Bboy Knowledge

I can’t remember how exactly I found this, but somehow I came across this really awesome blog on bboying. There are some legit contributors to this blog, such as Alien Ness, Ken Swift just to name a few. It’s really informative, insightful and it’ll give you some perspective on how breaking has evolved so much and how people view it nowadays. Check it out!

Bboy Knowledge Blog

World’s first recorded Headspin!

Sup ReFresH.  It’s been a while since I posted here, so thought I’d put something up.  Thank you all for showing me love on my birthday.  =)

Here are a few clips of one of my biggest inspiration’s: bboy Ynot from Rock Steady Crew.  Lady’s and gents–now this is how you toprock.  Also notice his nasty musicality.

Also, check out Bboy Alien Ness–president of Mighty Zulu Kings.  Stylistically, my favorite bboy–even though he doesn’t break as much anymore because of health reasons.  He’s been breakin for over 27 years, so his sense of flow is just ridiculous.

Also, here is the world’s first recorded headspin.  The video was recorded by Thomas Edison in 1898.  Notice, he almost looks like he’s practicing a set.

Enjoy!

Remember bboys and bgirls, breaking is first and foremost an attitude.  The most important thing is to have character.  As bboy Poe One (MZK, Style Elements, Rock So Fresh) once said, you can teach anyone all the foundational moves and steps in breaking, but what reaaally makes it breaking is having that bboy attitude.  Haha, this is after he spent 4 months trying to teach ballet dancers how to break, but what he noticed was that while they all knew how to do the moves, they couldn’t do it with that bboy character.  They were all doing it like ballet dancers.  And I think that honestly is the essence of breaking.  Kinda like House, it’s really a feeling. =)

Hope that helps guys.  Do your best, and don’t get discouraged or frustrated if you’re not feelin it.  Just have fun and be yourself.  Be confident and comfortable.  That’s the best way to improve.  =)

Hope that helps.

LXD [The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers] & Madd Chadd

Jon M. Chu, the director of Step Up 2 has been doing this project called The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers aka LXD, where he creates the “most elite dance crew ever assembled”. He gathers great dancers of all types of styles: breaking, popping, botting, ballet etc. and combines them into one crew, LXD. He has made 2 teaser trailers, leading to this epic online dance adventure that will be released in the near future.

Trailer 1:

Trailer 2:

Recently, they performed on So You Think You Can Dance:

These guys are reaaally legit, and totally inspiring. I just showed DWu the second trailer and he was impressed by this popper/botter named Madd Chadd, one of THE BEST robotters I’ve seen in my LIFE! Go back to trailer 2 and look at 0:26 and you’ll see exactly what I mean. At first glance, DWu thought it was completely CGI and he didn’t believe me when I said it was a real person, Madd Chadd. He’s been a huge inspiration towards my botting skills ever since I first saw him a while back.

Mr. Wiggles on Hip Hop and Bboying

Wiggles is a proud member of three major forces in HIP HOP and Funk Styles culture “Rock Steady Crew”, the “Electric Boogaloos” and “Zulu Nation”. Mr Wiggles started his career as a dancer by battling throughout the tuff streets of New York city, and eventually throughout the world. [taken from his website]

Mr. Wiggles is legendary in the popping and hip hop scene. He’s like what Crazy legs is to breaking and Don Campbelock is to locking. Basically, one of the greatest originators and innovators on the scene.

On foundation:

• Hip hop has a foundation, be it party dance style… also top rocking, rockin, breakin, these are all hip hop dance styles, if you’re gonna call yourself a hip hop dancer you have to learn those styles. You can’t just come out and do all the abstract music video stuff and call yourself a hip hop dancer don’t work that way, you gotta learn the foundation
• to complete your education of hip hop, you gotta get served on the dance floor if you haven’t battled, got blasted and blasted other people and paid dues in the cyphers… you’re no where near being a hip hop dancer yet. The education is not just in the studios, it’s in the streets it’s in the clubs its in the jams.

On Bboying

• What messes the bboy scene up a lot is kinda like the backpack bboys that show up to a jam only to show off.
• You gotta remember this whole party scene is a social scene so you go to socialize… hip hop scene is a social scene

On Hip Hop

• [afrika] bambaataa created this term hip hop which makes sense, because we’re all tryin to be hip and the word hop is another word for party… so a hip, a cool jam, that’s what we’re talkin about.

Mr. Wigs tearing it up.

Inspiration from a friend

Senegalese Breakers – These bboys and bgirls take it to the beach because they have no where else to break. They’re called nomads because they they’re constantly on the move. We complain about lack of dance space here, but in Senegal, they don’t even have what we do. Not that we should feel guilty, but to be thankful because of it.

“In a country where most citizens live on less than a dollar a day… dance is an escape from some of the harsher realities of life.”

 

What More Can I say– Eun Lee’s project blog Finished and ready to be presented. Goal: to examine ReFresH: a hip hop dance crew, largely comprised of Asians and Asian-Americans, based at Northwestern University. (names changed for confidentiality ie Chris is not Bboy ChrisKnow)

The study of a hip hop dance crew reveals a symbiotic relationship between community and self-expression, which may serve as a model for music educators tackling issues of multiculturalism in their classroom culture and curriculum.

And Finally: Bunny! Yay!

Fall Urbanite!

URBANITE FALL ’09
“MJ FOREVER” A Tribute to Michael Jackson
Semi-Annual Dance Showcase + Party

Performances by…
DANCE2XS
CARLTON BRADLEY’S PURPOSE BY DESIGN
THE MISSES
VICIOUS
ELEMENT
ICON (This is Ian Eastwood’s I think cuz he goes by DjIcon)
312 feat. REDEFINITION
NONSTOP

Start Time:	Saturday, November 14, 2009 at 9:00pm
End Time:	Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 2:30am
Location:	Canopy Club
Street:	708 S. Goodwin Ave.
City/Town:	Champaign, IL

TICKETS: $10 in advance / $15 @ the door
Get your tickets NOW from any 2XS member
or online @ www.canopyclub.com
18+ to enter | 21+ to excess!!

FB event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189707003775

Protected: Choreographer’s Showcase 11-4-09

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It’s called House and it’s a feeling

My fav houser right now, Toybox from TM:

Awesome style from Japan, Hiro:

Actually, she’s probably my favorite houser, Tonic from Chi Tribe:

April Rodriguez: Hip Hop vs. Urban Choreography

Link to Article Here you

And here for those of you who don’t want to sign into facebook.

An interesting article, worth reading to anyone interested in the Hip Hop, choreography, the evolution of the culture and all that stuff. It’s a facebook note and I looked at the tag list and it was amazing. Lando, Elm, Mike Song, Gigi, Kyle Hanagami to name a few. Especially, as we grow in Hip Hop, it’s important to examine where we stand and what we’re actually doing as a group.

Hellaween Jam 10/24

Hey guys, some of us are thinking of going to Alternatives for the Hellaween jam this weekend (Saturday 10/24).  The entrance fee is 10$ (20$ with a camera) and this jam is the biggest in Chicago.  Battles ‘start’ at 6PM, meaning they’ll start around 7PM.

If you want to go contact me at direntropy@gmail.com and let me know if you are interested in entering the battle (3v3 for $1500!) or watching.

You can either come with us or take the el down to the location:

Alternatives
4730 N. Sheridan
Chicago IL. 60640

Good luck with midterms! 🙂