MARISSA “MISFIT” GODINEZ,
TURF DANCER
WHO: MARISSA, MISFIT, GODINEZ, 23, of HAYWARD, CA.
WHAT: Hot Topic Visual Manager and Turfer
HOW SHE GETS HER HANDS DIRTY: Through dance. Marissa has been dancing since the age of four and turfing by the name Misfit (a style of dance that incorporates Michael Jackson, smooth-operator dance moves and pantomime-inspired storytelling) since she was 13, when the Hyphy Movement hit the Bay Area.
*editor’s note: In the Bay Area, gound-zero for Turfing, the majority of turfers are guys.WHY TURFING: “Turfing is free spirited and it plays with imagination. Everyone respects it when you get out there and dance. Even if you fall on your face, people still give you support.”
WHAT INSPIRES HER: Michael Jackson, Tattoo Art, Stand-Out Style
ADVICE TO OTHER DANCERS: “Don’t let the stereotype of a club life or that a female can’t do it stop you from trying and doing what you love.* Turfing saved me from gang violence and trouble. It’s productive, healthy and you’re not hurting anyone.”
