Don't call it breakdancing. Though the term is popular, it is looked down upon by those involved in the hip hop culture. This popular style of street dance is properly known as b-boying. I met with Ups 'N' Downs, the most successful b-boying crew in Egypt, to find out more.
So what is b-boying?
B-boying is one of the four pillars of hip hop, which are MCing, DJing, b-boying, and graffiti writing. It is a relatively new style of street dance that was developed in the 70s and it consists of four primary elements: toprock, footwork, power moves and freezes/suicides. B-boy, B-girl, or breaker is the name given to the practitioner of this dance.
Why is the concept of crews and teamwork important in b-boying?
Your crewmates can pinpoint your mistakes and give you constructive feedback. In a crew, one's weakness is covered by another's strength; therefore you complete each other. Also, harmonious teamwork results in the greatest performances, which may or may not follow a storyline. Moreover, many international competitions are between crews, so you have to be in a crew to be able to compete.
Who are the members of 'Ups 'N' Downs' crew?
B-boys CHB, Heat, Trix, and Alex.
What are your achievements so far?
We're the only b-boying crew in Egypt that works with 'Red Bull'. We're sponsored by 'Street Scientists', an international street wear brand. One of our members works as a moderator for BBoyWorld.com, the number one b-boy site. We toured with world class B-Boy Roxrite (from USA) and performed with him in Virgin Megastores, AUC, etc. We're also actively organizing many b-boying events in Egypt.
Has b-boying helped you grow as a person?
Of course. It's a way of life. Learning new moves could sometimes be challenging and we keep pushing the boundaries of the body which helped us lose our fear and become more confident in life. We also learnt that we should never give up because if you crash (fall) while executing a certain move, you stand up and try again and again until you get it right.
How is the b-boying scene here in Egypt? And what are the changes that you would like to see here?
Firstly, some audiences are too calm while we perform - even though they sneak backstage to congratulate us on our amazing job after we're done. We do appreciate their compliments but we'd also like to see more energy from them during the performance itself.
Secondly, b-boys with bad mentality perform only gymnastics-oriented power moves – to please and impress the crowd – and ignore other elements of b-boying like footwork, toprock, and freezes/suicides; their style is poor. This results in the misconception that b-boying is all about gymnastics-oriented power moves rather than a complete street dance that has much more to offer.
How do you stay motivated?
We stay motivated by constant practice, improvement, and accomplishing things. And we work as a crew so we help and inspire each other.
(Published in October/November 2011 issue of 'Cilantro Central' in Egypt)
