A Storyteller, Artist and Producer.
Krystina Dejean, also known as Mystique, started dancing at the age of 15. ​
In 2015, along with two of her friends and fellow waackers Taylor "Tales" Yeung and Fanny "Blue Velvet" Bergeron-Labrecque, she created the waacking collective Savage Queens in an effort to develop their own style and have an impact on the Montreal waacking community.
​
During their active years, the collective has created pieces that have been presented by the theater company Les Désaxées (Anima Fissa, 2016), as well as by the HomeRun festival (Qu'est-ce qui mijote?, 2017) and the Soirées 100Lux (STUMBLE!, 2017). They also created the Waack N' Chill event (2017, 2018) to help bring the community together and facilitate discussions in the waacking scene in Montreal and internationally.
In 2019, Krystina joined the whacking collective Asymmetry, led by her mentor Axelle « Ebony » Munezero. As part of the collective, she presented pieces as a choreographer (Poetry, 2019), performer ( Tourment, 2020) and co-creator with other collective members (Seul.e.s Ensemble: Club Edition, 2021).
In January 2021, she initiated her first solo creation process during the research and creation residency Young Lungs Dance Exchange, where she explored the concept of empathy through dance and new technologies. She presented her work in progress, Conjuguer Crise et Empathie, during the Still Here showcase of the Art-fulness festival of the collective Asymmetry in March 2021. She was also invited to the street dance research laboratory B-Side by the dance company Ebnfloh. She then explored the blending of horror and waacking as an expression of her experience of pandemic. The end of residency performance was presented in July 2021. Her curiosity to compare and combine her two researches led her to the creation of her first full-length piece that will be co-presented by Tangente and 100Lux in March 2022.
In 2010, she furthered her street dance training at the Montreal school Urban Element, where she had the opportunity to learn from Montreal hip hop pioneer Angelo Ameur.
During her formative years, she discovered and fell in love with waacking through the influences of the Canadian chapter of IHOW (International House of Waacking) and Forêt Noire.
After two years of intensive training at Urban Element, she chose to pursue her development independently through self-training, masterclasses and battles in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and New York. During these years of self development, she has trained with renowned waackers such as:
​
-
Viktor Manoel (Mexique/LA)
-
Tyrone « The Bone » Proctor (NYC)
-
Princess Lockeroo (NYC)
-
Archie Burnett (NYC)
-
Brian « Footwork » Green (NYC)
Then
Now
Education
Curious about my practice?
2012 - 2022
Waacking is my main style of dance. I love the sense of freedom, true self-expression and connection with my surroundings I get when I practice this dance.
2014 - 2022
What I love about Hustle is the connexion you have with your partner and the awareness you need to have of the present moment. And that's just a good reminder for how I want to lead my life:
​
-
To be here, now
-
To connect with others
-
​To play, have fun, and enjoy my time while I still can
This style of dance was born in the 70's, in the clubs of the West Coast of the USA. It has its roots in the gay, queer, Afro and Latin American communities and is greatly inspired by: silent movies, Art Deco, superhero fight words from 60's cartoons (WHACK!, as in BAM! BONK! POW!) and of course the drama and intensity of the disco music to which it was originally danced. Marginalized and discriminated against people used Waacking in underground clubs to express themselves freely and build a community of like minded souls.
The Hustle, also a club dance strongly influenced by disco music, was born in New York City in the 1970s. This social dance has evolved a lot since its inception and continues to do so both in dance sport competitions, in ballroom studios, but mostly in social gatherings and parties.
2008 - 2022
Hip Hop is my first love. I was first introduced to dance and movement through Hip Hop music and party dances and grew to love its philosophy of peace, love, unity and having fun as I grew, and still grow, to know more about the culture.
Hip Hop dance appeared around the 1980s. At its origin, it is a party dance practiced during block parties and in clubs. Hip Hop dance moves were first inspired mainly by elements of Breaking, such as Rocking, then Electric Boogaloo and soul dance. Key elements of this style are the bounce and the groove. Since its birth, several subcultures of Hip Hop dance have developed in different cities in the United States including Memphis Jookin, Chicago Footwork, Turfing (Oakland) and Lite Feet (Harlem).
With the commercialization of Hip Hop music, many MCs featured Hip Hop dancers in their music videos which contributed to the expansion of the dance worldwide and the emergence of Hip Hop in its choreographic form. However, it continues to evolve in its party dance form mainly within the youth of the African-American community (e.g. Juju on that beat, Nae Nae, Whip, etc.) and internationally through social media.