The Importance of a Simple Beat.

Jamuelle Zumel
Bolster
English 3
7 September, 2009
The Importance of a Simple Beat
When it comes to Bboying or Breakdancing, most people assume that all it takes is just an enormous amount of strength and no technique at all. In terms of dynamics and technicality, Breaking has changed the way I think, carry out my actions, and has also altered my perspective of life. Not only does it give me an outlet of expression, but it also provides a new way of gaining knowledge throughout my daily practices. During every practice session, I would encounter a problem that would end up in a lesson teaching me either a moral, or a way to use my body in a way to benefit my movement and battle strategy.
During the summer of 2009, I began training intensely and reaching out to other areas. There were many times when I found myself having to conquer my own fears and doubts and actually focus on what I was trying to accomplish. One day, I was drilling my different variety of moves and was wondering why I couldn’t hit them as well as I knew I could. Time had passed by and before I knew, I myself had begun to sweat my shirt out. Many would call this an ‘Off’ day, but I knew there was something more behind my lack of energy and cleanliness in my steps. Soon enough, one day turned into every session that I had felt as if my abilities had taken a vacation and I was the only one who did not get the memo.
Round after round, I battled my friend Kevin effortlessly, trying to find the spark that would make my moves return home from an everlasting vacation. Drenched in sweat and disappointment, I started wondering if I had really lost my skill. A month had passed and still no turn out that I had expected, it felt as if something was missing inside me. I began turning to my fellow friends and questioned their ability to stay so constant. It turned out, that they themselves had undergone the phase that I was in. Surprising as it was, I was still under the impression that it was my physical structure that had a hold on me, dragging me to rock bottom.
Walking into the door of the teen center was always a weekly routine for me, but after a month, the vibe had suddenly changed. It was a feeling in the atmosphere that changed my perspective of how I approached my technique. Once I entered the room, I headed straight for battle training with my accomplice Kevin. I took a deep breath, and inhaled what had seemed to be the beats and the melodies of the music. Instead of spending all my time and devotion on a certain move, I began to appreciate the only thing that was there for me from the beginning, the music. Letting the rhythm and tones control my movements and keeping my mind open and free was the cure to my inability to conquer the obstacle.
It’s certain that many take a shot at ‘Dancer’s block’ in different perspectives, but without a doubt, if there was no emphasis on music there would be no dancing. Dancing wouldn’t be dancing; it would simply be another display of who can jump the highest with the best form. If it weren’t for the melodies and beats, I wouldn’t have learned that it wasn’t about sticking to specific style, design, scheme or pattern. The more one thinks about strictly following a form, the more they will think and put their own self down. I was so set on my physical ability that I had missed one of the key points to being successful in any situation, staying level headed and believing in ones capabilities to succeed.