Other styles hinder our craft

[Rox-it]

Is this true?

I love watching beatrock battles and it makes me want to learn how to dance other styles.

But whenever i start learning stuff i think to myself," damnit, i could be breaking right now!"

I love messing around w/ locking (when there's nobody around who actually knows how to lock). But i'll never take it seriously cause i'm so focused on bboying.

What do yall think about learning other dance styles?

[Tony Z]

Hey what's up Rox-it. I happened to check out the Indy forums and I thought this was an interesting post. To answer your question I'll have to say no I do not think other styles hinder your bboy skills. I think it does the opposite (b4 I go on I've been breaking under a year and locking for almost a year so these are things I've noticed/felt and/or read on). Learning other styles I feel gives you another sense of "groove" . All of the styles including breaking feel different from one another. With that being said one may be able to incorporate that groove into breaking to find ones own style. Also if one has down basic foundation of two different dances they can come up with there own move. For example the wiggle walk. Here's the link where he explains how he came up with his move www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAxnBUZ7Lz4.

But the only problem with learning another style is like you said time. To practice technique of moves takes time and energy and you may fall behind in breaking. But I think if one is to take @ least a half hour to practice a different style they could still do both (that's what I do @ least). Another reason I feel its advantageous to learn another dance style is because its happening rite now in the bboy community. The main one I've really noticed is House dancing (usually incorporated in toprock) and it looks sick imo. If you could incorporate locking into it thats something that would be rare (I personally haven't seen to uch locking in bboying other than apple jacks abd splits
Something else to consider. If one does learn @ least concepts of another style it can upgrade his or her breaking. For example in popping you could use (what I call) the warping affect and apply it to any bboy moves if the song allows it. This could also go with many other concepts of other dances.
Basically it won't hurt to at least learn concepts of other dance styles let alone the actual dance style lol. ;D

[Rox-it]

right on! Thanks Tony Z. I'm down for conceptual learning.

[jetnam]

they only hinder your craft if you let em... learn from international dancers. they don't just do one dance they do many and are disciplined enough to learn em well.

[Rox-it]

(sigh)...good point Jet. Unfortunately i'd rather watch anime than drill the basics of another style. But learning something else would indeed influence my breaking. Just not sure if that would be a positive or negative.