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Aug. 10--Think breakdancing is a guy thing? Think again.
For the past two decades, women have been doing hip-hop's fancy footwork alongside their male counterparts while garnering far less attention or props, as they say in the streets. The reason, according to some female breakdancers, also known as B-girls, is sexism.
Surprising? Hardly. Breakdancing is one of the four pillars of hip-hop, a cultural movement that emerged from the creative passions of African-American and Latino youths coping with the dissonance of their impoverished neighborhoods. The other three are rapping, DJ-ing and graffiti. All four venues have been dominated by men.
Inspired to dance
Still, tens of thousands of young women from around the globe have been inspired by the dance, said Martha Cooper, a Manhattan-based photojournalist who took the photographs for "We B*Girlz," a book on the subculture of female breakdancers (powerHouse Books, November 2005, $24.95).
Twenty-five years ago, the general public didn't know about breakdancing, even though it had been around since the 1970s. That changed in 1977 when then 10-year-old Jo Jo Santiago Torres and some friends, who performed on the streets of the Bronx and Manhattan, became known as the famous Rock Steady Crew. Other groups, or crews, began sprouting up throughout the city.
Cooper caught wind of the trend in 1981, just as it was dying down, and told a Village Voice writer who penned a widely read cover story about the dance form. Lincoln Center, recognizing the trend, turned to Henry Chalfant, an artist, photographer and filmmaker who focused on urban culture, to put together a breakdancing event. "It was really exciting," Chalfant said. "Back then, not too many people had seen breaking done."
Chalfant, who had put together an urban performance piece featuring breakdancers, selected the Rock Steady Crew and the Queens-based Dynamic Rockers to "battle" or perform at the event, which drew wide press coverage.
To recapture that moment, the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival today is sponsoring another breakdancing event, only this time it will showcase B-girls.
"We B*Girlz: A 25th Anniversary Breakin' Event" will showcase four female breakdancing crews that will face off at the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center.
Bends, twists and whirls
B-girling is tough on the body and the spirit. The martial arts-inspired, gymnastics-influenced dance requires considerable upper body strength, balance, flexibility and plenty of hubris as the body falls, bends, twists and whirls like a windmill on unforgiving surfaces, such as concrete. The most difficult part for female dancers is the sexism, some B-girls say.
Guys respect the guys, said Ana "Rokafella" Garcia, a veteran B-girl and a judge for today's contest. But they don't always respect the girls, she added.
Tiffany "Infini-T" Craddock, 23, a member of the Style Comes First crew that will perform today, said some guys assume that women's performances are weak and boring. They will shout out: "All right already," said Craddock, who has been breakdancing for three years. "And the girl has not even started dancing yet."
Sometimes, it's worse, said Garcia, recalling that once a male dancer tried to sexually harass her during a competition. Despite the challenges, the women continue to compete in worldwide events, enduring sprains, broken bones and the occasional blow to the ego.
"Breaking is a form of escape and helps relieve stress," said Craddock, who does carpentry. "And my body is so fit. I remember when I couldn't do handstands; now I can do them with ease."
Torres, who at 41 still dances and also teaches youngsters how to breakdance in upstate Elmira, said B-girls have come a long way. "I was lucky when I was growing up," Torres said. "There weren't many B-girls around. Now there are a lot, and they are good. Guys need to watch out."
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Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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