Sporting Life
Stylish breakers ‘Step Up’ athletic dance into intriguing sport
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A breaking athlete flies as the judges watch during the sport's debut at the Asian Games.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
HANGZHOU – Women in baggy pants and dudes wearing beanies are doing nasty stuff in Hangzhou. Don’t panic, “nasty” is apparently good. So is “fresh”. The MC is handing them out as compliments as the lights flash, Fresh Bella spins athletically and a drumbeat hammers out at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Gymnasium. This isn’t some sideshow entertainment at the Games, this is now the Games itself.
Maybe you grew up with wrestling and amateur boxing, but you better refine your vocabulary and adjust your taste because this is breakdancing time. It’s fast, cool and feels foreign but, like skateboarding, soon it won’t be. It has nine judges, one competitive oval, and battles between fellows named Quake and Wing. One dances, the other paces at the edge of the oval, and then he replies. This is a very stylish shoot-out.