Although the area real estate market has been on the upswing recently, Storefronts project director Matthew Richter says they've actually seen an increase in empty storefronts with the uptick in mixed-use retail-residential building construction. Over the past two and a half years, the program has placed more than 33 different art projects in Seattle and Tacoma. The idea is to help revitalize commercial areas that were hard hit by the recession. The neighborhood development program, Storefronts, negotiates temporary residencies for the artists it places in vacant storefronts. The Beacon is located on the ground floor of one of the ID's historic hotel buildings and belongs to Massive Monkees for just three months. "If, at a younger age, I would have been more open to taking jazz, ballet, drama classes, all these different things," he explains "then me as a performing artist, I would be a lot more developed, and the opportunities to be an entertainer would be a lot broader." Longtime crew member Brysen Angeles says several years ago the b-boys (how break dancers identify themselves) decided they wanted to offer formal classes in order to give kids a chance to see that dance could be a viable option for them. Most of the Monkees learned their art on the streets or in ad hoc workshops. The crew has traveled around the world competing in break-dancing throw-downs. The Beacon is run by the hip-hop crew Massive Monkees. It's one of the newest participants in Storefronts Seattle, a collaboration between neighborhood businesses, the city and Shunpike, an artist support organization. Now meet the ID's first hip-hop dance studio: The Beacon. Think about the legions of great Asian restaurants, boutiques, even pet stores. Seattle's Chinatown-International District is home to many commercial establishments.
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