ON THE STAGE | JASMINE "JB" BADIE

When it comes to watching your favorite entertainer, there are so many components that come together to bring their songs, performance, and personalities to life. Choreography is a major component! We sat down with Jasmine “JB” Badie who has worked with Sabrina Carpenter, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Megan Thee Stallion to name a few!

We sat down with this noted Creative Director and Choreographer to find out about how she got into the industry, the importance of movement, her creative process, and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you enjoyed dance and movement?

JASMINE BADIE: I don’t know if there was one exact moment where I realized it. I think I understood the feeling before I understood what I could actually do with it. Music would make me see things — a certain sound could give me an idea, a character, an attitude, a whole visual. Movement eventually became the way I could get those ideas out of my head and make them real.

What’s funny is that I didn’t start out feeling like the strongest dancer in the room. I actually struggled a lot when I first started training. So my relationship with movement wasn’t built from, “Oh, I’m naturally great at this.” I had to find my own confidence in it, and I think that journey is a big part of why I create the way I do now.

AM: At what point did you realize that you wanted to be a choreographer and what do you love about doing it?

JB: I think I realized I had more to offer as a creator when the opportunity just kept knocking at my door. Eventually, I decided to walk in.

I’ve always believed you should wear as many hats as you can, get as much experience as you can and learn everything possible in the field you’re passionate about. Sometimes you’re so focused on one dream coming true that you don’t realize you’re also watering these other inspirations you never even knew you had.

That’s what happened for me. Dance opened the door, but through dancing I was learning so much more — about music, artists, performance, staging, storytelling and eventually what I wanted to create. Choreography became another way for me to use everything I had been picking up along the way.

What I love now is being able to see an idea become something real. Something can start in my head or in a rehearsal room and eventually end up on an arena stage, in a music video, or become a moment people want to recreate themselves. That’s still really special to me.

AM: Can you tell me where you trained and how you would define your style?

JB: My training was a little unconventional. I didn’t grow up in a studio training from the time I was three years old. When I started taking classes, I was actually SUPER insecure. Remembering choreography was hard for me and I would get in my own head about how I looked or what everybody else in the room might be thinking.

Once I moved to LA, I took as many classes as I could from different teachers and went to conventions like Monsters of Hip Hop. I wanted to learn, but eventually I realized part of my training had nothing to do with learning another step. It was learning to trust myself. Once I stopped looking around the room for validation, I realized, “Oh wait, I’m a performer.”

I don’t know that I would define my style by one genre. I think you can definitely feel where I’m from in my movement — Atlanta is always going to be in me — but I’m much more interested in how something feels. I like personality. I like groove. I like a little sauce. And I want the person doing my choreography to still look like themselves.

I also feel like if you have the ear for music and genuinely love the art form, you can do any style you put your mind to. For me, it’s less about putting yourself in a box and more about understanding the music, continuing to learn and being willing to stretch yourself creatively.

AM: Who have been some of the people that you have worked with?

JB: Whew! I’ve been blessed. Between my career as a dancer and my work as a choreographer and creative, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some incredible artists — Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, Pharrell and N.E.R.D., Megan Thee Stallion, Ariana Grande, Missy Elliott, Cardi B, Tate McRae, Victoria Monét, Rihanna and so many others. The list really makes me stop sometimes and say, “Girl… look at your life.” LOL.

And I’ve been fortunate to experience this industry from different sides of the room. Being a dancer first gave me an education that I still use as a choreographer today. Working with so many different kinds of artists also taught me very quickly that there isn’t one formula for being great. I think all of those experiences helped shape the creator I eventually became.

AM: You are a creative director, choreographer, and creative architect behind Sabrina Carpenter’s most talked about performances. How did you connect with her and when you are working with someone, what is your creative process when it comes to bringing your visions to life?

JB: Sabrina and I started working together when I was hired to choreograph Fast Times. We started rehearsing in October 2021, and honestly, it was kismet from there.

We clicked FAST. We’re both Tauruses, so it was very much, “Ohhhh, you get it, get it, got it!” LOL. And she has the same birthday as my sister, which I’ve always found so special. There were just these little connections from the beginning. But beyond that, I saw soooo much for her. I saw possibility. I saw where we could go creatively, and thankfully she trusted me enough to go there with her.

My process now is very instinctual, but it’s also incredibly detailed. I pay attention to the person in front of me. I want to know what makes them comfortable, what makes them uncomfortable, what they naturally do well and what we can pull out of them that maybe they haven’t seen yet.

I’m also a HUGE movie buff, especially old films. I’m obsessed with raw cinematography — when something can be captured so artistically and delicately and then you pair that with good writing? Ugh, it fills me up. I think that naturally affects the way I create. I’m not just thinking about an eight-count. I’m thinking about what you’re seeing, what you’re feeling and what the whole picture is saying.

AM: How do you approach working with someone for a music video, a multi city tour, or an intimate performance?

JB: I think the biggest difference is understanding what each space is asking from you.

With a music video, I have the luxury of the camera. I can make something really small feel huge because I know exactly what you’re going to see. We can do another take. We can change an angle. We can catch that ONE little moment perfectly.

A tour is completely different because whatever we create has to survive. LOL. This person has to do it over and over again, sometimes for months. So now I’m thinking about the whole journey — where we’re giving energy, where we’re conserving it, what happens between songs, how the artist feels physically and whether the person in the very back of the arena is still getting a show.

And intimate performances are fun because you can let people come to you. You don’t always have to yell creatively. Sometimes a whisper is enough.

That’s really the challenge I love: figuring out how big or how small something needs to be without losing its impact.

AM: How important is fitness, endurance, strength, mobility, coordination, and recovery of the body when it comes to preparing women’s bodies for these incredible performances?

JB: EXTREMELY important. LOL.

What people see is the final two or three hours onstage. They don’t see everything the body has already done to get there.

Especially for women, we’re asking the body to do A LOT. Sing, dance, remember choreography, breathe correctly, run around a stage, sometimes do it in heels, change clothes in two minutes and then walk back out like none of that just happened. That’s an athlete to me.

So I don’t look at conditioning as separate from the performance. It is part of the performance. I want to know that when the lights come on, your body already understands the assignment. And recovery has to be respected just as much as training. You can’t constantly ask your body to give without giving something back to it.

AM: Where do you start when it comes to building a dance routine especially one that becomes a storytelling element to an entertainer’s arc that we can enjoy on stage?

JB: I usually sit with the song before I decide what it needs.

I want to know what catches me without forcing myself to find it. Sometimes it’s a lyric. Sometimes it’s something way underneath the track. Sometimes it’s literally a pause. And sometimes the thing that makes the most sense is not dancing at all.

Then I start asking myself what we haven’t seen yet. If we’re three songs into a show and I’ve already given you BIG, BIG, BIG, maybe the next moment needs to pull you in instead. I think choreography becomes storytelling when you stop treating every song like its own little island. Especially in a full show, I want one moment to lead you into the next. By the end, hopefully you didn’t just watch a bunch of dances — you went somewhere with us.

AM: As you have worked with so many people as well as creating iconic moments and dances from Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Megan Thee Stallion, Missy Elliott, Tate McRae, and Pharrell Williams to name a few — what are 3 performances that you are most proud of being part of?

JB: Oh this is MEAN. LOL. There are so many.

But right now, I would say Short n’ Sweet Tour first. Choreographing a sold-out arena tour is something I’m incredibly proud of. The amount of work and detail that goes into creating an entire show is completely different from creating one performance. Watching all of those pieces finally live together in front of thousands of people every night was very special.

Manchild would absolutely be another one. You create something in a room and hope people connect with it, but you can’t manufacture what happens after you let it go. Watching that dance go viral and then seeing it make its way into Fortnite was WILD. LOL. That’s when you realize something you made has officially left the room and belongs to everybody now.

And Sabrina’s Headlong performance at Coachella 2026. I’m just really proud of what we created there. Coachella gives you this huge canvas, and being able to create on that scale while still finding moments that felt specific was exciting.

And listen, I know you said three, but the BRIT Awards is getting an honorable mention because I LOVE that performance. LOL.

AM: How do you keep your body at its peak when it comes to being able to have the physical and mental resources needed to work with your clients?

JB: I play tennis whenever I can. I like that it gets my heart rate up without me standing on a treadmill staring at a wall thinking, “When is this OVER?” LOL. I’m competitive too, so give me a racket and now suddenly cardio is fun.

I also weight train with my trainer Oscar Cayetano. Strength has become really important to me because my work is physical even when I’m not the one performing. I can be on my feet for hours, demonstrating, rehearsing, traveling and then waking up to do it again.

Mentally, I’m still learning balance. I can get VERY locked into the work. So for me, taking care of myself sometimes means remembering that I am a human being outside of whatever I’m creating. Rest, getting quiet, playing tennis, watching a great movie — those things refill me too.

AM: What are 3 workouts that you do that we should consider placing in our fitness routines?

JB: I’m definitely a strength-training girl. I work my legs a lot because I need them! LOL. Squats are always in the mix.

I also focus on my arms and back. Push-ups are simple, but you feel them and you don’t need a bunch of equipment to do them.

And then core. Crunches, core work — all of it. I think having a strong center helps everything else, especially when your day requires you to be on your feet and moving as much as mine does.

So if we’re keeping it simple: squats, push-ups and crunches. You can do all three almost anywhere, so no excuses. LOL.

AM: How can choreography be a form of athletic training as well as building confidence?

JB: Anybody who thinks choreography isn’t athletic should come do a full-out rehearsal and then we’ll talk. LOL.

You’re using your entire body while your brain is doing ten things at once. You’re remembering movement, listening to music, thinking about timing, spacing, the people around you, your breath and what comes next. Then somebody says, “Again!”

But I think movement can do something even bigger for your confidence.

I know that personally because I wasn’t always confident in class. I used to worry so much about forgetting the steps or what somebody else thought about how I looked doing them. Eventually I realized I was giving everybody in the room more power over me than I was giving myself. When I stopped doing that, I found the performer in me.

