B-Boy Break at the Lake
Delaware Park by Hoyt Lake went upside-down funky yesterday when these break dancers showed up, turned up the groove and got down on their linoleum square at the top of the steps.
They've been trying out a few names lately: Omega Steps, DFC (Differential Flavors Crew), but what they say they are is Buffalo's premier breakdance group. We talked to Ted Krzykowski (green shirt), who came here a year ago from Syracuse in order to dance with Lehrer Dance, a new local dance company. (Lehrer dance is a contemporary company in the modern and jazz styles...not b-boy, and founder Jon Lehrer reminds Krzykowski regularly to "be careful!")
"I met these guys at Verve, upstairs at 910 Main Street, where they have dance battles," Krzykowski said. "We do freestyle, pop and lock, funk. All thanks to Shane Fry, the owner of Verve."
So on a nice day, the boys pull up, lay some linoleum down, and with the car as their sounds system, they get moving. This is hard work! And just when you think the dancers might cash it in, they turn it up a notch and you realize they were just getting warmed up.
Krzykowski had years of gymnastics as a kid, messed around with b-boy and didn't get into classical dance until he was almost 20.
TJ Veith (green shorts), Adam Saur (grey shirt) and Jeff Ford (black shirt, orange stripes) all did their thing; Saur and Veith taking their turn on the smooth surface, and Ford popping and locking on the side.
Krzykowski explained how this style of dance is huge in Korea, Europe and the West Coast. The music is a combo of techno and funk and simply called "break beats". One difference with the Canadian dancers is that they tend to like lyrics with their music more than most.
So break dancing is back? "It's bigger than ever," Krzykowski said. "If you have the talent, you should use it."
What Do You Think?
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