So as much as I knew this was going to be funny, I did not film my first day of learning how to breakdance. In my apartment, watching youtube videos. Because I’m definitely not confident enough to go to a class. Yet.

There are really a decent amount of learn-to-breakdance videos on the internet, I found this guy Vincani (http://www.youtube.com/user/VincaniTV) that I liked the most. Very clear playlists for different levels that go step by step, clear instruction. I did have to go back and watch his breakdowns over and over. Aside from a million beginner, intermediate, and advanced breakdance instruction videos, there’s also other forms of dance, martial arts, beat boxing, and other tutorials. You know, for when I’m basically a professional breakdancer and it’s time to learn more things.

I wrote down some of what I said out loud (in my one bedroom apartment by myself):
“but wait-”
“what?! how is he staying in one place!?”
*sustained, pitiful laughter*
“oh wow…bandhas”

By the third video, I’ve decided Vincani and I are friends and I’ve begun addressing him directly:
“oh really, Vincani, just like that”
“can you do it slow again?”
“where is your left foot!?!”
“it’s not that easy, man”

I asked the internet about breakdancing. It originated in 1970’s NYC. Pioneers site James Brown and Bruce Lee movies as sources of inspiration…it’s very clear that there are also gymnastic elements, and I’ve been able to see obvious elements of yoga in some of the moves where they hold (don’t worry, I’ll eventually do a post on this specifically). Oh- and people who breakdance apparently don’t call it breakdancing. It’s bboying or breaking. The internet is clear about this.

“B-boy… that’s what it is, that’s why when the public changed it to ‘break-dancing’ they were just giving a professional name to it, but b-boy was the original name for it and whoever wants to keep it real would keep calling it b-boy.” -Santiago “Jo Jo” Torres

There are four basic moves: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. So basically, I can do two moves (I’m not implying I can do them “well”) called “6-step” and “CC”. Quite unsure, but those two must be toprock or downrock because I definitely wouldn’t say my beginner footwork is a power move.

I think it speaks to how “cool” I am (not) that my breaking research started on Wikipedia, and ended up listening to an episode of All Things Considered on NPR’s website, “The Return of Breakdancing” (this title shows how uncool NPR is, too). You can find it here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1144040

While it is physically demanding, I think that, like yoga, it’s really accessible. I learned the moves quickly even though I’m highly uncoordinated…it will just take a lot of practice for me to get faster and cleaner!

If you’d like to follow along, here’s the videos I learned today:

Updates:
drinking more water? yes!
FIRST TRAIL RACE OF THE SEASON: THIS SATURDAY 5/4 Greenland 8 mile. I was unsure if I’m ready to race yet after a snowboarding injury kept me off training for several weeks…but here we go!
*Almost* done with Slaughterhouse Five to meet my one book a week goal. Also going to tackle Walden this week.
This week or next: first sewing project, BOLSTER for restorative yoga in my own house!!
Biked 80 miles over the week commuting. Just need to get out on a day trip to get consecutive miles in.
Must improve getting up ten minutes early to do yoga in the morning before I leave to bike to class…this didn’t even happen once.