My Passion: The Beauty Of Bboying (Or Breakdancing For The Layman)

in #steempress5 years ago


Wrote this a couple of years ago. Still relevant and permanent. Check it out.

I thought I'd finally write a post on my passion, which is Bboying.

Most of you probably wouldn't know what that means because the more common or mainstream term people refer to it is breakdancing.

Yes, there is a huge difference. Here it is:

We don't just spin on our heads and bust dynamic, gravity-defying moves that seem technically hard.

We create art, our own style and our own identity through every aspect of the dance (and not just aim to impress others with the dynamic stuff.)

We're a dance, a culture, a lifestyle. We're NOT a sport.

A breakdancer just wants to learn the dynamic moves.

A Bboy develops their own style through movement and carries that identity into their everyday life.

Enough talk for now. Here are some videos of me:

(This last video is just a small throwdown of a power move called Baby Windmills. Power Moves refer to the dynamic moves.)

But really, it's not just about the big, dynamic, impressive moves

I've been dancing for over ten years now.

Yes, like a lot of Bboys, I started out learning the big moves and treated it as a sport.

Along the way, I learnt more about the historical roots of the dance and the beauty of its culture.

I don't want to make this post into a history lesson, but basically:


Bboying is part of Hip Hop. It is one of the four main elements of it, them being Emceeing, Graffiti, Djing and Bboying.

And Hip Hop is stemmed from a culture of peace, love and unity. It's not all about black people rapping about guns, money and girls, as you hear about in mainstream music today.

As a Bboy, I simply focus on the dance element.

Intermission! Here's another video:



The Beauty Of Bboying


It is art and freedom

A Bboy learns all the basics and every aspect of the dance itself to create his own style.

He has own signatures, sets and routines.

He doesn't just follow the trend and start learning dynamic moves to impress others.

I love how I get to create new movement all the time just by experimenting alone.

I am there to create art. I am not there to drill moves over and over and slog it out as if it's a sport.

There is freedom of movement and that is beautiful! It's equally satisfying knowing it came from you and only you.

There is also freedom to how I interpret the dance and how I perceive myself as a Bboy. You'd find that other Bboys have their own definitions and perception to the dance and culture, and that's totally fine especially since we are not restricted in that sense.

It is letting loose with the music

Finally! Here's your definition: A Bboy is short for Break Boy, or Bronx Boy, in which he dances to the breaks of a record.

We dance to the beat.

A Bboy is nothing without the music. I mean, if you're just dancing around without music, are you really dancing then?

I can't really elaborate further with mere words.

Music is a beautiful thing in life. It can make you feel something you never thought was possible.

Add dance, or allow your body to move to it. You WILL feel something deep down.

It is love and unity

You know what? I grew up hating sports.

Since young, I felt that sports brought out the worst in my friends. I remember every time we had a "friendly" match of soccer or basketball, someone would leave the place pissed off because the ball wasn't passed to him or some shit.

In Bboying, I saw the love and unity among dancers.

Young or old. Black, White or Asian. Junior or Senior. Veteran or Newbie. Local or foreigner.

Everyone is there to learn together, help each other and have fun together.

I was taught by highly skilled and popular Bboys from around here who did not hesitate to teach me on a personal level. I never experienced that in sports.

I've made a ton of friends from other countries from this dance alone. When I go abroad, all I have to do is to look for them on Facebook and they're always willing to bring me to the practice spot.

It is fitness

Bboying is not easy.

It keeps me fit, something I feel is extremely important. I don't think nearly enough people appreciate this idea.

Nothing else needs to be said here.

It is identity

I'm 31 years-old.

From where I am from, society expects me to be working and climbing the ladder, getting married, starting a family and basically being normal.

I don't have any of that yet, but it's perfectly fine by me.

I'm a Bboy.

The way I see it, relationships, work and money are things which can appear or disappear anytime. You're looking at the guy whose dad unexpectedly felt sick and passed away. I know for certain.

But when I am dancing, creating movement and flowing with the music, that feeling derived from it all is something nobody can ever take away from me.

And I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

That is why I am happy.

That is why people know I am happy today.

That is why friends and family look at me and they say, "Hey, are you still doing your Bboy thing?"

They know me as that, and that's enough.

That is how I always have a sense of purpose in life. That is passion at work.

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I put in up three days a week practicing

I honestly never thought I'd last this long. I always thought it'd be a passing hobby which I'd quit once I graduated from college and started working.

But as fate would have it, my dad died along the way and it just made me want to do my own thing no matter what just so I can be happy.

And Bboying takes up the brunt of what makes me happy today.

Thanks for reading. Here's a final video:

Wanna lead a passionate life? Click the banner below.

Another good read: Interview with Bboy Thesis: On Depression, Dance, Life And Battling Them On All Grounds


Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://alden-tan.com/bboy/

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