SO yes, choreography trains the body, but learning to move without constantly judging yourself can train something else too. You start trusting yourself. And that confidence doesn’t have to stay in the dance studio.

IG @mssjb

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 90, 94, 100 Tommy Flannagan | PG 91, 97 Mason Rose | PG 98 COURTESY Jasmine Badie

Read the SEP ISSUE #129 of Athleisure Mag and see ON THE STAGE | Jasmine “JB” Badie in mag.

FOLLOWING HARRY

We enjoy a great documentary that allows us to immerse ourselves into a story where we even get to know more than what we assumed! We just watched Following Harry which focuses on the life of Harry Belafonte who in addition to being a phenomenal entertainer, he also had a passion for Civil Rights. He not only had an interest in organizing, but he also wanted those who were engaged in the work to think bigger about the impact that they were making. Although he passed away in 2023, this documentary looks at the last 12 years of his life. We had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with Emmy nominated Director, Susanne Rostock to find out more about the film, her work with Harry, and what the takeaway should be in watching this film which will be available on a number of streamed platforms such as Apple TV.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into following Harry, what is it about storytelling that you enjoy and what topics are you drawn to?

SUSANNE ROSTOCK: Well, what I enjoy about storytelling is essentially a beautiful way for us to connect as humans. You know, it allows you to share intimacy and secrets and to really understand each other better. So I think storytelling is such a gorgeous way to do that. When I started out in film, I was actually in anthropology and doing ethnographic filmmaking, which is storytelling from around the world, hearing the stories of other cultures and how amazing people are and how they choose to live and how they choose to relate to each other and rear their children and eat their food and dress, you know. Just such a gorgeous way to connect. The topics I'm most interested in are humanity, you know, stories about healing and love. And, you know, I work on a lot of films that deal with horrendous injustice, but there's always light and hope in there because there are these beautiful people who fight and, you know, what we do, how we choose to live. and live justly and fairly, and as Harry says in the film, and enjoy the universe. How do we enjoy each other and life?

So those are the films I'm interested in, which is pretty broad.

AM: This wasn't the first time, obviously, that you've worked with Harry. You know, what did you enjoy about working with him?

SR: Well, first of all, I never, ever thought in my life that I would get to even meet Harry Belafonte, let alone be allowed into his life the way he allowed me in. So what I enjoyed was... know, his wisdom, his passion, the way he lives his life, witnessing somebody, you know, I'm not a young person, but he was considerably older than me even when we first met. He's always been older than me. The way he even approaches aging and what you do with your life.

So I appreciated his choices, witnessing how he chose to live his life and the love, the love that he shared, the generosity. of him, of Harry, the generosity of him and the purity of his soul and really, really wanting to do good. I just appreciated being in that realm. Plus, he was just a great guy. He was fun. You know, we would dance. He was, you know, I told him that I took tap when I was a kid. At the end of each day, he'd come into my side of the office because he invited me to share an office with him after I met him. first film yeah yeah after I made the first film he invited me he was moving into a new office he said move in with me so I moved into this big loft and then he invited Carmen Perez in with the gathering for justice which he had started how he had started and she became the head of and so but he would come at the end of each day to my my side of the office and sit down and talk.

Harry was a real guy. He was a real person. And he owned up to anything. You know, he didn't feel that he had the absolute word on anything. He just shared his wisdom and listened. He listened to what other people had to say. You can see that in the film, how it brought all these young people in and listened to them and wanted to just help them not reinvent the wheel every time. Every time there's a movement and a crisis, but let's learn from the past and build for the future.

AM: This film covers the last 12 years of his life and it is about his activism. It also looks at how he took on these projects, how he infused the thoughts of other people, and made them think larger about what they were doing. Throughout the doc, we’re reminded about 2 parallels I'm constantly drawn to is that you're the participants of history that understands that things are happening and then reminding people that everything in history repeats again whether it's by an era, a decade, or even a location. How did you tackle all of these topics in just an hour and a half of the film?

SR: Well, there were so many more topics that I had to leave out because, I didn't want to short change anything. It was a real challenge because there's so much more depth to each story. Yet, I didn't want it to feel glossed over and fragmented. So I'm glad that it worked for you. I'm very glad, you know, because it was a challenge. People's attention span is not great these days, so I didn't want to make it an epic length.

Although, you know, I did have a much, much longer version. I'm sad about what I had to leave out. You'll never know, I hope someday that the footage will be repurposed and used because it's so important and this film is so powerful. You can sit for 90 minutes and you can have a real-life experience that changes your whole worldview. So instead of having to talk and talk and talk at people - you are able to watch something and then they can decide for themselves for what they will take it in. They will take it into their bodies. They'll feel it. They'll live it. Then they come to a real understanding rather than just words - words are very valuable, but the film is so powerful. I wanted to be sure that I hit the points that spoke to the period that I was making the film in. Now, of course, I worked on that film for a long time, so the periods kept on changing and got worse. So when Angela Davis stands up there and says, “you have to vote now because you have no idea what will happen.” Now is the time that we wanted to make sure that we got this out in the world. And, you know, now I'm hoping that the film can continue to influence others which is why we are releasing it now.

We feel it's very important for young people and all people to see this and be reminded of our own power and what happens if you don't use it for good. I think will be a continued reminder, just like when you watch films about the civil rights movement, a reminder of our power and the power of love and the power of demonstrating peaceful activism and the need to continue to fight. So that's my spiel.

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9PLAYLIST | GREEN DAY

PHOTO CREDIT | Alex Baxley

PHOTO CREDIT | Alice Baxley

PHOTO CREDIT | Emmie America

Read the SEP ISSUE #129 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Green Day in mag.

9PLAYLIST | JAŸ-Z

Read the SEP ISSUE #129 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | JAŸ-Z in mag.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY OPEN 2026

This month, the world of action sports had their eye on the 3rd Annual Rockstar Energy Open which is a 3-day annual skateboarding competition and music festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon. Over the days of this festival, attendees enjoyed skateboarding contests, live music, and the festival village which included art installations, interactive sponsor setups, and local food trucks.

We sat down to talk with some of the athletes that participated this year which includes: 2X RSEO and 6X X Games Medalist Braden Hoban, 2X RSEO and X Games Bronze Medalist Lazer Crawford, X Games Medalist and Team USA Olympian Paige Heyn, RSEO Bronze Medalist and 2X Team USA Olympian and 2X X Games Bronze Medalist Bryce Wettstein, Team USA Olympian and RSEO Gold and 4X X Games Medalist Chris Joslin, and RSEO Silver and 2X Team Australia Gold and 6X X Games Medalist Keegan Palmer. We talked about their style of skateboarding, how they train, what they were looking forward to with the games, and more.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to skateboarding and when did you realize you wanted to do it as a pro?

BRADEN HOBAN: What drew me to skating is watching my neighbor skate his half pipe when I was 4 years old. I was obsessed instantly.

LAZER CRAWFORD: I guess I grew up around it cuz my dad was a skater and so were my two older brothers but I remember the day I decided I wanted to skate, X Games was playing on the tv and I went into our garage and grabbed my brothers board and that set it all off.

PAIGE HEYN: My uncle gave me a skateboard when I was younger and I would always kinda mess around on it but when I did my first skate lesson at 8 years old I fell in love and knew I wanted to skate forever after that.

BRYCE WETTSTEIN: My dad introduced me to it. It was fun to be able to see it from his perspective and as I got older, I fell in love with it on my own. There were challenges which are a blessing now, but at age 13, 14, 15, I began to fall in love with it even more. It also helped me love music and my other sports more – like surfing and volleyball.

I love the intimacy and focus you have when you’re skateboarding and how beautiful it is. The passion, grit, beauty and love to create real moments with real friends and family. How to navigate ups and downs, have perseverance. Sometimes you over complicate it and sometimes you don’t over complicate it – and that’s what makes it simply beautiful.

CHRIS JOSLIN: I always loved the freedom skateboarding allowed. No coach, no rules just you and the board.

KEEGAN PALMER: Something that got me really excited while I was a kid was seeing all the pros coming out to skate in Australia. They were really motivating because they showed me that I could make a career out of something I loved and something that was so exciting to me.

AM: For those that compete in street, what do you enjoy about this?

BH: The art of street skateboarding is what I enjoy, so being able to skate contests is great because it gets you sharp for street skating.

LC: Street contests are cool there fun when you can land your tricks haha but at the end of the day I’m a street skater and that’s what makes me happy.

PH: I love all the girls, they’re my best friends.

CJ: I enjoy the fact that skateboarding has taken me all over the world and seen amazing places while getting to ride my skateboard and have fun.

AM: What do you enjoy about competing in park?

BW: I love figuring out the bowl. It’s like a puzzle. You have to intermingle with people in a cohesive environment, like an island. It feels casual yet there’s something brewing and we share our love for skateboarding. After going to the same spot, people see you grow up over a long time and we are all around each other’s progression over time. Your mind is constantly figuring it out new lines for tricks, figuring out rhythm and cadence of the ramp. It’s a surprise to skate the course every time, it’s never the same. The process resembles life - soaring and over coping, having fun, enough for flow state and push past boundaries and not over thinking too hard. Always feels familiar but there’s always room for growth.

KP: Something that really excites me about competing is the nervous feelings I get in the mornings before a contest, and even while I’m at the contest. Going through the process of overcoming those feelings or using them to skate my best is really rewarding for me. I also love that I’m always battling against my homies - we all want to see each other do good but we all want to win as well so that friendly competition gets me motivated to skate my best at any competition. For park specifically, I’ve always been more drawn to the airs and spin tricks versus something like jumping down a stair set in a street contest.

AM: What is an average week like when you are training for upcoming competitions?

BH: As of now, I don’t really workout other than just staying on my board as much as I can. Skating skateparks during the week is essentially working out for the contests.

LC: Honestly, it’s always different I’m usually just out filming with my friends not necessarily training at all. Probably should though.

PH: I’m skating about everyday and taking care of my body and definitely trying to have fun with it all along the way!

