Dance
10 things you need to know about Angyil
Get to know genre-defying popper Angyil and find out how the multi-talented American dancer has flexed her skills in the ballet studio and on the streets.
Prolific popper Angela 'Angyil' McNeal knows the game better than most. She might be blazing a trail on the scene, but she had to kick down a lot of doors to get there. Now, she's using her fame and status to change things for the better.
"I want to make the world a better place through dance," says Angyil. "That probably sounds crazy to most people, but to me, it's never been just dancing. Dance gave me a voice and I want to use that to make a difference. Dance is the only way I can actively explain myself. There’s so much that needs to change in the world and by being in a position where I’m recognised more now, and by having a voice through my dance, I want to help do that."
Read on to discover some lesser known facts about the dancer who went from the ballet studio to the streets and made it to the top of the battle world.
01
Ballet was her first love
“Before I did popping, I went to Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts in Kansas City for middle school. All they had was classical dance styles so I studied ballet, jazz and modern.
"I moved to New York to dance professionally and do an internship at Alvin Ailey. It was an incredible opportunity, but I felt like I was lying to myself. I was tired of putting my hair in a bun, getting into a leotard and trying to be pretty all the time.”
3 min
Angyil's style
Meet American hip-hop dancer Angyil. She's felt moved to dance for as long as she can remember.
02
She carved her own lane
“I felt like my whole life was rough, rugged and kind of ugly. I felt like I wasn’t being completely honest or doing exactly what my soul wanted to do. There would be times when we had to do these really elegant movements in ballet, but I felt heavy. I wanted to be rough and rugged, like I said. So one day I said to myself: 'I’m gonna stop doing this and I’m gonna dance on the streets'. Because that’s what my soul wanted to do and it's where I wanted to be.
"When I moved to New York everybody seemed to have an idea about me and how my dancing should look. They would make suggestions like 'you would do well if you straightened your hair or looked this way'. I think other dancers might fall into that pressure, but because I met this crew of poppers, my family and I had a great support system, so I didn’t do that.
"I’ve created my lane for so long that now that those suggestions and that pressure is so far gone, it’s not even something to think about.”
Angyil stays in her own lane
© Carlo Cruz/Red Bull Content Pool
03
She kicked down doors so others could follow
"When I started popping there weren’t any females on the scene. I went to this guy who’s dancing that I really respected and asked him to teach me. He said no. He said: 'You can’t learn because you’re a woman'. It didn’t discourage me from continuing to dance, but it discouraged me from asking people for help. I’m self-taught and I’ve always stuck in my own bubble. It’s important to know how to push yourself on your own. I already had that discipline from ballet and I carry that with me inside and outside of dancing.
"It is very difficult being dominant in the scene. Because men are extremely intimidated and that’s frustrating. Thankfully, there’s definitely more female representation on the scene now and no one can ignore how strong our presence is. It feels good to be able to empower others to make that move and be empowered myself all over again.
"I feel like when women see other women who are strong and not sorry about it, and being who they are freely, that subconsciously gives them a right to do the same thing.”
04
She nearly got arrested for dancing
“I first saw this group who were dancing on the subway and the streets around New York. Immediately, my soul felt alive watching them. I knew this is what I wanted to do. Eventually, we were on the set of a music video together and I told them that I would love to practice with them. We met up, I kept training by myself and we became a crew.
"Soon I was performing with them and busking on the same subways, and yeah, I nearly got arrested for that. That wasn’t something I wanted to keep doing and I didn’t want to risk being behind bars every time I expressed myself and my artistic opinions. So that helped me make the decision to move on to other things, start performing internationally and move my dance from the street to new platforms.
"We are all still in touch to this day. Every time we jam together or do video chats it brings back so many memories. We’re a family now. We’ve watched each other grow and go through so much in our own fields. And through it all, we’ve always helped each other. It’s beautiful to be able to move through your career with people who you know have your back no matter what. I can’t stress that enough."
