“It’s nice to have common ground to connect on, but it’s also nice to have the dichotomy of two different genres,” Boss noted to Dance Spirit in 2012.” We’re very close-knit, but we still have our own things.”
Their common ground includes their commitment to paying it forward, Boss telling E! News at the Children’s Miracle Network’s Dance For Kids Holiday Party in 2016, “The overall message is service, helping people, giving back. And that doesn’t always mean in the form of a physical gift. You can give back in many ways. And this is one example today.”
More recently, they’ve used their platform to help inject some love and understanding into the difficult conversations that have been roiling this country about race relations and social justice. On June 12, Boss paid tribute to Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving, whose landmark 1967 Supreme Court case determined that state laws criminalizing interracial marriage were violations of the U.S. Constitution.
“Love wins,” he wrote. “53 years ago today, our life together became a possibility. Forever turned into reality. Our family, our legacy. We couldn’t have gotten here without Mr. & Mrs. Loving. And just like their love for each other paved the way for change, I want for our love to do the same. To be a picture of hope. A picture of happiness. A picture that ACTUALLY looks like a really dope puzzle.”
“Like, pieces that at one time were apart indefinitely, until someone said ‘nah, there’s a bigger picture here.’ Building that picture takes patience. Humility. Focus. Optimism. Vision. Steadfastness. There’s also another picture that needs that kind of attention.”
Even nurturing their own corner of happiness in this crazy world took plenty of effort, particularly in the beginning.
