BREAKIN' OUT

Spinning on your head and learning the turtle and "six step" are only a small part of what goes down in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation every Tuesday and Thursday night. Chapter IU, a crew of "B-Boys," or break dancers, congregate on the racquetball court to practice moves and teach beginners what it is to pop and lock, uprock and toprock. \nThe club started when members came together at IU from all over the world. \n"We started about two years ago underground or guerilla style," said Ninh Huang, president of Chapter IU. "No one knew about it."\nSince it started, the group has grown from four members to 15. \n"People walk by and end up coming and watching or doing their homework while we practice and that's cool," Huang said. Hip-hop culture is becoming more and more popular on campus, and B-Boy Sunni Ayelle said there are factors that contribute to the ever-growing presence of B-Boys and B-Girls on campus. He said the movie "You Got Served" helped bring "breakin'" into the mainstream.\nThe group encourages people to come and watch it practice in the HPER building Tuesdays and Thursdays. It enjoys the company.\n"We are like a traveling circus," said B-Boy Chris Jeng, also known as Chino.\nMember Daniel Blokbergen said he had no problem finding the group. \n"I found these guys the first week I came here from Italy," he said. Though the dancers have no problem finding members, other challenges arise when they are trying to teach others the art. \n"It's real easy to get people in the crew, but to get them to stay is hard," Huang said. "People come and they want to do power moves, but they are based on a foundation." \nThe foundation on which most of breakin' is built is called the "six step," which involves putting all of your weight on your hands and dancing around them doing complicated footwork. \n"Break dancing isn't something you can do once a week and get it down," Huang said. "We practice at least twice a week." \nThe group uses the more experienced members to help build the club, Jeng said.\n"Ninh, Sunni and I came last semester. We had experience so we could teach people and that is why we are as big as we are," Jeng said.\nCyrus Suleman, the popper and locker of the group, feels he owes a lot to the group. \n"These guys taught me everything I know about bottom," Suleman said. "Everything I know I learned from Chino and Sunni." \nAyelle has been break dancing since he was in eighth grade and took a trip to New York City to watch B-Boys on the street. \n"It was a catalyst that heightened my love for breakin'," he said. "I really didn't learn how to start break dancing until I came to IU." \nHuang has been breakin' for about five years and has embraced different styles of dancing, but he feels break dancing is the best for him.\n"B-Boy is the most dynamic modern dancing you can find," he said.\nAfter practicing on the racquetball court, Chapter IU moves into the gym with pads for practicing power moves like "1919" -- holding yourself up with one hand -- and "2000" -- holding yourself up with two hands. \n"The pads keep you from bruising banana style," Jeng said. "These are dangerous moves." \nThe group is currently practicing for a Nov. 18 battle at Willkie Auditorium. The word on the street is there will be a crew from Ball State University. \n"I know we will bring interesting things to the table that people haven't seen before," Jeng said. "There will be a lot of acrobatics, a lot of choreography and a lot surprises. It is going to be one class act." \nHuang, who is choreographing the performance, is confident in his ability to upstage the competition. \n"A B-Boy always has to be prepared to battle," Huang said. "I am not nervous. I have too much experience to get nervous"