Breakdance Club to kick off season with first practice

When people think of the opportunities IU offers, breakdancing typically isn’t one of them.

The Breakdance Club at IU, which began in 2004, is preparing for a new season. The first practice of the year kicks off from 7 to 9 p.m. today in racquetball court one at the Ora L. Wildermuth Intramural Center.

Senior and club president Michael Roach said the experience level within the club ranges from as little as six months to as much as two years.

Roach, who transferred from Purdue University last year, said he was introduced to breaking, as it’s referred to in breakdance culture, about five years ago after having experience with different styles of dance.

For those with no experience breakdancing, Roach described the rehearsal space as informal but structured.

Members of the club take turns breaking in a designated space, called a cypher.
“It looks kind of informal but with new dancers that are getting into breaking being taught by me or more experienced members,” he said.

Members of the club perform throughout the year on and off-campus, and they travel for jams battles and other breakdance events.

“We all love to do it,” Roach said. “It’s a good recreational activity.”

No experience breaking? No problem.

Here are a few basic moves you might learn at tonight’s practice if you’re a “newbie.”

THE BASIC POP ROCK
“This is good if you decide to go to parties and you want to at least look normal in a dancing scenario,” Roach said.

FLOORWORK
“This separates breaking from other styles of dance,” Roach said. Basic floorwork consists of learning a “one- through 12-step,” which involves using the hands and feet in a pattern. These basic moves allow dancers to eventually be more creative with their
movement.

THE “BABY FREEZE”
“It’s the very first and most commonly recognized freeze that b-boys and b-girls use,” Roach said. In the “baby freeze,” both the dancer’s hands are placed on the floor, with the elbow of the dominant hand supporting the abdomen. Weight displacement is involved, allowing the dancer to hoist his or her legs into the air.