Editor’s note: An earlier version of this post ran in 2023. We’re publishing this update in honor of our January 2024 exhibition, Hollywood Land, which includes work from Lamonte Goode.
“It sounds funny, but I’m really inspired by the cartoon Transformers,” says Lamonte Goode in an interview with MakersPlace, a virtual marketplace where community members can discover, buy, and sell NFTs. “My style is heavily influenced by these machines,” the longtime dancer continues. “[It’s] the concept that everything can transform and shapeshift. This is like my style. My biggest inspirations are very futuristic, so The Matrix, Transformers, Terminator. I don’t know why, but machines really inspire me. That’s why CYBERYOGA was born.”
An acronym for calisthenics, yoga, breakdance, evolution, and revolution, CYBERYOGA is Lamonte’s signature style, a gravity defying blend of art, movement, and spirituality. As the founder and creative director of CYBERYOGA, Lamonte teaches his futuristic practice to athletes, dancers, and artists around the world, including Rihanna, Shakira, and Snoop Dogg. His online gallery features mind-bending images of handless headstands, human pretzels, and advanced yoga poses, none of which are Photoshopped.
Describing himself as a “self-taught dancer with a love for atypical movement and anything that can be categorized as extraordinary,” Lamonte experimented with many different forms of movement—martial arts, breakdancing, yoga—before settling into his trademark style. Yoga, however, provides the foundation for his practice. He says, “Yoga binds everything together in this new age, futuristic, and spiritual practice that’s based on the foundation of yoga and the transformation of future movement.”
Updating classical yoga poses by combining movement styles, Lamonte demonstrates the potential for beauty and transformation in the human body. Though the poses may be intimidating for beginners, Lamonte believes in the power of the mind to overcome anything. Based in Los Angeles, he teaches CYBERYOGA all over the world, to all levels, with one caveat: “The only prerequisite is an open mind and the desire to extend the abilities of your body.”
Learn more about CYBERYOGA workshops here.
Scroll through to see Lamonte’s work, then head to our January 2024 exhibition, Hollywood Land, to see her submission, “Peace Comes Within.”
“[CYBERYOGA is] the concept that everything can transform and shapeshift.” — Lamonte Goode
Lamonte Goode: Website | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
All photos published with permission of the artist(s).
Want to be featured on NOT REAL ART? Email editor@notrealart.com with a short introduction and a link to your online portfolio or three images of your work.