NYC Dance Happenings- Ballet con Breakdancing

Bunheads and B-boys
By: Ashley L. Mathus

Typically, in films dancers are often portrayed within segregated genres of movement. The ballerina is too stiff for the hip-hop teacher, or the modern dancer may appear too free spirited for the strict ballroom duo. However, this is rarely true. Dancers most often are inspired by other genres, and frequently try to manipulate different techniques to fit their own unique style or choreography. Dancers dive into many music styles, experimenting with sound scores and bridging the gap between what one hears and what one sees. To further prove our point we recommend going to Ballerina Who Loves B-boy. Ninety minutes of nonstop pull and push allocate tempered controversy amongst two different dance communities.

The 2007 B-boy World Champions Extreme Crew ignite the stage with Yerkes, Power moves, and Battle Cyphers, complimenting the ballerinas graceful arabesques and port de bras. Hailing from Korea, the production speaks for itself, “The classic art of ballet combined with the hard core street styles of break-dancing is breathtaking to watch on stage…You take these two forms of dance, neither of them more ‘right’ or more ‘focused’ than the other and you collide two opposite worlds of discipline.” Going to the club, you may have already seen a Cypher sans the technical name, but a battle between ballerinas and b-boys is something rare to catch. What’s fantastic is that this production is not dramatized, but brings attention to what young dancers may think while training at a young age, which can sway them to make a choice, rather than embracing both art forms as something to be respected and admired. This live production is better than any film because one can witness the energy and passion live, rather than the diluted screen version.

Preview tickets are only $26.25, which is a great deal compared to the regular prices ranging from $59- $69. Student rush tickets are available, and the production, which runs until December, is located at 37 Arts, 450 West 37th Street. The 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival chose Ballerina Who Loves B-Boy as the show of the year. The tumultuous relationships of both genres might teach you something about cultures we rarely get-to-know from the inside.