Weightless is weird feeling. There are no stress on the body, no duress, only strength, and especially freedom. I'm free every time I enter the circle. Its a unbeatable high. I'm just getting to know the bboying world, but I do it for the freedom its creating in my life.
Bboying has solidified my appreciation for two things: freedom in dance and life. "Duende", that's what I'm calling the combination of these two forces. I found Duende on a list of foreign words the english language lacks. That's such a weird concept that an entire culture could fail to label a common feeling. It's the euphoric electricity that shocks our inner soul, in the club, with friends, or in the circle. In Spanish, it means the soulful feeling inspired by performing art. That is the Tolstoyian rush I'm possessed by: the feather light ecstasy after landing a new move with the music.
But lately there's been a new world view taking over my mind. Through bboying, I'm appreciating beyond techniques to looking into the culture behind the art and more importantly each person's story. I remember the first time I got into interviews of veterans of the game talking about their story. These were the real heroes of life. Successes and failures of those who had chased a dream. People who had given up work and their home, lived ordinary lives, gone to medical school, traveled the world, and raised a families, all along side a zeal for dance. People with inspirational stories.
Even before entering the circle, bboying now influences the way I eat, think, and live. My senses and world vision is shaped by an appreciation for the story behind a move and behind each person. For dancing, bboying is teaching me freedom in movement. In living, bboying is teaching me transcendence, a connection when we vibe on the same frequency. These are the freedoms dance makes me feel and that is reason enough.
Why do I do what I do? Its simple as it sounds. Dance is a vehicle for all the freedom life has to offer.
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