05
Her personality away from the dance floor often surprises people
“I’m always pushing myself to be the better version of me, to discover the new me. I know I’m capable of so much, so I’m still always finding a new way to artistically expose that to people and also myself.
"I think that people often try to figure me out. Maybe they figure that my personality outside doesn’t fit the way I dance. Like, this girl’s on fire when she dances but outside she’s pretty quiet and chill. I think people are just surprised that those two sides can exist in the same person and it catches them off guard. There have been many times in the past that people have mistaken me in videos that have been circulating because they don’t expect a female to be able to dance so aggressively.”
Angyil shares he dance knowledge in worldwide workshops
© Ali Bharmal / Red Bull Content Pool
06
She found happiness in salsa
“I’ve always been a fan of the music. I studied salsa in middle school at a Latin camp. They were teaching salsa, merengue, bachata and cha cha – so I learnt all the styles. I love movement and at first I was just happy to be learning another type, but once I started dancing and connecting with the music, I was filled with so much emotion and happiness that I was grateful to find another way to express myself. I still dance salsa now and will do it any chance I get. Actually, I’ve been asked to do a couple of competitions recently.
"I feel like I have to find the right partner first and I just haven’t had the time that I would want to devote to something like that. But I would definitely like too at some point. Learning different styles and working with different types of music has always allowed me to understand on a deeper level how connected each of them is."
The thing I’m the proudest of is that I kept my morals, integrity and my character
07
She likes to jump across multiple mediums
“I’ve been given some really cool opportunities and I don’t want to step away too much from dance, but I wanna get into acting next. Not only to learn more about myself, but to see how the two worlds can influence each other.
"I would really like to act and do something like Resident Evil, where I’m taking on different creatures and the way they move. My dream role would be something like the Matrix or something that’s super physically demanding, where I can do stunts and parkour… safely.
“I've wanted to get into parkour for a while and I did, but with my contract that’s not advised haha. I’d kind of forgot and I was doing some crazy things. My team was like: 'Angyil, you gotta be careful', so jumping across buildings and things like that are on hold for now.”
3 min
Kyoka and Angyil showcase at BBIC 2019
The two female Red Bull Dancers showed their skills in a mixed-style showcase at BBIC 2019 in South Korea.
08
She was born and bred on hip-hop
“Hip-hop’s been around me my whole life because it’s part of my culture. I was dancing hip-hop with my family at backyard BBQs and stuff like that. As far as professionally doing it, I would say I started in 2010. My mom is a hip-hop head. She always listened to Busta Rhymes, E-40, Scarface, Outkast and other old school rappers. So I grew up listening to a variety of different artists that my mom played around the house.
"Myself, I’ve been compared to Lauryn Hill many times. I don’t know about that, but her power, energy and presence have inspired me greatly. Especially because of her lyrics. Even though I was much younger, I could still relate to the passion that she had.
"When it came to popping what inspired me to move in that direction was that I loved the movements, but also the distorted sounds of the music. I love Zapp and Roger, that’s another thing that my mom would play all the time and Funkadelic and Parliament. So I really wanted to dance the way the music sounded. So when she would listen to music I would mimic the way I thought it should look.”
09
Her proudest achievement isn't a battle win
“The thing I’m the proudest of is that I kept my morals, integrity and my character. I feel like so many things could have changed me for the worse and I’m just grateful that it didn’t. And above all, that I’ve continued to be a good person in my field and elevated others.”
Angyil and MAiKA have a good time
© Tomislav Moze/Red Bull Content Pool
10
She believes in the power of positivity
“The biggest advice I could give is to be strong. There’s going to be a group of men or many men and women who are going to come against you. People might say things about your character, lie, try to stop your dreams just because they’re intimidated by your talent. So I would definitely say, 'don’t let the compliments distract you and don’t let the insults affect you'. Don’t give up for anyone. Don’t just train your body physically but train your mind as well and let your inner voice guide you.
"When you ask me what message I want to communicate through my dance, to pick just one is a bit difficult. But if I had to sum it up I would say that no matter what you go through or where you come from, don’t allow that to hold you back."
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