Richard "$wägg" Curtis IV

“As one era closes, another begins.”

“The Man” 💼🤎🏆

🧥: BOOHOOMAN
👔: Zara Man ZARA
👖: H&M Man H&M
👓: QUAY

As I step into this new chapter, I do so with gratitude, strength, and purpose. Turning 30 isn’t just about age it’s about becoming. Becoming the man I prayed to be. Becoming the man life has shaped through every lesson, every setback, every victory, and every sacrifice.

This shoot is titled “The Man” because that’s exactly who I’ve become.

A grown man.

A man who has faced challenges that could have dimmed his light, yet continued to shine. A man who kept going when giving up would’ve been easier. A man who learned that strength isn’t the absence of struggle it’s having the courage to keep moving through it.

As a Black man, I’ve learned the power of taking up space. The power of existing fully and unapologetically. The power of standing in my truth because it is my God-given right to do so.

This chapter is not about who I was.

It’s about who I am becoming.

The younger version of me dreamed of this life. The version of me standing here today understands what it cost. And the version of me I’m becoming knows this is only the beginning.

To everyone who’s been following these last 11 days, thank you for taking this journey with me. Here’s to this new era. Here’s to growth. Here’s to purpose. Here’s to becoming.

And a special shoutout to PHOTO + CREATIVE DIRECTRESS for bringing this vision to life. This was one of the best shoots I’ve done in a very long time, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have collaborated with you for my birthday.

The Man.
♊️👑✨

Day 10/11 🌎✨

One of the greatest gifts dance has given me is the opportunity to see the world through movement. What started as a dream has taken me across cities, stages, and countries, allowing me to connect with people from all walks of life through a language that doesn’t require words.

Living in LA, the heart of the dance industry, has pushed me to grow in ways I never imagined. It’s given me the chance to share my artistry on stages I once dreamed about and continue building a career doing what I love.

I’m deeply honored to stand on the shoulders of the legends who came before me those who paved the way and showed us what was possible. My responsibility is to continue that legacy while finding my own voice and using art to tell my story.

As I reflect on this journey, I’m grateful for where I’ve come from, blessed for where I am, and excited for where I’m headed. Every version of me has prepared me for the next one, and I’m committed to continuing to evolve into something greater than before.

The story is still being written. 🏆

Day 9/11: The Dream Was Always Worth It.

Looking back at some of the projects I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of, I’m reminded how important it is to pause and be present. Sometimes we’re so focused on the next audition, the next job, the next goal, that we forget to appreciate the moments we’re living through while they’re happening.

I’m grateful that I’ve been able to genuinely enjoy most of the environments I’ve worked in throughout my career. Every project, every rehearsal, every set, every stage has taught me something.

One thing I’ve learned is that talent can open a door, but professionalism, consistency, and being a good teammate are what keep opportunities coming. People remember how you make them feel just as much as they remember your work.

Most of all, I’m grateful that I get to do what I love for a living. Growing up, this path wasn’t always understood. There were sacrifices, doubts, and plenty of moments where the vision made sense only to me. But standing on the other side of those years, it’s beautiful to see so many people finally understand the dream I saw long ago.

So if you’re chasing something that nobody around you fully understands yet, keep going.

Let this be your reminder that your dream is valid even before anyone else believes in it.

Let this be your sign that it’s all possible. Lastly thank you to EVERY choreographer who gave me a chance. This industry is not nice and yet you took a chance on me and look what was created. Thank you 🙏🏽 ✨

Day 8/11 The Viral Era 📲🎥🎬🏆♊️

Going Viral wasn’t the goal. Shoutout to “Lil Swagg”🙌🏽

Being a part of viral videos definitely helped get my name out there. At the time, it felt exciting to see people connecting with what I was doing from all over the world. But when I first started this journey, going viral was never the dream.

As you’ve seen throughout these posts, I come from a foundation of training, performance, discipline, and artistry. I wasn’t chasing views I was chasing growth. I wanted to be great. I wanted to inspire and be inspired.

When I moved to LA, social media was growing fast, and there was a period where being labeled a “viral dancer” wasn’t always viewed positively. It created this interesting space where I had to navigate who genuinely wanted to pour into me as an artist and who only saw the numbers attached to my name.

That season taught me a lot. It taught me to trust my work, stay hungry, and keep showing up as a student. Because trends come and go, but your foundation travels with you everywhere.

Looking back, I’m grateful for every opportunity those moments created. But I’m even more grateful that I never lost sight of why I started in the first place.

🥇

Day 7/11 The Pulse 💚🏆🙌🏽♊️

The Pulse was such a defining chapter in my journey.

This was the place where my technique, passion, and hip-hop all had to coexist. I spent years training, learning from some of the industry’s best, soaking up every piece of knowledge I could before making the move to LA. Little did I know that years later I’d be working alongside some of the same people I once looked up to from the front of a convention ballroom.

One moment I’ll never forget was not making Elite one year. I asked what I could do better, and he told me to dance bigger. Simple advice, but it changed everything. From that point on, every class became an opportunity to take up more space, trust myself more, and fully commit.

Fast forward to finally becoming Elite, and I remember realizing I was dealing with imposter syndrome. I had to remind myself then and still remind myself now that I wouldn’t be in the room if I hadn’t earned my place there.

Forever grateful to The Pulse, the memories, the lessons, and most importantly my Royal Elite family. You all made this experience one I’ll carry with me for life. 💚

Day 6/11 Technique🪩🧑🏽‍🩰♊️

“People know me as the hip-hop kid”💪🏽🏆

What they may not know is that before the tours, the stages, the choreography, and the career I’ve built, I spent years training in ballet, jazz, and modern. Technique was never the thing that came easiest to me, which is exactly why these videos mean so much.

The first clips are especially emotional to watch because they take me back to my arts school and to a dance director who recently passed away. He gave me so many of the tools I still carry today. That room felt like Fame. I only had 2/3 years of training in this video. The work was hard, the expectations were high, and we were pushed to become better than we thought we could be. Watching these videos reminds me that I did exactly what I told him I would do with everything he taught me. Rest in peace🕊️

The solo clip was my first solo at The Pulse on Tour. I was nervous because technique wasn’t my strongest lane. But that was the point. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do more than pick up choreography. I’ve always believed that whatever challenge is put in front of me, I’ll give it everything I have and find a way to make it happen in my body.💪🏽💯

And the final clip is from my modern teacher’s company performing the following year. Having her at our school was a gift. You hoped she called your name to be in her class because you knew it was going to be fun. She had us doing laterals to R&B, and somehow her movement just felt right on my body. .siani 😍‼️🙌🏽

These videos are a reminder that every version of me the technician, the student, the performer, the teacher helped build the artist I am today.🏆

Thank you to the teachers who poured into me. Your legacy is still moving.🌹💯‼️

From 13 to 18, I taught classes back home almost every week. At the time, it just felt like I was showing up, creating, and sharing what I loved.

Watching these videos back, I realize I was already building the foundation of the artist, teacher, and choreographer I am today. I was learning how to cultivate performance, develop my artistry, and create spaces where people could grow through movement.

Shoutout to my mom for documenting so much of this journey. Back then, we were just uploading videos to YouTube. Now I see those videos were a digital journal capturing the evolution of a kid with a dream into the man with a plan .

And a special happy birthday to Corey , my dance dad. HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎁🎊 I thank you for giving me a space to grow, teach, and lead. You saw something in me early on and helped nurture my love for dance, teaching, and choreography. A lot of who I am today was cultivated in those rooms.

Looking back, young Swagg was already preparing me for this chapter. ❤️✨