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Issue #11 November 1, 2013
to hip hop came to be called jams; essentially big parties where all the people living in poverty and strife at the time decided to forget their troubles for a brief moment and come together to have fun.
Today any competitive bboy event is referred to as a jam. Although these contemporary jams can still exude that party atmosphere, they generally revolve around a set competition. This is what jams are these days, and the jams in Hawaiʻi are no exception. Competitive jams can certainly be said to have changed the way people break, but they have not killed the spirit of hip hop. Far from it.
Stepping into a jam is stepping into a bubble. I put my phone away. I won't be checking it for the next few hours and I revel in the relief from the outside world.
The jam has both centers of gravity and pockets of energy that spring up across the floor. Most flow and circulate through the center of the dance floor, opening and closing in succession right in front of the dj. There are those that orbit around the edges, sometimes inserting themselves in quick spurts only to fade as quickly as they appeared. Others flare slowly, managing to burn brightly for hours. These pockets are actually circles and are called ciphers. They are an exchange of the breaking language between different dancers.
When the music stops and the competition begins, the teams or individual breakers are put into a bracket style tournament and are called up to duke it out, literally face-to-face. The circle becomes a square. As the opponents stare each-other down, all other eyes wait for them to either excite or disappoint. The crowd, mostly made up of bboys, have trained eyes and know what to watch for. They'll blow up in excitement over a power move, but what really moves their hearts is a dancer’s character.
Hawaii doesn’t throw many jams, but when they do its usually all about the love. This past jam, Skillz Hawaii, which happened on October 18 and 19 was no exception.
The jam, thrown by Clifton Abuyan of 808 Breakers, is an annual event. It's purpose is to take one Hawaii bboy on a tour of the Philippines where he will hold workshops and, of course, attend jams. This year it was won by up-and-comer bboy Hijack also of the 808 Breakers.
The jam, although small, was warm. Everybody knew each other and, at times, it felt more like a reunion than a competition. The atmosphere was fun, the dj was on point and, most importantly, everybody was dancing.
A tribute was given to long time crew Waikiki Bboys, who have been holding down the scene since the 90’s—they also won the three-on-three competition.
The jam culminated with a display of local talent: bboy Josh Skittles from Beat Rock Crew went up against out-of-town bboy Sawel of a California crew called Squishy Docious in an exhibition match. The underdog of the bout, Josh held his own and Hawaii was treated to a great exchange between two skilled individuals.
For the bboy a jam should be about more than just winning. It should be about coming together as a community and elevating ourselves. It is about creating together and inspiring each other. It is about sharing an experience. It is about communication at a level which, in many ways, is more profound than speaking.
Most importantly, it is about dancing.
Bo Rosen is a former Ka Leo Opinions Editor and writes for INhonolulu about music, dance and the nightlife scene in Honolulu. He has been breaking for most of his adult life and intends to keep at it until he can no longer stand.
Perspective:
"The jam has both centers of gravity and pockets of energy that spring up across the floor. Most flow and circulate through the center of the dance floor, opening and closing in succession right in front of the dj."
I step to my closet, eyes scanning the multitude of different colored shirts hanging, bunched together as if huddling for warmth. My hands pull out several shirts at a time, maniacally searching for the right combination of clothes to match my alter ego.
No I am not a super hero. I am a bboy, or in the convoluted media terminology, I am a break dancer.
What does it mean to be a break dancer? To the outside observer a bboy is more often than not an acrobat. In actuality, we are spiritual sprinters chasing the resonance of a feeling and using our bodies to express it.
This feeling is called hip hop and it was born 40 years ago at a block party in the Bronx.
Parties like the one that gave birth to hip hop came to be called jams; essentially big parties where