TALK TO US: Contact Kimberly Thompson at (785) 864-4810 or jayplay@kansan.com
USING HER HEART: Actress brings character to life in 'Butterfly Kiss.' SEE PAGE 2B FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS: Ah, sex buddies. SEE PAGE 6B
JAYPLAY
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
1B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2001
BREAKDANCING In time and motion: The changing face of urban dance STORY BY MANDALEE MEISNER PHOTOS BY AARON SHOWALTER
James Melbourne stands still for a second on a mat Tuesday night in Robinson Gymnasium, feeling the hip-hop beat radiating from a stereo perched nearby. Suddenly, he plunges to the floor in a flurry of precise movement. Others stand about, watching his body swirl and jerk, his legs and arms blurring in an uninterrupted circle of calculated steps and turns.
He falls, bringing a halt to his routine and eliciting brief glances from the others. A look of frustration comes across his face, but quickly disappears as he immediately bends forward for another try.
After watching him practice for a minute, mo st onlookers probably could identify Melbourne, Lawrence sophomore, as a breakdancer. Unfortunately, some may not realize this informal performance represents just one aspect of the ever-changing urban dance genre.
Tallman dances regularly at the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., where the breakdancing community often meets to swap moves and ideas. There,theebbandflow of innovation is checked against more established variations in the craft.
One traditional distinction quickly made by individual break-
"Like any art form, (breakdancing) goes through constant transformations." Nick Tallmon, Lawrence junior, said. "It changes to the need of people at the time."
One traditional dis-
So, after a birth in the late '80s as a funk sideshow and a slow transformation into the'80s dance crazey, what does breakdancing mean for its 21st century participants?
In one word: eclecticism.
If Lawrence is any indication, modern breakdancing is bringing an increasing mix of people to the floor.
"Ten years ago breakdancing was dead," Tallman said. "People just forgot about it until 1996 when Run DMC released It's Like That, which brought it back. Now it's more diverse, and new styles are more up all over the place."
Granada their histories are
separate.
The origin of the term b-boy is attributed to DJ Kool Herc. According to
www.b-boy.com, Herc would customarily lengthen the percussion part of an album — say, James Brown's funk
classic "Get on the Good Fool by transitioning from one turntable to the other.
This back and forth action created a breakbeat for the "beat boys" or "Bronx boys" who used the opportunity to showcase a unique combination of dancing and gymnastics. With inspirations that ranged from Brazilian-born capoeira to later variations on the jitterbug, b-boying became urban New York City's most popular hip-hop dance.
Larry Southhammavong, Vientianne, Laos, sophomore, practices his breakdancing moves at Robinson Gymnasium Tuesday night. "The carpet and the pads are what's saving me," said Southhammavong, who considers himself a novice after five years of practicing his craft.
"Popping" sits at the other side of the spectrum. Defined by Tallmon as "tensing your muscles to freeze part of your body on the beat," the jerky dance craze originated on the West Coast around the same time as b-boying.
Each style grew in popularity, and when Lionel Richie interweave the two during a performance at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the media used the term "breakdancing" as a catch phrase.
After nearly disappearing in the late'80s to early-'90s, some elements of breakdancing were further transformed by individuals in the late '90s with the explosion of house music, and that style became popular at raves.
Today, dancers like Melbourne — along with the other members of his crew, the Shin Kickers — have turned away from breakdancing as a part of rave culture.
Instead, they rely on the flips, foot-
Instead, they rely on the trips, footwork, power moves and freezes of original b-boy style, grounded in the music of b-bon
"B-boying is the physical expression of hip hop's energy, creativity and originality," Andrew Giessel said. Giessel, Larned junior, recently took up b-boying as an offshoot of his love for hip -hop music.
melbourne said that
Lawrence is a rising leader in the Midwest b-boy scene.
"The quality of b-boying you see in Lawrence is probably better than anywhere you'll see in this area of Midwest," Melbourne said. He hopes to have a b-boy competition here in November to
bring together talent from states such as Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri.
In addition to the resurgence in the popularity of traditional breaking crews as opposed to raving, another stereotype appears to be fading.
Alfredo Monitez, Kansas City, Kan., resident, (top left and above) breakdances at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. during the Beat Junkies concert Tuesday night. Clubs that feature hip-hip acts and DJs are popular forums for breakers to show their skills.
Maria Mohling, Washington, D.C., senior, started breakdancing after 12 years of gymnastic training.
Since she's a"b-girl" in a currently male dominated field, Mohling has a relatively unique vantage point to assess the current breakdancing scene. She said that bias against girl breakdancers actually causes females to strive harder for perfection.
"As a girl, you need to actually be able to do it and do it very well," Mohling said. "Guys can half-ass it and they get away with it, but as a girl you've got to prove yourself. They'll spend hours and hours at it. They're just as creative as guys."
Despite the dramatic recent shifts in the world of breakdancing — both locally and nationally — some stereotypes still exist.
"Even now, people have a misconception that most of us are thugs." Tallmon said. "And unfortunately, stereotypes exist for a reason, but it's not necessarily true. I do know a lot of people who do portray that lifestyle, but I also know people who do it just for love of the music."
"Ten years ago breakdancing was dead. People just forgot about it until 1996 when Run DMC released 'It's Like That,' which brought it back. Now it's more diverse, and new styles are popping up all over the place."
Nick Tallmon Lawrence junior
Contact Meisner at 864-4810
Breakdown of breakdancing terms
Crew: The group of breakdancers with which one practices and
perform.
B-boy: "Beat" boy or "Bronx" boy; male breakdancer.
B-girl: Female breakdancer.
■ Hip hop: A culture defined by breakdancers as containing the elements of b-boying/b-girling; aerosol writing ("tagging" or "graffiti"), emceeing (rapping), and DJing.
■ Kip-up: When a b-boy moves from laying on his back directly up to his feet.
Footwork: When a b-boy drops to the floor on his hands and feet, weaving them in and out in a circular motion.
Toprock: Basic upright footwork and dancing
toprock Base right toe
Uprock: Pretend fight
Sources: www.b-boy.com, www.breakdance.com http://hem.spray.se/sammorling/
---
)