Celebreak

The film “Detours” and how it addressed biting

Posted on December 13, 2008

Biting, or stealing someone else’s move/style/set, has always been a cardinal sin in breaking and the hip-hop community at large. Like any art, the dance is about self-expression and individuality so copying another dancer is looked down upon.

However, copying another artist is different than being influenced by them. Most artforms recognize that you can learn techniques and style from others while still maintaining your own sense of originality. But in breaking, this grey area has always been debated. What constitutes biting? Which moves are foundation (and can/should be done by all) and which are unique (and should only been done by the originator)? 

While it’s still debated, one of the things the helped clear the air was a piece from the project Detours. Detours is a film that featured Californian b-boys Kujo, Rawbzilla, Midas and Elsewhere. Dubbed “An Experimental Dance Collaboration”, the film showcases the unique styles of these 4 dancers who were often de-labeled “b-boys” due to their abstract styles. At the end of the film, they put together a compilation of breaking moves that were similar to moves done in different artforms before breaking ever existed. By doing this, they conveyed the notion that every move we do has been inspired by something or someone else and therefore, none of us is 100% original. It’s a great piece and for some such as myself, it helped clear up biting once and for all. 

Here’s the excerpt below. The guy talking at the beginning is Crazy Legs from Rock Steady Crew:

External Links:

• Detours Extended Trails Clip

More breakploitation from the 80’s: Vans Breakers

Posted on December 13, 2008

A few weeks ago, I wrote about breakploitation, the 80’s exploitation of the new breaking “fad” that popped up in the 80’s. I just found out that Vans had also jumped on the bandwagon, creating special breaking shoes called “Breakers”.

 

You have to love and hate this ad.  From the guy holding the boombox sideways to the tag-line “Breakers - Only for the Elite!”, this ad is another horribly awesome example of corporate monetization of breaking.

Charles Peterson and his new b-boy photography book “Cypher”

Posted on December 12, 2008

There’s an interview with Charles Peterson, the author of the new photo book Cypher at hiphopdx.com. Peterson made his mark photographing the rock world with bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam and recently turned his lens towards b-boys.  Even though he’s new to the scene, he still recognizes the magnitude of the dance. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

So the world of breaking is borderless and at this point I’m pretty sure one could find practitioners in just about every country in the world. In the book I have a photo of schoolkids throwing freezes in downtown Saigon. I just happened upon them - I saw them forming a circle and was like - ah ha! So even the unspoken language is the same. The cypher, the footwork, the freezes - these all translate without the need for a common linguistic language - it’s all about body language. And it can be practised by anyone anywhere which is the ultimate definition of globalization.

By submerging himself, an expert on a completely un-related subculture (grunge) was able to gain insight and depth on breaking. This dance and culture is truly open to anyone who is willing to embrace it. That’s a beautiful thing!

I haven’t peeped the book yet but I’m looking forward to it. Who knows, maybe I’ll even be in it

Groovaloos on new dance show “Superstars of Dance”

Posted on December 10, 2008

NBC has recently announced a new show, “The Superstars of Dance”, which premieres January 2009. From the press release

“NBC will broadcast “Superstars Of Dance” a breathtaking international dance competition led by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, two of the masterminds behind “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” and hosted by Michael Flatley (”Lord of the Dance”). For broadcast in early 2009, the unique series will pit the masters of various dance genres from eight countries against each other. Equal parts sporting event, rock concert and artistic exhibition, “Superstars Of Dance” is poised to become one the greatest spectacles of dance performance ever seen on television.”

The Groovaloos, an award-winning b-boy and hip hop dance crew from Los Angeles, CA have been chosen to be one of the dance companies to compete.

Watch the groovaloos in Entertainment Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Related Links:

• The Groovaloos Website

All Consciousness Crew featured in Central Magazine

Posted on December 10, 2008

Sydney’s All Consciousness Crew has been featured in Central Magazine and even got on the cover:

 

Breakdancing around the World: Iraq

Posted on December 7, 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.

This dance is seriously universal. There are breaker’s in Iraq, a country where adopting western styles can get you killed. The group’s first b-boy, who learned breaking while traveling abroad, was even killed for it. Here’s the piece that CNN did on the group: 

Breakdancing around the World: Cambodia

Posted on December 6, 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 NY Times recently had an article on Tiny Toones, an outreach program in Phnom Penh, Cambodia that uses breaking to empower Khmer youth. It was started 4 years ago by Tuy Sobil after he was deported from the U.S. on a felony charge.

Born in a Thai refugee camp and raised in Long Beach, CA, he was unaware that he was actually a Cambodian citizen. Nor was he familiar with the U.S. law that mandates deportation for all Cambodian refugees convicted of a felony. He had been breaking for many years before being deported but didn’t plan to teach it when he first arrived. He initially worked as a drug counselor and started Tiny Toones only as a crew to practice with. After seeing the interest and impact it had on area youth, he decided to open it up, converting it to a full community outreach program.

Sobil now teaches breaking full-time and has over 150 students in Cambodia. For more information, check out the Tiny Toones website.

Life & Death Tribute to Chicago Bboy Devin Perkins

Posted on December 6, 2008

Konee Rok, a Chicago based director who has long been a part of the Windy City’s b-boy and hip-hop scene, recently created a beautiful tribute clip to Seas 1, a b-boy from Self Xplanatory Crew who recently passed away:

Just do it: Nike + Breaking = Great Ads

Posted on December 4, 2008

Remember that Nike basketball campaign with the dope dribbling, tricks and breaking, that came out some year’s back? 

Back then, Nike was just flirting with the idea of using breaking in their commercials but now they have a full-blown relationship. Thankfully, they’re not exploiting it like companies did in the 80’s; their campaigns are a lot more tasteful.

Continue reading Just do it: Nike + Breaking = Great Ads…

Stop Motion Break Dance Battle

Posted on December 1, 2008

I’m not sure of the background, creators or point of this creative mock-battle clip but it’s so entertaining I had to share:

Break Dance Stop Motion from ben wheatley on Vimeo.