 or Print? $20 (includes shipping)  
Got an idea for an org to donate 30% cost to? Email me info@robdontstop.com

Character 122 - Cyclops

I love the Xmen since I saw the cartoon as a kid! This is my version of Cyclops as a young woman of color who dances when Professor X is not looking :).

Dig this? Check out this collage of characters from the same year

Character 118 - Antoine Dancer

Antoine Hunter! Founder of Urban Jazz Dance and Bay Area Int'l Deaf Dance Fest!

Kindred Journey 21 - Mary "Butchie" Tom

Mary was born in Phoenix Arizona from Chinese immigrant parents. She came from a family who worked in and owned grocery stores in Arizona as many immigrants owned and worked in stores. Frustrated with the racism she experienced in Phoenix and her choices for work she took a bus to China Town in San Francisco. She first started working as a housekeeper cleaning when she got there and around 1940 she heard about a job opportunity to be a dancer in a Chinese owned nightclub to be opened called "Forbidden City" (the first Chinese owned nightclub) after the city of the same name in Beijing. She started out learning to dance using choreography and became one of many prominent dancers in the Chinese nightlife scene which was visited by all types of people during the start of World War 2. Mary married and moved back to Arizona where she continued to dance; square dancing!

Sources: Oral history-Chinese history of Arizona, Classic ladies of color

Dig this? Check out this post about Raveena (Aapi) or Rosie Perez (Boricua)