Celebreak

The Breakploitation of the 80’s

Posted on November 29, 2008

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This is not a tale of two cities, I’m talking about the 80’s. The break-heard-around-the-world had taken breaking from NY to new frontiers. But with it came the trouble that many think ultimately killed it’s first rise to popularity in the 80’s: the media and commercialism.

Today there are many examples of companies tactfully using breaking in commercials, shows, etc…to push their products but back in the 80’s, it wasn’t the case. When it first became popular, breaking itself was something that companies thought they could commercialize and sell.

This period of breakploitation was horrible. And awesome. When I look at some of the stuff from back them I want to shake my head and smile at the same time. I’d be embarrassed to have bought into it back then but would love to cop some of the stuff now, even just for novelty’s sake.

There were a ton of books, like Breakdance by William H. Walkins, which were written to sell breaking as the newest fad (I guess pet rocks were sold out) and were targeted towards the youth. Some of these were how-to picture books and others were purely informative.

Continue reading The Breakploitation of the 80’s…

South Korean Musical “Ballerina Who Loves B-Boy”

Posted on November 26, 2008

The popularity of breaking in South Korea today mirrors what it was in the 80’s when it first exploded onto the scene. Fortunately, the dance is being respected and probably won’t “die” out the same way it did before. Along with b-boys, there are other artists who are helping to keep it alive.

Ballerina Who Loves B-Boy is a romance story that mixes ballet and breaking. Created by Hee-ill Choi, it has been running in South Korea since 2005 and has now made its way to NYC. At first I thought it was a theatre version of the movie Step Up but the buzz it’s been generating indicates it much more. 

This musical, which features 2007 Battle of the Year Champions Extreme Crew, has been attended by South Korean President Lee Myung Park, ex-South Korean Prime Minister Goh Gun and even Wesley Snipes.  

You can see the show at 37 Arts, located at 450 W. 37th Street NY, NY.

Breakdancing around the World: Brazil

Posted on November 25, 2008

Though breaking started in the Bronx, NY, it has since grown from a U.S. fad to world-wide phenomenon. I‘ll periodically post a “Breaking all over the World” blog to showcase b-boys and b-girls from all around the globe.

One of the world’s top emerging markets has a not-so-emergent breaking scene. Analysts and investors may regard Brazil as one BRIC’s four horseman but in the b-boy community, Brazil has been on the map for a while.

Coming from Sao Paulo, Tsunami All Stars take their city’s motto, “Non ducor, duco” (”I am not led, I lead”), to heart. From local dance floors to Battle of the Year in Germany, this crew is leading a new wave of Brazilian b-boys. Here’s a clip of their performance at South Korea’s World B-Boy Champion and Urban Arts Festival (R16) this past May:

Scientists get down too

Posted on November 20, 2008

If you’ve ever taken a phyiscs course, you may recognize there are some concepts (centripetal force, momentum) that apply to breaking. There are even a few websites that talk about the physics of breaking (Each website is entitled the “The Physics of Breaking”):

• Physics of Breaking 1
• Physics of Breaking 2 
  
• Physics of Breaking 3

Scientifically speaking, physics is a great way to explain how to do certain moves. But it also goes both directions. Breaking can also be used to describe science concepts. While physics stands out, Josh Fisher, a Ph.D student at Berkeley, uses breaking to visually describe his thesis, “The land-atmosphere water flux across plant, ecosystem, global and social scales.” This was done as a part of the 2009 AAAS Science Dance Contest.  

Here is his piece:

Planet B-Boy Movie Review

Posted on November 18, 2008

“I’ve been addicted to this dance for so long, it feels like a shadow following me wherever I go” says B-Boy Joe while talking about about his life as a breaker in South Korea. This Last 4 One crew member is one of the many b-boys whom the film Planet B-Boy, which was released on DVD last Tuesday, follows as they journey to the 2005 Battle of the Year (BOTY) competition. Unlike other documentaries, it explores the dynamics of b-boy life more than the dynamics of the dance itself.  

The movie starts off giving a brief history of breaking and how it’s decline in the 80’s led to the creation of Thomas Hergenrother’s BOTY competition in the early 90’s. The event, which is held annually in Braunschweig, Germany, holds local competitions in 18 different countries and sends the winner of each to represent their nation at the event. The documentary follows the winners of South Korea (Last 4 One), Japan (Ichigeki), France (Phase-T) and the United States (Knucklehead Zoo) as they train for and travel to BOTY. There are also numerous interviews with last year’s winners, Gamblerz, whom are also from South Korea.

For Ichigeki, BOTY is an opportunity to express themselves on the global stage. It’s their second time attending but they feel they weren’t true to themselves the first time around. This time, they want to dance more authentically and not compromise their style for the sake of winning. Their most frequently interviewed crew member, Katsu, also deals with his father’s death and helping run the family business.