BW: The training schedule is what feels right. Nurture your soul so you can be open as can be when you’re skating. As I get older, it’s more about my mindset but also about my physical well being. Treat my body right, go to the gym at Nakoa and have a nutrient dense diet - treating it all more serious with a Fun and serious blend. I am more receptive to people around me when I feel distracted. It’s my fresh take and perspective on skateboarding.

When not competing, I do two sessions per day, I skate about 2-3 hours a day and after X Games, it has made me want to skate more but maybe not quite as intensive.

It’s broken out into 2 hours in the morning and 1 hour in the evening. I squeeze in surfing a lot and I’m also trying to prepare for the upcoming Super Girl Pro, and my music. Sometimes I play two gigs a day. Music is healing. Skate, surf and music is like a deep dive in my soul – updating the new me!

When prepping for comp - I skate 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. I do quality training sessions for the first part and the second part in the evening is fun skate. More cruising and soul skating, which is fun. I find joy and recharge for the second sessions after my morning ones.

CJ: I would say an average week of getting ready for upcoming contests would contain 3/4 skate sessions along with multiple stretch/mobility sessions a day.

KP: During the average week before a contest, I always make sure I’m not overworking my body and draining myself too much. So I usually skate for about an hour a day. I’ll hit the gym and do some PT around 3 times a week depending on how my body is feeling.

AM: What workouts do you do to optimize yourself in the sport?

BH: I think skating as much as you can so that you can be comfortable on your board.

LC: I just try to stay on my board as much as possible.

PH: I do a lot of yoga in the morning and at night.

BW: For my workouts at Nakoa, I do everything from plyometrics, lounges, squats, weights, cardio, stretch….just all around training. It’s important to be consistent. I eat avocado toast, eggs, Caesar Salad, broccoli, apples, bananas, oranges and pasta with olive oil!

CJ: A lot of single leg stability stuff to help with balance.

KP: My favorite way to work out off the board is by surfing and golfing. Surfing is so relaxing and nice and it always feels really great to be in the water while getting in a good workout. Golf is peaceful and quiet and I really enjoy being able to use golf as a way to stay outside and move my body while learning a sport without the risk of any injury.

AM: Bryce, you are a 2X Olympian. What does it mean to you to be able to represent your country and sport on such a global stage?

BW: It means everything. It feels like an even bigger chance to connect with the world and myself. The chance to be on a big stage and perform feels bigger than me. It’s a combination of having a lot of courage, inspiring others to have courage because when they have it, they have that strength too. Skating in the Olympics feels like another day in my life…like a treat, joyful, something worn on me not just for me but a chance to share my gift with people. Inspiring people is something I feel more of a blessing and something we can all do. I try not to put that pressure on myself because wherever you are, you’re meant to be. All the emotions. I love talking about this, oh my gosh.

AM: Chris, as an Olympian. What does it mean to you to be able to represent your country and sport on such a global stage?

CJ: The feeling of getting to go to the Olympics and compete for America is still so surreal to me and I’m not sure if that will ever change haha.

AM: Keegan, you are a 2X Gold Medalist Olympian. What does it mean to you to be able to represent your country and sport on such a global stage?

KP: For me, it was a special honor and something I am really proud of. It is a really special moment when you get to see your country’s flag being raised in honor of your sport and country at such a global stage.

AM: You will be competing at this year’s Rockstar Energy Open. Lazer, you won in 2024 at the inaugural event. What are you looking forward to?

BH: I’m excited for this whole week. Each year of the Rockstar Energy Open has topped the last.

LC: I’m looking forward to having fun and seeing a bunch of my friends! Rockstar’s contest is the most fun by far.

PH: I’m super excited, the vibe at the rockstar energy open is amazing and everyone is always so hyped!

BW: I love this event because it’s liberating and leisurely after coming off a big X Games experience, which I love. NYC team support gave me that family vibe. Connecting and having a great time. We showcase skateboarding and have a good time as always jamming with friends and being in the moment. It takes coming to another state literally to see our confidence grow. Experiences are a part of us forever. You push yourself but not over push, thankfully! I think I’ll journal about and write about.

CJ: Looking forward to skating the Rockstar Energy Open course, seeing all the homies and enjoying the good times Portland provides for everyone!

KP: THIS EVENT IS WAY MORE EXCITING than any other event. It’s unique and different from all other park contests and I love that I get to compete against friends that don’t typically compete like Clay Kreiner and Tristan Rennie. I think the overall vibe and energy we’ve felt in Portland is what gets me the most stoked and makes it a really fun event to be a part of.

AM: Are there any upcoming events or projects that you have coming up that you would like us to know about?

BH: Yep I have a Rockstar Energy x Thrasher Magazine video coming out in late November that I’ve been working on. I’m super hyped to put that out to the world.

LC: I got a part dropping next month with Plan B I’m excited about that!

PH: Just a lot of traveling and skating!

BW: Recently, it’s to slow down time. Have all this new wisdom but stay humble. Lately I’ve been writing about staying present with Jessie (London) – both cover songs and originals. We have different versions of mixes of old songs. I have an album with my friend Beebs (Money) coming out. So a lot of music things and hopefully release a book of dreams and poems, and maybe an autobiography later on. I’m also working on a video part in skateboarding. I’m attending Mira Costa College and SDSU majoring in anthropology and psychology.

CJ: Nothing too major planned out right now just trying to stay consistent on the board for as long as I can.

KP: I have the 2nd Olympic qualifier for the LA 2028 games in a little over a month, which is really important to me and anyone else trying to qualify for the Olympics. Right after that event, I’m looking forward to a road trip the Rockstar Energy crew is cooking up. We’re going to do a roadtrip to the Sick New World Music Festival in Texas and skate along the way with the whole team so I’m looking forward to hanging with all the homies. As far as projects go - I can’t really share anything just yet but I have some cool things in the works with Quadrant and F1 that I’m really excited to be a part of.

After talking with the skateboarders, we also talked with some of the bands that kept the vibes going! We sat down with Hot Mulligan, PUP, Angel Dust, and Basement to get to know more about their music as well as why they wanted to perform at this year’s sports festival!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your band and how do you define your style?

HOT MULLIGAN: We’re based out of Michigan, even though none of us really live there anymore, except for one. And we reluctantly describe ourselves as post-emo, kind of a pop punk, emo, fusion.

PUP: We are a loud sweaty punk rock band from Canada. We’ve been doing this way longer than we ever expected. I still think this is the funniest thing that anyone ever said about us - it sounds like if Modest Mouse, Weezer and the Dillinger Escape Plan had a threesome.

PUP STEFAN BABCOCK: My fashion is very simple. Right now, I’m wearing one of the only T-shirts I own that is not identical to every other t-shirt I own. I usually find one thing that I like, and I buy it in 10 variations, and that’s it. I believe in comfort and efficiency, and I know what I like, and I’m not that adventurous.

PUP STEVEN SLADKOWSKI: My fashion is very simple. Right now, I’m wearing one of the only T-shirts I own that is not identical to every other t-shirt I own. I usually find one thing that I like, and I buy it in 10 variations, and that’s it. I believe in comfort and efficiency, and I know what I like, and I’m not that adventurous.

PUP SB: Okay, minus the not being adventurous part. I feel like I’m the most adventurous of... sartorically speaking, in the band. Uh, Zach is too. Everyone has cool style. But I do echo some of the trying to not overthink it, especially on tour. I have sort of got to this point on the road. You can get very decision fatigue, choice paralysis, because you’re making so many decisions all the time, and you’re exhausted. So, on the road, I will have, usually a pair of blue jeans and a pair of black jeans. And a series of white shirts. And then I’ll be a little more adventurous on stage. For a long time, I would wear a basketball jersey, A -’ cause it’s like universally cool. And we sweat a lot so it was actually very efficient. It actually cools. At home, I’ve been really into loud pants lately. These are not particularly loud, but patterns, crazy pants lately. I feel it’s evolved. Everyone is like, oh, I wear a crazy shirt with very standard pants. Inverting that has really opens some stuff up a bit. What if I just wear crazy pants and crazy shoes? I like crazy shoes.

BASEMENT DUNCAN STEWART: I would say, at this point, Basement is an alternative rock band, which has been formed through a lot of different influences and a lot of different ideas that we’ve all worked together to give us our own individual sound. And I think our personal style, we all borrow from counterculture, from skateboarding, from punk, from work stuff. We kind of pull from more underground styles.

BASEMENT RONAN CRIX: We were talking about how we’re not really easily definable as one specific genre. Because we’re so individual as people, there is a lot of ground covered in the music we make. Same with us, with our styles. For a long time we didn’t really try and style ourselves. As you grow up, you see your counterculture become more mainstream. It becomes a little bit of a weird cycle of, “oh, the thing that I was into, which wasn’t cool, is now cool.” So I’m dressing cool now by mistake. (band laughs) We’re also constantly evolving. We’re always trying to find inspiration in fashion, art, music. It’s all a nice, beautiful cycle of creativity, really.

HM: We just schedule time and lock ourselves in a room and jam and write songs.

AM: Tell us about your creative process and how you approach your music.

PUP SS: PUP is very much the four of us, and it’s a band that couldn’t exist with the three of us. It needs everyone engaged and going to make the things work, but yeah, my process is that I write every day of my life. At first, it would sometimes seem like a chore, but I’ve reached a point with it where I just love it so much that I feel weird if I don’t do it. I write every single day, and then as a band, we take a lot of those songs, and we... tear them apart and rebuild them, and we fight with each other over... what’s good and what sucks. We are all on the same page, and yet constantly disagree, bicker, argue. And that is a product of the four of us having radically different influences, but also radically different tastes, strengths. And, it is kind of the magic of the band. We all respect each other.

PUP SB: We all want the same thing.

PUP SS: We want the same thing. We respect each other, and the butting heads thing is what, I think, makes these songs.

