JENR8.COMSophomore Kurt Altschul started breaking last spring, but moves like he’s been practicing much longer. His face reddens as he holds a move that looks like a caffeinated handstand.
“I have a gymnastics background,” Altschul says. “I thought this would be a good way to show it off.”
He’s right.
Dancing, though it is an art, is also a sport, and breaking is no exception. It is incredibly athletic, requiring dedication, endurance, and a tremendous amount of strength. Like all dancing, music plays a crucial role in the development of style and form.
“The music brings out what you want to do with your style,” adds Altshul, as tracks from one of Andy Lucas’ hip-hop mixes blare in the background. Lucas is the active leader of the Washington University Breakdance Club, and coordinator of this Saturday night’s competition. The is the club’s first competitive event, and will feature the funky hip-hop of Sac Lunch and DJ Skinny Friedman.
Tomorrow night’s competition at the Gargoyle will be held from 9pm until midnight, and is only $4 for students. Lucas, Altschul, and fellow club members Paul Zee-Cheng and Ben Pierce are likely competitors. Pierce has been with the club for over four years, and continues to practice and attend weekly meetings though he graduated in 2000.
Pierce encourages students who have never tried breakdancing to attend the club’s weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 9pm in the Lien multipurpose room.
“It’s not as athletic as you think,” comments Pierce, noting the artistic element of breaking. However, there are specific moves that involve upper body strength that may prove more challenging for women. “Women are built differently, so certain freezes are more difficult.”
But that hasn’t kept women away from what Pierce calls one of the basic elements of hip-hop. Freshman Annasara Purcell attended her first club meeting last Tuesday.
“I want to try to learn,” says Purcell. “A lot of my friends breakdanced in high school and I thought it was cool.”
Sophomore Zee-Cheng soon joins Purcell on the floor, and the two begin basic moves in slow motion. Lucas watches Zee-Cheng’s instruction and adds, “after the basics, you just add style.”
“You really have to be self-motivated,” comments Zee-Cheng. “You can show someone a move, but they have to practice it themselves.”
The music continues to blast from Lucas’s boom box: hip-hop, funk, basically anything with a strong backbeat. It’s clear that the University’s breakdancers can handle themselves and their moves, and can’t wait to put them on trial. The winner will walk away with a $250 prize, so don’t miss this intense competition.