RENTON, Wash. — Breaking is making its Olympic debut at the Paris games, so of course, Jake and I had to give this sport a try - and we knew the perfect person to teach us the basics.
Jeromeskee Aparis started dancing in 1996 and co-founded the two-time world champions Massive Monkees, a b-boy crew from Seattle. He was also one of three judges for the Olympic qualifiers in China, Korea, Brazil and the U.K.
At his dance studio in Renton, Body Language Studio, he taught us four elements to breaking. It starts with toprock, which is where you start the dance standing up. It's a chance for breakers to show off their style and personality.
"It's not just about the move. It's how you do the move," said Jeromeskee.
Then Jeromeskee took us to the ground to show us footwork. This is where coordination and rhythm really come into play.
Next, he showed us a trick: we kept one hand on the ground while doing a 360 turn with our legs. This was so much more complicated than it looked.
Then we learned how to "freeze," where the breaker comes to a standstill in an unusual position. Ultimately, we ended up with the side of our face on the ground, which supported our bodies in the air.
And lastly, it was time to put it all together and freestyle.
"Everyone can do flips, spins and tricks, but what sets you apart is your character, style and energy," said Jeromeskee.
For Olympic athletes, breaking isn't just an artform, it's a mental and physical challenge because in order to advance in competition, dancers compete in one-on-one battles for 18 rounds.
"Usually in world championship levels, not in Olympic competition levels, it would be about 10 to 12 rounds," explained Jeromeskee.
Jeromeskee says he's excited to see Breaking in the World spotlight in Paris when competition begins on August 9.