BASEMENT ANDREW FISHER: Our creative process tends to be that one or 2 of us will have ideas that will bring to each other. We work in little groups first before we bring stuff to the whole. Either I’ll be by myself writing ideas to send to, usually Alex. And he’ll say oh, maybe not, maybe yes, and then we’ll get together, hash a few ideas out. I think we’re all constantly striving to find that spark, that feeling of, where you’re fighting over words to express that you like something, and that’s when you know. Hopefully you’ve got something special. We then bring that to the group, and then everyone puts their own touch on things, and we start to look at, what can we add, what can we take away. How does someone feel about this bit or this bit? That’s when the real magic happens and that’s when we, all 5 of us, find that spark and that excited feeling. And then we record it. And that tends to be how it works. Sometimes someone will come with an entire song, fully formed, and everyone’s like, tick, done, next. The more collaborative elements there are and the more push and pull, that’s when I think the best stuff comes out. So that tends to be my favorite way of doing things, but you just have to let stuff happen.

BASEMENT RC: To underline that last point for the newest record wide, because I feel that it was probably the most collaborative record we’ve done so far. Did the most time over it, putting the most, the most thought into it. It was definitely our most passionate project, today. And it’s reflecting how it sounds, how it looks and our work that went into it. Alex put a lot of work into that, and there’s a lot of too-ing and fro-ing.

AM: You guys are performing at the RSEO. Why did you want to participate here, and what are you most looking forward to?

HM: Well, we got asked just a couple months ago, and I’ve always wanted to go to a pro skating event. So to be able to perform at one and watch some sic skating is just sic. Plus, it’s a free event, so it’s cool. We haven’t played Portland in a minute. So excited to have some of our fans come out and not have to pay to see us.

We have a couple guys in the band who are big skating fans. So just the perfect opportunity to play a show and then also get to see some skaters that we like a lot and we got to meet some of them last night.

PUP SS: Well, they’ve been very nice to us, which goes a long way.

PUP SB: I love skateboarding.

PUP SS: We’ve gone to this point with the band where when opportunities, something like this is totally different than a tour. A tour is all right, you know it’s gonna be several weeks. It has its own rhythm. And you need to do that to survive in this world and keep the band on people’s radar. But for fun stuff like this, we go on a case by case basis, and if it sounds cool, it makes sense for us to do, usually we’ll say yes.

PUP SB: I started skateboarding at the age of 35, and it’s fun. It’s fun to be the band that we used to watch in early 2000s movies, that the punk band that plays the skate events is pretty fucking funny for me. We get a lot of weird opportunities in this band, and this is on of them, and we’re just trying to enjoy it.

PUP SS: Yeah, same. hypnotizing. to watch. The last couple of Olympics was skateboarding were fucking amazing. It was really cool.

ANGEL DUST JUSTICE TRIBE: I am a self-proclaimed poser when it comes to skating! I love Rockstar, particularly the yellow Rockstar Energy lemonade, which we always called that yellow stuff. We would make songs about that yellow stuff. It was our drink of choice touring, and I have a loyalty to Rockstar that attracted me to this event. The merge of the extreme worlds of skate and hard core rock ‘n roll.

ANGEL DUST ZECHARIAH GHOSTTRIBE: I came up skating - I don’t skate anymore but I surf still. And yeah, the natural progression of skate and rock ‘n roll. I mean, I got an album because I saw the cover of it at a skate park. So much of punk rock is absorbed from skate videos.

BASEMENT DS: It’s a free open skateboarding music event, and that very much ticks all the boxes for us. It’s a way of giving art and things back to back to the crowd and it’s in Portland, which is one of our favorite cities in America. We want to be playing to new crowds and new faces, and this seemed to be a perfect opportunity to do that. We’ve never played anything like this before. So, to get the opportunity to do that, it was a no brainer.

AM: Are there upcoming tours, festuvals, etc that you are looking forward to that we should know about?

HM: This year we still have a few. We have shaky knees, and we have, what is it, louder than life. Probably a couple more. I’m missing, but yeah, I’ve still got a couple left to do this year. And then we have not a full U.S. tour, but it’s like a 3 week tour. with one step closer, Riley and Wakeley. that starts at the end of October.

PUP SB: Stefan We’re winding down from a pretty heavy year and a half of touring. We got a tour this fall in the States, so come over and see it if you want.

PUP SS: We’ll play in October. We’re playing Riot Fest, which is always a really fun, exciting time.

PUP SB: We’re playing our second record, front to back, which is exciting for us, because it’s been a while.

PUP SS: 10 year anniversary

PUP SB: It’s the 10 year anniversary of that, so, yeah, Riot Fest will be a great time, and then there’s a tour in October. We’re looking forward to it, and equally looking forward to time off after a couple of years of going hard.

BASEMENT DS: In October and November, we have a full US headline tour. We had all the big stops. We go into a lot of cities, and it will be the biggest tour we’ve ever done, for sure. There is nothing more fun than a full US tour around America, as far as I’m concerned. You get to see amazing cities, you can see the country and the food! Our fans are incredible. They’d be so supportive since day one, since our music’s been accessible from the states, our American fan base has been so supportive. So we take every opportunity with such gratitude to come over and we’re so excited.

IG @rockstarenergy

@bradenhoban

@lazercrawford

@paigeheyn

@brycewettstein

@chrisjoslin_

@keeganpalmer

PHOTO CREDIT | Rockstar Energy Open

Read the AUG ISSUE #128 of Athleisure Mag and see ROCKSTAR ENERGY OPEN 2026 in mag.

LIMITED EDITION JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL BOTTLEL DESIGN IN COLLABORATION WITH SABRINA CARPENTER

As you know, Sabrina Carpenter has had a partnership with Johnnie Walker Black Label for awhile and as she continued in her multi-year partnership, she has collaborated on designing a bottle! By drawing inspiration from her album, Man’s Best Friend, it is in a bespoke Sabrina Blue colorway and has a playful dog paw motif as well.

This bottle will first launch in Great Britain along with select global markets. It will be available here in the US in 2027.

9PLAYLIST | RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

PHOTO CREDIT | Pavel Suslov

PHOTO CREDIT | Pavel Suslov

PHOTO CREDIT | Pavel Suslov

PHOTO CREDIT | Pavel Suslov

PHOTO CREDIT | Pavel Suslov

Read the AUG ISSUE #128 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Red Hot Chili Peppers in mag.

ACE OF SPADES LISTENING PARTY

This month has been a busy one and there were a number of events taking place that we navigated between. With JAŸ-Z’s 3 night concert in NYC that took place July 10th - 12th at Yankees Stadium. Leading up to the concert, we were invited to an intimate Armand de Brignac listening party that was hosted by Jermaine Stone (Street Somm, This is Taste, Wine and Hip Hop), a wine expert and hip-hop artist. This listening party celebrated 3 anniversaries of Reasonable Doubt (30 years), The Blueprint (25 years), and Armand de Brignac’s Ace of Spades (20 years).

We assembled at Eavesdrop in Brooklyn where we listened to a curated series of songs as they would pair with Brut Gold, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, and Demi-Sec.

REASONABLE DOUBT X BLANC DE BLANCS

Reasonable Doubt (July 10th show) introduced a young JAŸ-Z fully in command of his own voice and with a pen game defined by precision. Blanc de Blancs is Armand de Brignac’s most singular cuvée, demanding the same level of discipline in the cellar as he had in the booth. Made entirely from Chardonnay, it leaves zero room for error in the blend, much like an artist’s debut album.

THE BLUEPRINT X BRUT GOLD

The Blueprint (July 11th show) gave an entire generation of rappers a new flow to build from, one that’s been echoed ever since. Brut Gold plays a parallel role inside Armand de Brignac’s own portfolio. It’s the house’s founding cuvée, a tri-varietal blend sourced from grapes grown across Champagne’s top-rated crus, and the standard against which every other bottle in the range is measured.

EXTRA INNINGS X ROSÉ & DEMI-SEC

We enjoyed this listening party on July 8th and didn’t know what songs were being performed for the July 12th show. Jermaine imagined fans would explore all of JAŸ-Z’s career-defining songs.

The 4:44 album was JAŸ-Z at his most exposed, a deliberate departure from the persona he’d spent a career building. Armand de Brignac’s Rosé makes a similar departure within the portfolio, built from Pinot Noir through a different production process that sets it apart in color, character, and mood from the rest of the range.

Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life was JAŸ-Z’s first album to reach no.1 and remains his best-selling record to date. The album pulled in a wider, more mainstream audience, turning casual listeners into fans. Demi-Sec plays a similar role in champagne: it’s Armand de Brignac’s most crowd-pleasing cuvée, with a touch of sweetness that softens the traditionally dry edge and makes it more approachable to drinkers just discovering the category.

IG @armanddebrignac

@realwolfofwine

@jayz

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | 9PLAYLIST PG 64 - 76 Roc Nation | Ace of Spades Listening Party PG 79 - 81 Armand de Brignac | 9PLAYLIST PG 86 - 93 The Rolling Stones |

Read the JUL ISSUE #128 of Athleisure Mag and see ACE OF SPADE LISTENING PARTY in mag.

FIGHTLAND STARZ PREMIERE

Earlier this month, we made our way to Jazz at Lincoln Center to see the premiere episode of the latest series to be released from the 50 Cent (POWER, Den of Thieves, Escape Plan franchise) Universe, Fightland! The night kicked off with words from Kathryn Busby, the President of Original Programming at STARZ. Following her talking about the show, its place within STARZ, and how excited everyone is, she introduced 50 Cent, who is an Executive Producer who brought this series to STARZ and Sky.

He shared how important it was to launch this project through G-Unit Film & Television and what boxing meant to him.

With both of these opening remarks, we saw the first epsiode of this season. At the end of the first season which was full of plenty of action, we enjoyed 50 Cent performing alongside members of G-Unit and special guests. With castmembers from this show as well as those from the POWER universe, it was a great night to enjoy this energy. We continued on to the after party which was held at PH Live at Planet Hollywood in Times Square and enjoyed more performances by 50 Cent and well as hanging out with the STARZ team.

