Feet fetch sweet steps

B-boy Calvin Walker held a free break-dancing workshop open to UVM students and the public at the North End Studios.

Walker has been break-dancing for 9 years and began when he had to perform at a talent show in middle school.

"Back when I was learning, I had dial-up and we would wait an hour for a three-second video on one move to load," Walker said.   

His crew, the Rhythm Riderz, is one of the few break-dancing crews in Vermont, which Walker described as, "a hip-hop desert."

For competitions, the crew always has to travel to a big city. During these competitions, top competitors might "show up late to a tournament that they think they can win," Walker said.

This is so that a crew can see their competition, Walker said.

"Everyone on the floor is essentially a gladiator though; you have a lot of respect for your competitors," Walker said. 

Break-dancing originated with people who did not have much and made due with what they had. "Nowadays you see the people who have made a lot of money off of it," Walker said.

Walker credits DJ Kool Herc as being the sole catalyst in the development of break-dancing. DJ Kool Herc would loop the drumbeat on a record continuously, which would create a "break" that his "break boys" and "break girls" would dance to.

"Break-dancing is more than just a series of moves. It's really wide-open for experimenting. It is still evolving," Walker said.

Though hip-hop might share some of the same elements that are in break-dancing, the two types of dance are not identical.

"It's like we're speaking the same language but with a different dialect," Walker said about break-dancing versus hip-hop.

Choreography is a dirty word to break-dancers. "Break-dancing is moving for the sake of moving — it's a sign language," Walker said. 

There is no limit on the creativity you can put into a move. At one break-dancing jam, Walker saw a B-boy do a headspin on top of a soda can.

Walker only warned of doing headspins without wearing a hat, which will lead to a bald spot, Walker said.

Walker will be holding another workshop at the North End Studios in the near future. For more information, go to Facebook and like the Rhythm Riderz page.