Unibreakers Bristol was originally set up for students from Bristol and UWE and is now a city wide society open to the public.  Anyone can come along and try their hand (or feet, knees, head…) at breaking. They run official classes as well as training and around thirty people currently attend the Saturday lessons, taught by Champloo at the dance studio in Bristol Student Union. Lessons cost a mere four pounds, and you don’t have to have any previous experience to attend, just enthusiasm!

Breakdancing is one of the most awe-inspiring aspects of hip-hop. It takes real commitment, fitness and bravery, so naturally the idea of trying it can seem a bit intimidating to us normal, wave-your-arms-around-drunkenly types. But after all, every member of Unibreakers was a beginner once…

Jonny, Keir and Frenchie are all impressively talented dancers. I asked them what it’s like being part of Bristol’s breakdance scene and what breaking means to them personally; “It’s like being able to read a new language, appreciate a different culture,” Jonny, president of Unibreakers for Bristol Uni, said. “You meet amazing people you didn’t even know were there. You go behind the scenes of hip-hop and see how it all fits together by word of mouth and what hip-hop really means. Hours and hours of training all pays off. Dancing is a lot of fun and when people are impressed it is even more fun. But you don’t do it for other people, you do it because you enjoy it.”

Do they ever go out to Bristol clubs as a group and just throw down some shapes? That’s what I would do if I could breakdance, which, sadly, I definitely can’t…

“I love dancing and will dance to anything from house to breakcore,” he told me. “Bristol has one of the best music scenes around and it would be a crime not to take advantage of it. As for us as a team, as well as performing, we go out for people’s birthdays or socials. We just pick somewhere and dance, but there is a big difference between just messing around drunk and breakdancing. You need to warm up, concentrate and make sure the floor isn’t sticky or covered in glass. If you try and breakdance in a normal club, even to something remotely like real hip-hop, people look at you oddly. Like all complicated dance, you have to know something about it to appreciate it. Imagine seeing a ballet dancer in a club, you just wouldn’t understand what they were doing with the music. It isn’t just arbitrarily spinning on your head because you can.”

“I like being upside down,” interjected Keir, another of the performance team. “It gives me a better perspective on things. It’s great to know a bunch of peculiar people who share my fascination for being upside down.”

And what would they say to normal people who might want to come and try out being upside down for a while?

“Everyone can break. That’s the beauty of it,” said Frenchie. “Just put your mind to it. It’s fun to roll around on the floor and face-plant yourself with other people.”

The team are going to be competing at the inter-university breakdance championships for the first time this year as well as performing out at Bristol venues. More information about upcoming performances or how to get involved with classes or training can be found on the Unibreakers website.

www.unibreakers.ning.com

Anna Freeman