The French b-boys, whom legendary B-Boy Storm says have more “Sensitivity for music”, are shown using breaking to unite people in Chelles, France. For them, breaking has been a means to reach out to the community and has even helped change the racist attitude of one crew member’s family. There, breaking and hip hop culture have united people from different countries and religions. As one b-boy puts it, their “Flag is hip hop”.

I’m not sure if it’s intentional but the film make’s the prior year’s winners, Gamblerz, seem a bit arrogant. But one might expect that as they were arguably the most notable b-boys at the time. In talking about their lives since winning, they mention raising their performance fees and being the first crew to ever perform at a Buddhist temple. Their goal is to make themselves and their country legendary by doing what no crew has ever done: win BOTY two years in a row. This contrasts the other Korean Crew, Last 4 One, who are portrayed as humble, poor and from the country side. They’re trying to make their families proud while making a living dancing in a society that doesn’t see breaking as a career option.  

For Knucklehead Zoo, going to BOTY is the ultimate b-boy dream. The crew members have found brotherhood in one another and relish the notion of winning and bringing the title back to the country where the art form started. They’re from Las Vegas and the showmanship and entertainment culture is definitely reflected in their views.

In the end, Ichigeki wins the award for best show and Last 4 One wins 1st place in the battles. But instead of focusing on wins and losses, director Benson Lee ends the film by extending the theme of hip hop as a unifying force. Once the competition is over, the b-boys let their guard down and start enjoying each other’s company. They give each other props, eat and drink together. These are b-boys from different countries, cultures and walks of life, yet they’re all able to relate because of their common love for breaking. And ultimately, that’s what this film is about. As Ken Swift says in the film ”No matter what language you speak, you can communicate with hip hop culture”

B-Boy Inspired Art

Posted on November 16, 2008

Breaking is an art but has proven to be a muse for other types of artists. I first heard about b-boy Inspired art at MoreThanAStance.com and was immediately impressed by the variety. Though all are inspired by breaking, each artist puts their own take on it using different styles, canvases and paints.

Kim Gyeong takes hisoric figures and depicts them in a b-boy stance:

Ward Jenkins, with a Jean-Michel Basquiat influence, paints on canvases as well as traditional breaking surfaces ranging from cardboard to linoleum:  

Andrew Hem captures a classic b-boy freeze with classic oil painting:

Hisashi Tenmyouya shows b-boys with the traditional Japanese Nihonga style:

25th Anniversary of the movie Wild Style

Posted on November 12, 2008

Another movie that helped spread breaking (as well as other elements of hip hop) was 1982’s indie film Wild Style, which was written, produced and directed by Charlie Ahearn. The plot is focused around the life of graffiti writer ‘Zoro’ (legendary graffiti writer Lee Quinones), but also includes performances by the Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash and many more. Mr. Freeze, Ken Swift, Crazy Legs, Frosty Freeze and other members of the Rock Steady Crew are the b-boys featured in the film.

It’s a cult classic for any hip hop head, breaker or not. Also be sure to check out the NY Times article on it by David Gonzales.

Breakdancing around the World: Iran

Posted on November 8, 2008

Though breaking started in the Bronx, NY, it has since grown from a U.S. fad to world-wide phenomenon. I‘ll periodically post a “Breaking all over the World” blog to showcase b-boys and b-girls from all around the globe.

The U.S. is currently bumping heads with Iran and many speculate we me soon be at war. Instead of causing damage and stacking up body counts, why don’t the two countries settle their disputes the good old fashioned hip-hop way and battle!

I recently came across this video clip of breaking in Iran, including a competition held in Tehran. I don’t know too much about the b-boys in the clip (yet) but I’d much rather see a battle between them and U.S. b-boys instead of a war.

If you know anything about these b-boys, the event or breaking in Iran, please contact me, thanks!

Ken Swift and Crazy Legs on David Letterman in 1984

Posted on November 8, 2008

The year was 1984. In response to the previous year’s hit movie Flashdance, breaking had become a new sensation. And people were hungry for more. 

To feed the public’s appetite, the media cooked an all-you-can-eat breaking buffet. You could find it everywhere; newspaper articles, magazines…and even on Late Night TV. Check out a young Crazy Legs and Ken Swift from Rock Steady Crew getting down with David Letterman to promote the 1984 hip hop film Beat Street.

Breakdancing around the World: Kazakhstan

Posted on November 4, 2008

Though breaking started in the Bronx, NY, it has since grown from a U.S. fad to world-wide phenomenon. I‘ll periodically post a “Breakdancing around the World” blog to showcase b-boys and b-girls from all around the globe.

Like many Americans, I didn’t know much about the country of Kazakhstan until after Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan came out. It’s embarrassing to admit, but it wasn’t until I saw that movie did I pursue more information. To my surprise, I found a country rich with history, culture and an emerging global presence; not only is it the richest country in Central Asia, it’s also the 9th largest in the world.

Another little known fact is that the country has some extremely talented breakers. Check out the b-boys from Simple System and Nu Pogodi at the Threestyle 3 on 3 competition held in Kazakhstan this past September.

Part 1:

Part 2: