Celebreak

Throwback “Singing in the Rain” Volkswagen Ad with David Elsewhere

Posted on March 23, 2009

I restumbled upon this Volkswagen Golf GTI ad that came back a few years ago and was quickly reminded of it’s brilliance. I know that one of the dancers is David Elsewhere–you can recognize his signature style–but am not sure who the other one is (I don’t think that’s Elsewhere doing the lamp post freeze, 90 or back flip). Anyone know?

How did Junior (Wanted Crew) become the B-Boy Rick Astley?

Posted on January 28, 2009

If you spend more than a few hours a week casually browsing the web then you’ve probably been Rick Rolled. If you’re into breaking, you’ve probably had the equivalent done with B-Boy Junior of Wanted.

I don’t know how he became the b-boy archetype but his Red Bull BC One highlight clip is one of the most shared breakdancing videos around. Marketers should be scratching their heads trying figure out how make something go that viral. I’ve had it shared with me countless times and since his name is often forgotten, I unsuspectingly click the links. The scenarios are usually along the line of…

• In person: “Oh, you breakdance? I saw this one dude who was amazing. I can’t remember his name but I’ll send you the clip!”
• IM/Email: “You gotta check this out! This guy has got to be the best breakdancer around!”

Etc. Don’t get me wrong, I think Junior is talented. I’m just perplexed over how he became the poster boy for breakdancing. Everytime I click a link and see that French b-boy’s familiar highlight clip, I think to myself “Dang…I just got Juniored”

Over-shared clip of Junior at Red Bull BC One:

Coming in at second place is the over-shared clip of Elsewhere (”Dang…I just got Elsewhered”) at Kollaboration:

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