"Breaking" the Perception

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Ms. Astillero
R17

“Breaking” the Perception


Blinding fanlike spins, unbelievable feats of strength and amazing aerial rotations; this is how most people describe Breakdancing in society. To the average person, Breakdancing is all about flash and entertainment, and nothing more. It’s always about how many times a person can spin on his head, how long a person can hold himself up on one arm or how high a person’s back flip is. However, it is much more than how it is portrayed in society. This is why a group of friends are working tirelessly to change the skewed perception and reveal the truth. Through their unnatural grace, their gifted rhytm and their natural talent, the members of Soulstice Crew are trying their best to make a difference.

Soulstice is a crew composed of 12 dancers from different walks of life. The line up includes students from prestigious schools such as Ateneo de Manila and University of the Philippines, and people who are already working in various jobs to make ends meet. When one see’s them perform, their surreal speed reminds one of the moving blades of an electric fan while their unnatural strength obviously mocks the laws of gravity. Through their musicality, the ability to imitate the rhythm and construction of music through movement, one is shown a masterpiece that is both stunning and inspiring. Furthermore, these people, although very different in personality, upbringing and education are all united by the goal to change the perception of society’s view of Breakdancing.

The members of Soulstice Crew believe that media has played a big role in distorting the true essence of Breakdancing. First and foremost, one of the biggest sins of the media towards this art is inventing its own title for it. The correct term for the dance that was coined by its creators in the Bronx in the 80’s is Bboying. “B”, standing for multiple things such as Bronx boy, Beat boy and Break boy. It was only much later that the media came up with the term Break dance, and unfortunately, that is the term that stuck in society. Second, media never correctly portrays Bboying to the public since we are only shown the highlights and all the glitz and glamour of the art without ever seeing the dance aspect of it. The musicality, rhythm and flow of Bboys, people who practice the art of Bboying, are never shown on television because they are deemed not as eye catching as all the spins and flips involved in the dance. The wrong image portrayed by the media is the reason why many people, especially practitioners of more contemporary dances such as Jazz and Ballet, do not see Bboying as a legitimate form of dance. Lastly, Bboys are directly abused by the media. For all the trouble they go through to perfect their craft, Bboys are not paid a fair amount for their talent. Media takes advantage of the fact that many Bboys are poor and uneducated which is why they do not know any better.

The members of Soulstice are doing their part as educated and aware members of the Bboy community of the Philippines to change these perceptions. Jolo Desiderio, a member that is currently taking up Industrial Engineering in UP Diliman believes that “Compared to other countries, Bboying here in the Philippines is relatively new. Because society has no knowledge of what it is [they don’t fully understand it], they either reject it or try to make money from it [try to sell it since it is visually dynamic]. It is hard for them to see it as a legitimate dance and something that has a deeper meaning than simply spinning on your head.” It is amazing to see how these mere students, are fighting the norms and going against what media has brainwashed us to believe. However, what is it that pushes them?

According to Steph Verano, a 4th year student of Ateneo De Manila, “I tried it out wanting to prove something to someone but eventually it became much more than that. It gives me an opportunity to get to know a self not completely separate from reality, but an extension of the reality I want, a more personal choosing of how to move within my limits as a person and as a woman.” For Jolo, Bboying “is something that separates me from the uninteresting way of living that I have now. It is my escape from my routine reality. In Bboying, there are no limits which gives you the ability to be free.” As you can see, Bboying is much more than what media portrays it to be for these people.

Soulstice Crew has a long journey and battle ahead of themselves. On top of representing the Philippine hip-hop community, and making moves to end media abuse towards performers, these people also have to face normal and everyday issues such as studies, work and love life. It is truly inspiring how these young people are able to act on their passion without losing sight of their studies and work. Soulstice Crew is a great example of what the Filipino youth should aspire to be. As it is written on the official crew shirt, everyone should make it a point to “Aim High”!