Celebreak

One Year Anniversary of O.G. B-Boy Frosty Freeze’s Passing

Posted on April 3, 2009

I was browsing the Freestyle Session forum when I was reminded of what today represents: the 1 year Anniversary of Frosty Freeze’s Passing. It took me by surprise. It feels like just yesterday that the breaking community was mourning his death. One year has gone by so fast.

Freeze’s impact on breakdancing is immeasurable. His role in Flashdance is responsible much of today’s breaking. Personally, I can trace this blog, much of the past 11 years of my life and my first original move to the man. I didn’t know him at all, yet I knew him well. 

Popmaster Fabel put together a clip of Freeze to commemorate his memory. The footage honors the legendary b-boy and serves as a reminder of his contribution:

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.

Breaking on the big screen: Flashdance

Posted on October 26, 2008

At the beginning of each “Breaking around the World” post, I mention that the Bronx-born dance grew into an international phenomenon, but I don’t say how. Besides newspaper articles, word of mouth and seeing it with their own 2 eyes, most pioneers outside of NYC were first exposed to breaking through the movies.

Today, many movies have breaking in it and in recent times, it’s even become its own genre. Movies like You Got Served, Kicking it Old School and Step Up all showcase breaking in one way or another. However, it was first seen on the big screen 25 years ago, when Flashdance was released.

This movie segment, at just over 1 minute, was breaking’s tipping point. It caught people’s attention all over the world and set their sights on the dance floor. Thanks to the b-boys in the film (Rocksteady Crew’s Crazy Legs, Mr. Freeze, Norm-Ski and Frosty Freeze, R.I.P.), the dance exploded out from the Bronx and into the lives of people everywhere.

It continued serving as inspiration, even into the 90’s. When I first got into breaking in 1998, this was the quintessential movie to watch. There were other films around but this was the easiest to find and so people told me to hit up the nearest Blockbuster Video Store and rent it. My crew and I must have watched the scene over a 100 times and even today, I still know it from memory.

Flashdance was awarded an Oscar and has grossed almost $108 million dollars to date. But to many b-boys and b-girls, this movie was more than just a film; it was the matchmaker that introduced them to another part of their lives.