Fightland premiered on July 31st and will drop new episodes each Fri. on STARZ and its app as well. This show is a new high-octane scripted drama set in the cutthroat, high-stakes, cash rich world of British boxing, we navigate the action in the ring as well as what takes place outside of it!

Check out what we enjoyed during the red carpet premiere here, here, and here.

IG @starz

@50cent

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Fightland/STARZ

Read the JUL ISSUE #127 of Athleisure Mag and see FIGHTLAND STARZ PREMIERE in mag.

9PLAYLIST | JAŸ-Z - 3 NIGHT STAND @ YANKEE STADIUM

PHOTO CREDITS | Roc Nation

PHOTO CREDITS | Roc Nation

PHOTO CREDITS | Roc Nation

PHOTO CREDITS | Roc Nation

PHOTO CREDITS | Roc Nation

PHOTO CREDITS | Roc Nation

Read the JUL ISSUE #127 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | JAŸ-Z in mag.

9PLAYLIST | THE ROLLING STONES

Read the JUL ISSUE #127 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | THE ROLLING STONES in mag.

SON TUNG M-TP | TOP OF V-POP

We’re always adding to our playlists and soundtracks of our lives. This month’s cover of Athleisure Mag is Sơn Tùng M-TP who is a singer/songwriter, actor, and is the King of V-Pop. He recently launched his latest single, Come My Way with trap artist Tyga (Rack City, Ayo, Taste). This song blends Pop Rap, Afrobeats, and Amapiano with traditional Vietnamese folk music which makes it all its own!

We sat down with Sơn Tùng M-TP to talk about being an artist, where he looks for inspiration, his sound, and V-Pop’s landscape.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You are a singer/songwriter and actor. When did you realize that you wanted to be an entertainer?

SON TUNG M-TP: I think it started when I was around 13. I got really into underground rap and hip-hop, and I would spend hours on YouTube listening to beats and just making up melodies and lyrics for fun. I wasn’t thinking about becoming an artist back then—I just genuinely loved doing it.

When I was in 11th grade, I asked my mom to buy me a computer so I could start recording my songs, but she was afraid I would slack off on my studies so she didn’t buy it no matter how many times I begged (laughs). My uncle eventually bought me an old desktop PC instead. It was slow, noisy, and about as basic as it could get, but to me, it was everything. That’s where I recorded my very first songs. They were rough and pretty naive, but that was the moment everything became real for me. Once I started creating my own music, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

AM: What is the music scene like in Vietnam?

ST M-TP: I think Vietnamese music is in a really fun place right now. There are so many talented artists with their own sound, and everyone’s pushing things in different directions. That’s exciting to see.

For me, the most important thing is staying true to who you are. I’ve been doing this for over 13 years, and I’ve learned that trends come and go, but your identity is what lasts. The more authentic we are as artists, the more people will connect with our music, no matter where we come from.

AM: Where do you look for inspiration when it comes to creating your music?

ST M-TP: Honestly, inspiration can come from anything. It doesn’t always have to be something I’ve personally been through. Sometimes I’ll hear someone else’s story and it’ll really stay with me. Other times, it’s just my imagination. I’ll start picturing myself in a certain situation, thinking about how I’d feel, and that’s where a melody or a lyric starts.

I think I just naturally imagine a lot. Even random little moments can inspire me. I could eat something really good and suddenly hear a melody in my head. The other day, I was just sitting in the waiting room on set, drinking a typical Vietnamese iced coffee while waiting for the next setup, and a melody popped into my head out of nowhere. That’s kind of how it works for me. You never really know when an idea is going to show up.

AM: How do you define the Sơn Tùng M-TP sound?

ST M-TP: I don’t think I could define my sound in one sentence, because it keeps changing. Every stage of my life comes with different music that I’m drawn to, and I like giving myself the freedom to explore. I don’t really put limits on genres.

For me, it’s actually pretty simple. If a song moves me, if I think it’s good, then I want to share it with people. I don’t really stop and think, “Does this sound like Sơn Tùng M-TP?” I just follow what feels right at that moment. I guess I’ll leave it to the listeners to define my sound.

AM: You’re known for reshaping the V-Pop landscape through your sound, creative vision and international appeal. What does it mean to you to be one of the most influential figures in your genre!

ST M-TP: It’s honestly a little overwhelming to hear that. I don’t really see myself that way. I just make the kind of music I love and keep challenging myself with everyday.

If my journey gives another young artist in Vietnam a little more confidence to chase their own dream, then that means a lot to me. That’s probably the biggest compliment I could ask for.

AM: You have released 33 songs and built quite a catalog as well as collaborating with artists such as Snoop Dogg - what is your process when it comes to creating your music?

ST M-TP: Everything starts with a feeling, not a plan. Sometimes I’ll sit with an idea for weeks before I record anything. I never want to rush a song just because it’s finished. I’d rather wait until it really feels right.

Looking back, working with Snoop Dogg was one of the biggest moments in my journey and really changed the way I thought about everything. Seeing how people connected with that song made me start asking myself, “What if my music could reach even more people around the world?”

That question stayed with me for a long time. Eventually, I realized I didn’t want it to stay a question anymore. I wanted to find the answer, and that’s really what led me to where I am today.

AM: We’ve been enjoying the song and video of Come My Way. Can you tell us a bit of background about the song, why you wanted to blend Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, and V-Pop together?

ST M-TP: Come My Way wasn’t built around the idea of mixing genres. It was really about following what felt right to me.

People describe it as Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, and V-Pop, but I don’t really think about it that way. I don’t think V-Pop is a sound you can add to a song. It’s something you carry with you. The moment I write a melody and sing it in my own way, that’s already my identity.

As for Afrobeats, I fell in love with it because of the feeling of freedom and the energy it gives me. At the same time, there’s something about the melodies and the way people sing that reminds me of the Quan họ folk songs I grew up hearing as a kid in Northern Vietnam. Those are two completely different worlds, but somehow they connect emotionally for me. Come My Way is really just all of those feelings coming together naturally.

AM: How did Tyga become part of this song?

ST M-TP: Tyga and I have known each other for quite a while, and we’ve talked about making music together more than once. This year, everything finally lined up, and it just felt like the right time.

What made it even more meaningful is that he has Vietnamese roots. I think that gave the collaboration an extra layer of meaning for both of us. It wasn’t just about putting two artists on the same track. It felt like we shared something beyond the music, and I think that made the whole collaboration feel really natural.

AM: The video is amazing! Why did you want to approach it in this way?

ST M-TP: I wanted the video to feel like two worlds coming together. You have the energy of Los Angeles, but at the same time, you keep seeing pieces of Vietnam all the way through it.

We added things that are really close to me, like the Chim Lạc, the jade water buffalo, the Xuân Phả folk masks, and the landscapes of Tràng An. Even a lot of my outfits were designed with Vietnamese-inspired materials and details. One of my favorite moments is seeing the Chim Lạc parked right next to the DeLorean DMC, with Tyga and me standing there. I just thought it was a really cool image—almost like we each showed up in our own cultural icon.

Since the song is in English, I wanted the visuals to do the talking. Hopefully people watch the video, enjoy the music, and at the same time get curious about Vietnam because there’s so much beauty there.

AM: Tell us about your upcoming tour and what we can expect!

ST M-TP: I’m not really the type to talk much before doing something. What I can say is that I’m pushing myself in ways I have never before, and I think people are going to see a different version of me. Beyond that... you’ll have to wait and see. I’d rather let the stage and the music do the talking.

AM: When you’re not creating your music, how do you take time for yourself?

ST M-TP: My life is pretty simple. I think people expect me to have some crazy answer, but I actually enjoy really normal things.

Most mornings, I’ll go for a drive, grab a bánh mì and a Vietnamese iced coffee, then sit in the park with my dog, Chiko, and just enjoy the quiet. Later I’ll hit the gym or go for a run, and at night I’ll usually watch a good movie before going to bed.

That’s honestly enough for me. Those quiet moments really help me slow down and recharge before I start creating again.

AM: What are 3 workouts that you do to stay in shape?

ST M-TP: Lately, I’ve been challenging myself with pull-ups. They look a lot easier than they actually are. (laughs). I’m pretty proud that I can do around 10 in a row now with good form, but I’m still trying to get better.

I also spend a lot of time strength training, especially my upper body, because it makes me look good in tank tops (laughs).

And running has become a big part of my routine. I used to struggle to run for even 15 minutes. Now I can run for about 45 minutes straight without stopping, so that’s something I’m really happy about.

IG @sontungmtp

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Son Tung M-TP

Read the JUN ISSUE #126 of Athleisure Mag and see SON TUNG M-TP | TOP OF V-POP in mag.

GOV BALL 2026

GovBall has always hit a good vibe for us and this year seemed extra special for 2026. We attended Days 1, 2 and 3 and we have fond memories of cool moments, sets and experiences we had!

Day 1 we enjoyed live sets from Mariah The Scientist, KATSEYE, and more. Mariah The Scientist dropped an exquisite R&B performance and sparkled in a custom Gold Dress designed by Kim Shui. She performed classics from her hit album Hearts Sold Separately. KATSEYE blew out a high energy set working the crowd from all sides. Their vibrant vocals hit and choreography entertained.

We hung with Ayrloom and had a 1MG Cannabis Infused Honeycrisp. You can taste their 5th generation family orchard with the juicy and sweet flavors of the honeycrisp apple. It’s naturally sweet, but never heavy, their hemp infused fresh apple cider is the perfect way to cool down. A lower dosed sip than what we’re typically accustomed, we enjoyed the beverage flavor profile.

It was all about Major Lazer on Day 2, who provided us killer BTS content from their set on Snap Stage. Their tribal anthems and fierce dance repertoire always delivers upbeat party vibes and sticky global anthems you’re humming days later.

