Just For the Funk of It

In the upstairs studio of Westin Arts Academy, the dance classes

have yet to start and a quiet calm fills the room. Kevin O’Keefe, a

dance instructor can typically be found in the studio teaching the

latest styles of dance and breaking, but today, he gives a history

lesson.

Hip-hop history

“Break dancing is an art that was created out of frustration,”

O’Keefe said. “It began with a man yelling at a kid, ‘Hey, if you

want to be like me, a drug dealer, then keep walking down this

street. But now you got this dance thing, now go be somebody.'”

Break dancing was first promoted as an alternative to gang

fighting. Battle dances became a substitute for violence.

“There is this breaker, Crazy Legs, that said ‘this is

manifestation of things that have been going on for 1,000 years.’

That’s hip-hop,” O’Keefe said.

There are four elements to hip-hop: graffiti, emcee, deejay and

break dancing.

“(Break dancing) is an element of hip-hop, but it’s a style of

dance that is kind of its own separate thing,” said Jimmy Levy, CSU

b-boy.

Many claim that break dancing was one of the original

foundations of hip-hop because the dance was present in early gang

cultures of the Bronx, but the music was not, according to

“Downlow,” a British hip-hop magazine.

“(Breaking) is hip-hop,” O’Keefe said. “It formed the culture,

and then on top of that included a style of clothes, a talk and

walk.”

Break dancing first emerged on the streets of Bronx in the

1970s. One of the founding fathers is Jamaican-born performer, Kool

DJ Herc.

According to “Weekly Dig” online magazine, Kool Herc is known as

the godfather of hip-hop. He had developed a technique of mixing

records where dance sounds never stopped. He had combined the

sounds of R&B, soul, funk and obscure disco.

“Kool Herc pioneered putting the ‘breaks’ in the music when

nobody else was,” O’Keefe said.

Listeners loved the breaks of Kool Herc’s style, and this helped

to create break dancing.

“B-boy means break boy because there is a break in the

music–the instrumental part of the music,” said Doug Brunner,

dance instructor at Westin Arts Academy.

Brunner, who has been b-boying for six years and teaching at

Westin for three years, also credits funk master James Brown for

starting breaking.

“James Brown is arguably the first to get things started,”

Brunner said.

Brown hatched the “Goodfoot” dance-style, which led to many

other movements such as “Floating,” Brunner said.

B-boying has developed into a high-energy dance movement and a

form of self-expression.

“B-boying is about establishing a playful connection with the

audience, expressing it through the body,” Levy said.

Levy, who has been breaking for five years, got started by

watching the 1984 movie Breakin’.

“I fell in love with the vibe of the movie,” Levy said.

Movies like “Beat Street, “Breakin'” and “Spinnin” ignited an

explosion of break dancing in the 1980s. Upon seeing these films,

American kids, like Levy, immediately began to experiment with the

styles.

Flare-Flare-Mill-Head Track

This is just one of the many combinations that make up the

historically popular movement of b-boying.

But at the core of these combinations are the basic fundamental

moves.

“The fundamentals are essential because they are the building

blocks to creating something new, creating your own groove,” Levy

said.

The fundamental moves for breaking are Toprocks, Brooklyn rocks,

6-step and basic freezes. Other moves include flares, windmills,

halo backs, hand glide and swipes.

“You can’t just start with a mill, you need the foundation moves

so you can get use to how your body works,” Brunner said.

The original moves consist of “style” such as freezes and

footwork, but not power moves such as head spins, 90s and flares,

according to “Downlow” magazine.

“You really need to know the foundation moves, footwork and then

move up to power moves,” O’Keefe said.

Competition

As break dancing continues to grow, it is establishing break

dancing competitions, which allows crews-a group of b-boys and

b-girls-to show off what they have learned and to share in a break

dancing community.

“On a small scale it is bringing people together and creating a

community across borders,” Levy said.

Competitions have become more widespread by gathering people

from California to Seattle and across seas to London and Spain. The

competitive edge has kept breaking alive and evolving, O’Keefe

said.

Competitions consist of individual events, as well as crew

events. Competitors are judged on originality, flavor (style),

execution, power and difficulty.

“There is even an event where b-girls compete against b-boys

called the Bonnie and Clyde event,” O’Keefe said.

The hip-hop life

Although mixed into the hip-hop culture, breaking has

established itself as a single separate element.

“It’s a lifestyle,” Brunner said.

Like other sports, break dancers need to dedicate themselves to

learning the fundamentals and establish a desire to improve. There

is always room for improvements and you can never learn everything,

Brunner said.

Breaking is fun and high energy, but it is also a lot of hard

work and needs persistence.

“Anything you start and stick with, you will get, but you need

to be persistent,” Levy said.

B-girls

Although the dance floor is predominately ruled by men, b-girls

have now stepped into the scene.

“Because it is male dominated, women get a little more respect

and a little more encouragement simply just for trying,” said Kelly

Mackey, a University of Colorado b-girl.

Mackey has been dancing her whole life, but has only been

breaking for 13 months.

“I had always wanted to break, but just never really pursued

anything,” Mackey said.

Break dancing has become a movement that includes everyone.

“Size doesn’t matter and girls just shouldn’t be intimidated,”

Brunner said. “Because you create your own style and you learn to

adapt to what your body can do.”

Break dancing is more about strength and momentum, which anyone

can learn, O’Keefe said.

“People just need to be open and take initiative to learn,

because if you do it more and more then you become better,” O’Keefe

said.

Break dancing is an art that was developed out of violence but

emerged as something positive and high-energy. Although it

developed in larger cities like Los Angeles and New York, break

dancing continues to grow and evolve into the next level.

“The break scene is so eclectic right now that people are doing

all kinds of things and all kinds of styles,” O’Keefe said.

With professional hip-hop companies like Motion Underground,

which O’Keefe is a member, and instructional classes for youth and

adults, break dancing can only get better.

“I’m confident that breaking is here to stay,” O’Keefe said.