On Day 3 we enjoyed live sets from Clipse, JENNIE, A$AP Rocky, and more. Still reigning from their Grammy-award win, Clipse welcomed new fans and die hards alike, noting their code at the outside about loyalty and waiting with grace. They rapped their classics and some from their latest album to cheers from the crowd. JENNIE brought a mix of hits and tik tok dancing trends with a strong dance crew. Due to a minor rain delay, ASAP Rocky’s set ultimately was called off a bit early, but he went through about a dozen hits, his Rod Stewart & Miguel track Everyday was teased, and just hearing the intro gave us a smile and chills. He brought out Dominican rapper Tokischa to perform the unreleased collab, FLAKITO JODYE, definitely a massive standout moment of the festival weekend.

When not jamming to the performances, we refreshed in The Patron House; celebrated 7-11 Slurpee Anniversary with tried and true and upcoming flavors and live DJ; and Cabot Farms served up Pimento Grilled Cheese to the crowd on heavy rotation.

IG @govballnyc

GOVERNORS BALL PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 48 Roger Ho | PG 52 Okay Nicolita | PG 54 JN Silva | PG 50 Paigge Warton | PG 56 Ismael Quintanilla | PG 58 - 61 Major Lazer | PG 63 Rich Fury |

Read the JUN ISSUE #126 of Athleisure Mag and see GOV BALL 2026 in mag.

THE ONE PARTY BY UBER | FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 KICKOFF

We went to “The One Party By Uber” for its FIFA World Cup 2026 NYC Official Kickoff Party at Pier 36, NYC. Iconic DJ/Producer Mark Ronson kicked the party off, particularly the atmosphere went electric on the eve of Game 5 in the Knick’s Champion winning run, he played some Benito wearing a retro Patrick Ewing jersey, then Empire State New York by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys that was mixed into his hit remix of Valerie.

Then the iconic Backstreet Boys came out and wowed the crowd with an intimate and amped performance for the VIP crowd. All members, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, and Kevin Richardson crooned their hits to the crowd, with generous nods and shoutouts, and strong hit catalog plus their Paw Patrol soundtrack hit, showing love for the sport, NYC, and Uber. The nostalgia was maxed, with most of the audience enchanted with utter glee.

We ran into some old friends, Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko, and caught a mesmerizing dance from Kiki Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk, Native Son, Coming 2 America) as well. On our way home, our to-go had a nice bagel and a smear courtesy of Uber Eats.

IG @uber

@ubereats

@iammarkronson

@backstreetboys

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 66 - PG 69, 74 - 79 BFA | PG 70 - 72 Paul Farkas

Read the JUN ISSUE #126 of Athleisure Mag and see THE ONE PARTY BY UBER | FIFA World Cup 2026 Kickoff in mag,

9PLAYLIST | MADONNA

Read the JUN ISSUE #126 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST | Madonna in mag.

BORN IN A CROSSFIRE HURRICANE | THE ROLLING STONES

Without a doubt, The Rolling Stones will have an amazing Summer this year! On July 10th, the anticipated 14-track album, Foreign Tongues will drop and they have been releasing tracks and videos; such as In the Stars dropped earlier this month. While we wait for the full album to become available, The Rolling Stones have another launch that is worth noting! This Spring, they debuted Crossfire Hurricane Rum, a super-premium spirit that celebrates the bands connection with Jamaica in a relationship that has spanned more than 5 decades! This launch and product illustrates the band’s music heritage, its Jamaican provenance, and modern craft.

Starting with Jamaica, this is the first brand to utilize rums from 4 of the country’s most respected distilleries - Hampden Estate, Long Pond, Worthy Park, and Clarendon. These 4 styles come together in a single blend that showcases its complexity and the island’s rum-making tradition and is 100% Jamaican with no added sugars.

“Jamaica got into everything we did in the early seventies - the music, the rhythm, the pace of life. Jamaica was one of the few places that would let us all in. The island said come in and we recorded Goats Head Soup. It’s never let us down since. Crossfire Hurricane is a continuation of that story, more than fifty years on,” said The Rolling Stones.

It’s worth noting that prior to The Rolling Stones’ arrival in Jamaica, they had been recording on Main Street in the South of France; as well as touring in the US. When they arrived in Jamaica in 1972, it became a breath of fresh air their label head, Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records knew that this island was the centre of emerging musical influence. By recording Goats Head Soup in Kingston, they were immersed in a new flow that Keith Richards said that the “1970s Jamaica felt a lot like 1960s England when we started out. There was something in the air - a new rhythm, a new imagery.”

The band continued to record at Dynamic Sound Studios where the connected with iconic reggae authors - Sly & Robbie, Peter Tosh, and more. Mick Jagger recorded, “There was something in the air. You could feel it from everybody on the street - a vital thing happening with reggae.”

The rum brand’s name is from the opening lyric of Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Editor’s Note: The opening lyric: I was born in a crossfire hurricane and I howled at the morning drivin’ rain) as a means to capture the raw energy and enduring spirit of one of the world’s most iconic bands.

The Rolling Stones partnered with Ian Burrell, Global Rum Ambassador to be a co-creator due to his expertise in Jamaican run and its cultural significance.

The bottle reflects the band’s iconic lips logo in a prominent way and is surrounded by wave patterns that showcase echo sound. By visiting the website, the storytelling continues by sharing the band’s time in Jamaica in the 70s, along with the recording of Goats Head Soup in Kingston.

Fans of the band and rum should visit the website to see never-before-seen images of the band on the island along with the moments that established their time there from the music as well as the spirit behind the rum. As their global rollout continues, Crossfire Hurricane Rum’s social account will share upcoming drops, collaborations, and new ways to interact with this story.

The portfolio includes Crossfire Hurricane Gold for mixing and Crossfire Hurricane Reserve for sipping.

IG @crossfirerum

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Crossfire Hurricane Rum

Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see BORN IN A CROSSFIRE HURRICANE | THE ROLLING STONES in mag.

FEEL THE BASS | BENNY BENASSI

We’ve been fans of EDM DJ/Producer Benny Benassi for years! His songs have been in our playlist and when enjoying his music, it’s all good vibes and energy.

We had the pleasure of having Benny as our DEC ISSUE #60 cover back in 2020, with a virtual shoot that took us all the way to Venice! It was great to connect with him again during the first weekend in May for the drop of his latest album, Feel the Bass! During that weekend, he DJ’d a number of events from radio stations, taking over Times Square, being at Marquee and even DJ’ing while biking the TD Five Boro Bike Tour! As we went to a number of events we had the chance to chat with him at various times to talk about the album, his NYC rollout as well as touring internationally!

ATHLEISURE MAG: Great set last night Benny!

BENNY BENASSI: Oh yes, yes I saw you last night amazing!

AM: I was taking footage with my Meta Glasses so I had to be still, but inside I was dancing!

BB: Thank you for coming!

AM: It was also great to have you as our DEC ISSUE #60 cover during the pandemic as we shot you virtually while you were in Venice!

BB: Oh yes, thank you!

AM: It was cool to be able to be “in your studio” all the way from NY!

You have had a busy weekend promoting this album and you have been all over the city! How excited are you about dropping this album?

BB: I’m super excited! I am doing a lot of DJ sets in different places. Like, Fri Night I was at Marquee and then last night, I was at Marquee Skydeck. Tonight I will be at a little club!

AM: We will see you there tonight!

BB: We will have a little block party! It’s amazing! I’m super excited! The public loves me and I love NY!

AM: It was such a pleasure to attend a number of the dates for Feel the Bass album drop while you were in NYC! What was the inspiration behind Feel the Bass and why did you want to create this album?

BB: I wanted to make a record that returned to bringing some physical energy back into the club, like when I started out with my first album twenty years ago. It’s a time when music has gone back to being very electro, very physical, and I really loved this sensation of feeling the bass in your stomach again. That’s where the whole concept of Feel the Bass came from.

AM: What was your creative process like when you were working on this album?

BB: It was a very instinctive process. I have a wonderful team of people I collaborate with, a lot of young guys, and I also receive a ton of music from emerging producers who send me their tracks to listen to. So, some things were born outside the studio, while others we developed directly in the studio.

It was a very “easy” and laid-back creative process, in the best sense of the word: we took our time. Whenever we received something we really liked, we worked on it without forcing anything. I think this is exactly what gave the album its unified feel.

AM: What are your 3 favorite tracks from this album?

BB: Definitely Feel the Bass, because it’s the track that also gave the album its title. Then there are some that I personally love, others that I adore playing live because they completely change the energy of the room, and others that are a bit more experimental, for example Chicago Baby with my longtime friend Felix Da Housecat and Superstar with Chris Nasty.

AM: What do you want listeners and/or your fans to know about this album and how do you want them to feel?

BB: I hope people feel that energy I was talking about earlier. I’d like whoever listens to the record to feel pushed to turn the volume all the way up... almost to the point of blowing out the speakers. I always say it’s a bit like when you test drive a powerful car on the track: you go full throttle until you hit the limit. Well, I want people to listen to this record like that, giving all the power possible to their sound systems, whether they are in the car, at a club, or at home.

AM: You came to NY and you really connected with so many people to launch your album! What was it like when you took over Times Square?

BB: It was pretty surreal, actually. I remember when I was a kid seeing Times Square in the movies... it seemed like another world. And then I remember the first time I took my dad there: he was completely blown away by all that energy, by all those people. He is no longer with us today, so being there playing inevitably made me think of him. It was truly an incredible emotion.

AM: You performed at Marquee and then you were also at Marquee’s Skydeck which we attended - what did you love about being at these venues and having it as part of your launch weekend?

BB: I really liked the contrast between the two. Marquee represents the more club-oriented, nightlife, and quintessential New York side, and it’s a place I’ve been going to for many years. Skydeck, on the other hand, is almost cinematic.

You are on the 100th floor with all of New York beneath you... it’s incredible. Just talking about it gives you a thrill, let alone actually experiencing it.

AM: Why did you want to be at the TD Five Boro Bike Tour?

BB: Oh, because I love biking and I think I will do something special for this because I enjoy riding a bike with family. But this bike will let me play live while I ride!

AM: The TD Five Boro Bike Tour was such a fun experience! We chatted with you a bit before you led the 2nd Wave of riders to take on the race! What can you tell us about the bike that you rode on as we didn’t realize that you would be riding as well as DJing!

BB: I honestly think no one expected me to ride the whole thing! But I love cycling; it helps me so much to mentally disconnect. Plus, New York on a bike has an incredible charm, because it allows you to take your time to really look at the city. I want to thank Canyon again for putting together that setup for playing and biking. It was a lot of fun. It was a beautiful way to wrap up the weekend in New York.

AM: The last event we went to was at Mi Casa Studios. It was cool to see other DJs play their sets, enjoying slices of pizza and watching you DJ - why did you want the event to have these elements?

BB: I liked the idea of something very closely connected to the people. Anyone who came really got the feeling of stepping into my own home. Sort of like saying, “come over to my place, I’ll make you a pizza and play you some records.” It was the same thing there: you come in, listen to music, maybe even spin a few records with me... and it was beautiful like that.

AM: You left NY and you hit the road to continue releasing your album - what are additional dates or festivals that you will be participating in as we begin to make our Summer plans?

BB: Usually, in the summer, I focus a bit more on Europe. This year I’ve also added a small tour in Canada and a few festivals there. Then there will be Mykonos, some dates in Ibiza which I always love doing, something in Sardinia—where I’ll be going shortly to one of my favorite clubs— and also a couple of festivals in Italy. I always like to combine work with a bit of vacation time.

AM: When you are not DJing, how do you take time for yourself?

BB: I always look for simple moments. I also really love the lifestyle here where we live, in the Apennines, an hour away from my home. I like taking some time out with my mountain bike or going for a drive in my old Jeep. They are simple things, but they really help me disconnect.

IG @bennybenassi

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas via SONY Alpha | PG 85 Kimmie Smith |

Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see FEEL THE BASS | Benny Benassi in mag.

HIPHOP FREESTYLE MARLEE HIGHTOWER

We always enjoy highlighting artists that are focused on what they create and how they make others feel. Red Bull dance athlete, Marlee Hightower has been in a number of competitive dance shows from World of Dance, America’s Got Talent, and more. From a young age, she has been working in the industry as a Choreographer and Movement Director. Her work can be seen among an array of luminaries in the industry that include Coldplay, Janet Jackson, and Pharrell Williams. She also has her MOTIV Dance Studio that she founded as well as her MOTIV Crew that works with her throughout the world. We sat down with Marlee to talk about her love of hip-hop. dance, how she approaches taking on her projects, and much more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love, you know, with dance?

MARLEE HIGHTOWER: For me, I started dance when I was really little. My mom put me in dance when I was 3. So I kind of grew up into it. I don’t feel like there was this specific moment for me more so that it has just been such a big part of my identity and it’s just been a big part of who I am!

AM: What style of dance did you start with? I started at 3 with tap.

MH: Really? I did hip-hop.

AM: Oh wow so it has always been hiphop?

MH: I started out doing a little bit of everything. But, I took my first hip-hop class when I was 6. And I was like, this is what I want to do.

AM: Who is, the first dancer or show that made you realize that this is something that you wanted to do?

MH: Honestly, Beyoncé.

AM: Nice!

MH: I was, like, I’m gonna be Beyoncé. I was a kid, but I could have sworn it would be her. She was incredible and honestly the Step Ups. I was obsessed with Step Up 2. I was obsessed with the moves, it was my everything.

AM: What drew you to hip-hop and how do you define yourself? Is there a sub style even within hip-hop dance?

MH: I feel like with hip-hop, it’s interesting because there is like a very foundational version of hip-hop.

AM: Right.

MH: I think that over time, especially in the choreography space, like it has evolved and even in freestyle - it has evolved. You know, you have other styles coming into play, even in New York, you have, light feet and stuff like that.

So, yeah, there’s like, umbrellas. For me, I grew up listening to a lot of like old school, hip-hop - A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, and Mos Def. That’s like so much a part of who I am and even my family. My dad’s a graffiti artist.

AM: Oh wow!

MH: So hip-hop culture as a whole has been like very much a part of my life, so it just feels natural for it to also showcase itself, in my dance.

AM: When did you realize that this passion for dance should also be a career for you?

MH: I started dancing professionally at a very young. Like my first commercial, I did when I was 7 years old, then I went on America’s Got Talent. I made it to the top 10 when I was 10 years old. So, I’ve been working in the industry for a really, really long time. And then I opened up my dance studio in Orlando with my father when I was around 15. I started teaching consistently then and I think that honestly through that and honing my skills in that regard, I started taking ownership in a way that I hadn’t done before. Whereas before, I was just a kid. I think that through having the studio and running my MOTIV crew and just kind of figuring out what my voice. I realized that, I’m doing something, but I’m also making an impact that’s bigger than just me.

AM: Wow, I mean to be 15 and to decide to open your own studio.

MH: I know – crazy! It was actually my dad’s idea. I used to travel a lot back and forth between Orlando and L.A in order to train, but then also like work as a dancer. Whenever I would come back home, there wouldn’t be anything. There wasn’t really that many opportunities to train and dance at a high level and so he said, “what if we start a studio with a drop in class concept?” People could come in and just learn especially to do that with hiphop dance. A lot of what was offered in the area that I was living in was studios where you could do ballet, tap, jazz, and you had to be part of a company so you didn’t have access.

So, it was his idea, and I remember, initially, I was scared because it felt so ambitious at the time. But I was like, okay, let’s do it, let’s get on board. So my mom, him, and I just all came together to make it something. And I think also, through my traveling, I had a lot of relationships and connections with people, and so a lot of my friends were willing to come and offer classes and kind of help it move along and move forward. It was a process. We are in our 11th year, I can’t believe it.

AM: So, did you envision where you are now, with MOTIV that it would be what it is now?

MH: No, not at all. I honestly thought that this is gonna like be a thing for a couple years!

AM: Right.

MH: Maybe we’ll move on to something else. But like, I had no idea that it would be such a thing and such a staple in the community where I live, but also around the world. To be able to travel around the world, and to hear people tell me, “oh, I want to come to Florida and I want to train there, that’s crazy to hear because growing up, no one really wanted to train in Orlando. I’m really grateful. It’s definitely not what I expected at all.

AM: Do you think you’ll have other studio locations in addition to Orlando?

MH: I don’t think so, at least not right now. Just because our main focus has always been to try to bring the people to Orlando. That was kind of the the whole goal. I don’t know, maybe in the future once things continue and it can run itself potentially. This is also so much of a love letter to Orlando.

AM: You raise a good point about being part of companies and troops when you talk about ballet, tap, jazz etc. What were the types of training that you were doing when you were coming up?

MH: I was a convention kid growing up. I was a big convention kid, so I would go to these traveling conventions, one of them was called Monsters, Monsters of Hip-Hop, and so it’d be all these teachers who would come in and teach for the weekend at 6 classes a day, and I was really big on that, and then I would also travel a lot to take different workshops from different teachers. So sometimes I would go to LA for an intensive and then even for me, now I still am big on my training. If I ever get flown out to teach at a camp or something and a different teacher is there, especially like a foundational or freestyle based teacher - I’m in there. I’m trying to get as much information as I can. Even doing dancer style is a form of training for me, because being someone who started out primarily as a choreographer and with the choreography, background freestyle, and freestyle training is such a different mindset and mentality. And so, like getting to do dancer styles and getting to connect with the different dancers that are a part of that network has been such a huge game changer for me and a game changer in the way that I approach my choreography.

AM: How do you approach the choreography, whether it’s for a show or a troop?

MH: My biggest thing, is balancing feeling and then also the visual aspect of it because It ultimately is something that people are digesting and visually looking at. So, I think when it comes to a group, I love to look at shape, but then I also am really adamant on flow. Flow is super necessary because that also coincides with how I want to approach my freestyle, too. It’s like, I want the worlds to merge as best as I can, but you also in choreography, you have to have that understanding of structure.

AM: It’s like a science, but it’s a fluid science.

MH: It is! It totally is, and some of it is intuition based. Some of it is also mathematical.

AM: When you think about competition shows, I mean, I do remember seeing you on World of Dance. How do you approach the competition show environment? You have these panel of people who have varying levels of knowledge on the styles – how does that work?

MH: Dancing for so long, I feel like I was always in a position where I felt like I needed to prove myself, but I feel like going into those competition shows where you’re given such a huge platform, and the stakes also feel so high. I think that yes, it’s important to aim high, but then also don’t sacrifice who you are in the process of it.

I’ve really been like throughout everything I’ve done, like World of Dance. When I did World of Street Woman Fighter, like every single challenge, I was, like, okay, I’m gonna put my best foot forward, but I cannot shy away from who I am, so I have to dig deeper into who that is because sometimes, like, you’re given challenges where it’s a song you don’t necessarily know. Or it can be a challenge movement wise that you have to incorporate. How can I take all of this, but still remain true to me and that’s always at the forefront of those types of competitions. Ultimately, win or lose, that’s what matters most. Who you are and what you’re trying to say when you’re given that platform.

AM: You just got back from South Korea with Street Woman Fighter. Tell us about that as we hadn’t previously heard of it but it is large!

MH: Wow, it was large. It’s crazy, it was larger than I even expected it to be. Like, I didn’t realize how popular the show was in in South Korea. I feel like I was living a double life, almost like going to South Korea, and like everybody’s stopping their cars and stopping me on the street and stuff like that. The show itself, I think, is really cool because it does give dancers a platform. The fans love dance in a way that is, very unfamiliar to me, at least in the States. People like dance, but, I don’t think they see dancers, as you know this thing!

AM: We were in Tokyo and to see how dance was embraced there, we can see what you’re saying. Whether you were in Roppongi, Shibuya, or Shinagawa you could see people loving it and just breaking out into dance.

MH: Yes and they learn the dances like it is such a thing, and I, so I really, really admired how much they highly revered dance in that way. The show itself was very reality based, so that was really interesting coming to set and immediately putting on a mic, and having cameras everywhere. So I got used to being on all the time, but they also don’t want you to be on at the same time!

AM: Exactly! It’s a happy, medium.

MH: Yes, happy medium because I do know the cameras are rolling.

AM: Look at me. Don’t look at me, but look at me!

MH: We would get different missions over the course, of the competition. I always tell my friends like it felt like a combination between America’s Best Dance Crew and America’s Next Top Model.

AM: Interesting.

MH: Different challenges we were given, and I really appreciated them because it forced us to get really creative with how we are presenting who we were, especially because the show was very like K-pop based, and we’re hip-hop based.

AM: Right.

MH: So we were kind of going against the grain, the entire competition, but that was our edge.

The entire season is out now. You can watch it through Prime Video. It’s attached to the channel Mnet which is like the Korean MTV.

AM: What was your biggest takeaway from doing that show?

MH: I think my biggest takeaway was that you have to fight for artistic integrity when it comes to putting yourself out there in any room - in any space! That fight is on you.

AM: So the crew that you were with there was yours, MOTIV. What is the ethos of people who are on your crew and how do you decide who will be on it?

MH: I think mentality wise, you have to be willing and super open! You need to be kind and adaptable, because I think that even in the industry, even in my process, it’s very much like I come to the studio, and we figure it out as we go, and it’s very like organic the process. So, being malleable and just being open and willing. I love to laugh – we also have to laugh while we do it because it’s a lot of hours. At the same time, you have to strive for that excellence.

AM: Right.

MH: So I’m always trying to instill that in people. And I’m the type of person that sees potential over a perfect dancer! I’m like, no, I see where you could go as long as you see it, too, and you’re willing to get there – then I think that you’re in a good spot.

Doing the show was super special because I brought girls who I had been training over 6 or 7 years. It was incredible to see where they were to how far they have gotten to now! Getting to be able to provide experiences to my team is everything! The concept of bringing the world to Orlando and my people to the world!

AM: You have such an impressive resume with people that you have worked with Janet Jackson and Pharrell, and Jazmine Sullivan. What have you loved most about that and what artists/talents and projects would you love to be attached to?

MH: I’ve felt really honored to dance with different people and I’ve loved being given the creative voice. I just recently did a short film for Coldplay, which was so fun. I got to be in Malta for 10 days and I mainly did movement direction, rather than full out choreography, that was really, really nice. I’m a really big lover of film. I’m such a film nerd and so anything in that vein, I’m really excited to work on and with because, dance is one thing, that creative process in that regard is another. Getting to do it alongside the DP and even the producer. Watching the way that the gaffer sets everything up!

AM: Looking at all the blocking!

MH: Yeah, I’m so enthralled with the whole process! I would love to work with more film and with more TV. An artist that I would love to work with is James Blake. I think he makes incredible music and very danceable music. But he doesn’t use dancers, I never see that. I think that it would be really interesting to do something with him. That’s my dream artist of all time!

AM: For those that don’t understand the nuance between being a choreographer and a movement coach can you share a bit about that? Only in the last few years did we understand that distinction.

MH: I think that the biggest difference between movement direction and an elaborate piece of choreography would be that for movement, it’s about understanding, shape, understanding, flow. Maybe you’re working with a model who just needs to like, figure out what poses are going to work best. Maybe you’re working with a group of people that need to walk on the street in a certain way. You’re creating things that feel natural oftentimes.

Whereas, with an elaborate piece of choreography, there’s formations and counts. Even the movement itself is dynamic and I would say that those are the biggest differences, but it’s interesting just how much still of planning and understanding your body is needed, even just in movement direction.

When I did the Coldplay job, I was like, actually, I think we might need dancers just in order for them to move their head at the right time.

AM: Right.

MH: It’s still so synchronized and intentional.

AM: How did you come to Red Bull? We’ve had the pleasure of having a number of people from Red Bull that we’ve been able to work with, whether they were athletes in surfing – Carissa Moore, Griffin Colapinto, or Caroline Marks, snowboarding – Mark McMorris etc.

There is a culture in Red Bull of having these great people who are outside of the box but they are doing things that are pushing the envelope and doing dynamic things.

MH: My first Red Bull Dance Your Style was in 2019. I wasn’t even freestyling that much back then. I got brought on board for that and that was my first initial experience with Red Bull. Then I did a Red Bull Dance Your Style in Florida, and that’s when I made the semi-finals. Then from there, I got put on to be a representative for dancer style.

It’s been a really cool Journey for me as someone who’s working to bridge the gap between choreography and freestyle, so it’s like I’m implementing my practice into this new space and getting the platform to do so. And then along the way, I’m like able to meet up with all these different dancers with such different backgrounds as far as how they came to dance and the styles that they do. It’s interesting to be given access to a community, truly. Red Bull is really putting dancers on and more specifically, free stylers are more of an underground thing. They are being a voice in the way that is not really prevalent in the industry. Usually it’s a choreography based dancer or a modern dancer. Now, we’re thinking, street styles - street style based dancers. We’re being given the microphone and that’s what I appreciate the most about being a part of Red Bull.

AM: Are there any projects that are coming up specifically with Red Bull that you’ll be doing that you can share?

MH: Not anything in particular. Obviously, last year, was the release of The Can coming out, which was an incredible experience. It was all in promotion for the World Finals in the US. This year, I have a film project that I’m doing that Red Bull really helps me in terms of any ideas that I have, helping me connect with different artists, not just even the dancers, but there’s also like different artists that they work with that I’ve been able to connect with as well. I have the National Finals coming up in Tampa that I’m gonna be a wild card for, so I’m excited about that, and then hopefully that takes me to the world finals in Zurich!

AM: Oh wow!

MH: Fingers crossed!

AM: What is the dancing schedule of sorts in terms of, if you think of the Olympians right different things that happened there, obviously NBA, they have their season. What is the season for hip-hop/freestyle dancers?

MH: I feel like it depends on the dancer and the person. It depends on their schedule as well, I think. Dance is such a free thing. For me, specifically, I had to really and still have to really be diligent with how I train, because sometimes I don’t have all of the time. I started implementing training practices in the classes I would teach, or the dances I was creating. Even being here, I know that there’s certain dancers here. I’ll give them a message - let’s dance, let’s dance for a few hours. You know, I’m gonna learn stuff from you. You’ll learn stuff from me. So, it’s very much, just a matter of like figuring out what your schedule is and how you train. I know some people are very methodical about it, whereas I think I’m more free and I find it along the way.

AM: What does an average week look like for you?

MH: It changes every single week and I’m grateful. My everyday feels like a different day. But I would say, an average week if I’m lucky, I get Monday off. Maybe I find myself at home in Florida on a Monday and then I’ll teach my weekly class on a Tuesday at MOTIV Dance Studio. I’ll run rehearsal with my crew. Maybe Wednesday, I get off if I’m lucky. I’ll teach Thursday if I’m still in town also at MOTIV. Then the weekends is usually when I’ll go somewhere in the world. Maybe it’ll be an international trip to teach at a dance camp, or maybe it’ll be something like this where I’m making an appearance or judging a competition or doing a battle that weekend. Then I’ll come back home and reset and do it all over again!

AM: In general, are there projects or things that you want us to know about and keep our eye out for.

MH: Later in the year, I’m going to be coming out with another dance film. I’ve done a few. I did a dance film titled Blackbird, and then I did another one, titled We, the People, which was in connection with Street Woman Fighter that Red Bull helped me out with as well. That did really well and made a big impact. I’m just excited to work on a new film, and to bring it out into the world later this year.

AM: That’s amazing.

What do you want your legacy to be known as? You’re bridging a lot of things, the culture of hip-hop, and being a woman that has been trailblazing and the way you’ve done it, giving love to Orlando - it’s not just Disney and Universal.

MH: Yes – Facts!

I ultimately just want to be what I wanted to see growing up. I think representation is really important and I think that growing up as a young black girl, I didn’t see a lot of myself in people in the dance community, but then also on TV and in movies. I think expressing as much of the different facets of myself is important for other people, to know they don’t have to box themselves in to any one thing, whether that be their pursuit within dance or even just their pursuit within art in general. I think that’s the biggest thing is just to be open and honest about my process and to provide inspiration, but then also representation and for people to feel seen and heard in a way that I wanted to feel growing up.

IG @marleehightower

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 108 - PG 112 + PG 122 Digital Branded/Red Bull | PG 115 + PG 116 Little Shao/Red Bull Content Pool | PG 119 Daniel Zullani/Red Bull Content Pool | PG 122 Kien Quan/Red Bull Content Pool |

Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see HIPHOP FREESTYLE | Marlee Hightower in mag.

GOV BALL 2026 PRE-COVERAGE

Next month Governors Ball makes its way to Flushing Meadows for 3 days of phenomenal performances from Jun 5th - 7th. We’re looking forward to seeing Katseye, Lorde, Major Lazer, A$AP Rocky, Jennie, Clipse, and more! If you have yet to get your tickets, now is the time. Over the past few years we have enjoyed being able to see the biggest acts across genres that make their way to the staycation. Add the activations, vibes, and people watching - it’s a very busy weekend!

In the midst of great music and the early days of Summer, the food offerings are another element that makes this so enjoyable. We enjoyed Gotham Burger Social Club last year and we are looking forward

to their return this year as well! With various culinary options across the board, there is something for everyone including: Lobster Rolls & More, Grumpy Dumpling Co, and Tacombi. For those looking for something for their sweet tooth, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, John’s Juice, and Fan Fan Donuts will also be options there.

For those that want to continue the party, their After Dark series is concerts and sets taking place outside of this venue throughout the city. To check out who you want to see, make sure to check out that portion of the site in order to obtain tickets which are separate from your passes to Gov Ball.

IG @govballnyc

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 154 Ismael Quintanilla | PG 156 + PG 158 Taylor Regulski |

Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see Gov Ball 2026 Pre-Coverage in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | BENNY BENASSI

Read the MAY ISSUE #125 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Benny Benassi in mag.