The Art!!!!

B-boying or Breaking, also called Break Dancing, is a style of street dance that originated among Black and Puerto Rican youths in New York City during the early 1970s.
The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially in regions such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Russia and South Korea. While diverse in the amount of variation available in the dance, b-boying consists of four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. B-boying is typically danced to hip-hop, funk music, and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties of music along certain ranges of tempo and beat patterns. #Breaking covers both Bboying and Bgirling. In other words, bboying and bgirling make up the #Breakign pillar of hiphop culture.

 A Practitioner of this dance is called a bboy, bgal, or breaker. Although the term "breakdance" is frequently used to refer to the dance, "b-boying" and "breaking" are the original terms. These terms are preferred by the majority of the pioneers and most notable practitioners. There are many elements of b-boying that can be seen in other antecedent cultures prior to the 1970s. B-boy pioneers Richard "Crazy Legs" Colon and Kenneth "Ken Swift" Gabbert, both of Rock Steady Crew, cite James Brown and Kung Fu Films as influences to b-boying.Many of b-boying's more acrobatic moves, such as the flare, show clear connections to gymnastics. An Arab street dancer performing acrobatic headspins was recorded by Thomas Edison in 1898. However, it was not until the 1970s that b-boying developed as a defined dance style in the United States.

  There are four primary elements that form b-boying. These include top-rock, down-rock, power moves, and freezes.

Female presence.

Like the other aspects of hip-hop culture, graffiti writing, MCing, and DJing, males are generally the predominant gender within breaking. However, this is being challenged by the rapidly increasing number of b-girls. Critics argue that it is unfair to make a sweeping generalization about these inequalities because women have begun to play a larger role in the breaking scene. Despite the increasing number of female breakers in other parts of the world Africa is creating more awareness in female breaking, another possible barrier is lack of promotion. As Firefly, a full-time b-girl, says ...

"It's getting more popular. There are a lot more girls involved. The problem is few workshops and that the promoters are not putting on enough female-only battles."More people are seeking to change the traditional image of females in hip hop culture (and by extension, b-boy culture) to a more positive, empowered role in the modern hip-hop scene^. The lower exposure of female dancers is probably caused not by any conscious discrimination, but simply by the fewer number of female breakers compared to the number of male breakers. However, both males and females do practice this art form equally together and are competitively judged only by skill and personal expression, not gender.
                                                                               (Some of the info courtesy of Wikipedia).
Photos Courtesy of: Roy King, Kibuuka and Eyelense.

B-boy Harry Foundation, Compass Nella Fitness Centre, Ongata Rongai.

Email: bboyharry@live.com - Phone: +254 700 472 451.

If You Never Knew, Now You Know!!!!!!!

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. When you are seeking to bring big plans to fruition, it is important with whom you regularly associate. Hang out with friends who are like-minded and who are also designing purpose-filled lives. Similarly, be that kind of a friend for your friends.” - Mark Twain.

I love this quote! I stumbled across it a little while ago when I was looking for inspirational quotes, and it absolutely hit the nail on the head.

Can you remember the last time you were telling a friend or family member or even your partner about a dream, a goal you really wanted to achieve? It was probably something you were quite passionate about and talking about it with someone close to you. It got you in high spirits because you could already SEE IT. You could picture yourself opening the door to your new restaurant, shop, salon, clothing store, etc.

The person you are talking to responds to what you’ve said, and your energy changes. You are not so excited any more… the vision you had of opening the door to your brand new establishment seems to fade and disappear. Your spirit now feels low, and that disappointed feeling seeps in and your self esteem drops. If this sounds familiar, know you are not alone. We all have encounters with Dream Killers.

Dream Killers aren’t necessarily bad people; neither are they haters. A Dream Killer could be that good friend/sister/brother/parent who has never really taken a risk on anything because they are terrified of failure. So naturally when you share your thoughts of starting your own business that would obviously involve taking a risk, they are quick to dissuade you with care. They might say things like ‘that will never work in Kenya, or any place you are in this World‘, ‘I don’t think you can do it‘, etc.

I personally feel it’s important to seek advice from the right kind of people. I’ve been in the Kenyan events industry for just 3 years, and for the first 18 months the rate at which my dreams were being shut-down was stupendous. I’d have an amazing idea, talk to a few people about this amazing idea and before the end of the day, I’d be so depressed because my idea had been stomped on and mortally crushed. It wasn’t like the people I would talk to didn’t want me to do well, far from it…they just couldn’t see my vision.

After a few more months of dream crushing, I decided that I had had enough. I thought about what I wanted to achieve career-wise, and researched people in and out of the industry that I admired. I had role models in and out of Kenya that I studied and when I got a chance to meet one or two in Tanzainia, Rwanda & Uganda, I must have tired them with my never-ending questions, but hey when it comes to chasing my dreams I’m like a rottweiler!

In my life I have encountered 2 types of Dream Killers – the accidental Dream Killers who care about you, but will unknowingly discourage you from chasing your dreams, and the deliberate Dream Killers who are basically unhappy in their own (most likely) unsuccessful lives, and really don’t want to see you progress.

I’ve learnt that on the journey to achieving your dreams (and greatness) you need to possess the following tools (excuse the pun):

          Avoid dream killers. After deeply pondering why many people grow wings and fly in my workshops/events and day to day life, while a few seem to mire in confusion and discouragement, I decided to share about How to Avoid Dream Killers. The first and very prevalent hurdle to making dreams come true was taught to me at a very early age.

1) Prayer – Pray, pray and don’t stop praying.

2) Self belief – This is not to be confused with cockiness;  just that belief that you deserve to be happy. The belief that you are worthy of success, and that you deserve to accomplish great things IF you put in the work.

3) Have some amazing passengers – Surround yourself with the right kind of people. The kind of people that believe in you and will be honest with you. They will constantly push you to aim for your best. Do not confuse these people with ‘yes-men’ – in fact BEWARE of people that think every single thing you do is amazing. (I may have to write about the dangers of yes-men later)

4) Be prepared to work hard – Nothing in this world worth having comes easy. Don’t expect to achieve anything worthwhile if you are afraid of hard work. My father taught me that. I have never thought I deserved anything just because… If I wanted a new anything I had to work for it; do overtime to earn the extra money or just wait till I could afford it.

5) Be tenacious – You will fail at certain things; accept that. However, knowing how to pick yourself up, figure out where you went wrong, re-group and try again is an amazing skill to possess. Think of the Richard Bransons and Oprahs, how many times do you think they failed before getting it right? As the late Aaliyah famously sang: If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.

6) Be able to reflect – Take time out to think about and celebrate what you have achieved in your life, and likewise think about where you may have gone wrong or what you could have done better, and make adjustments where necessary.

7) Be happy for the success of others – Honestly this one isn’t always easy. You can choose to be envious of other people’s success or you can learn from their success. You can let their journey inspire you to be more disciplined in your own.

There are probably loads of other steps I could add to this list, but these are the ones that I’m currently doing my best to incorporate into my journey. Please feel free to add any useful ones below, because we’re all here to learn.

Let me end with another amazing quote that inspired me:

‘At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable’
- Christopher Reeve

Best of luck on your journey to achieving your dreams!

B-boy Harry Foundation, Compass Nella Fitness Centre, Ongata Rongai.

Email: bboyharry@live.com - Phone: +254 700 472 451.

Show Me what you Got??????

          In hip-hop parlance, the term refers to something like a jam session in which everyone contributes to the creative experience. Be they DJs, dancers, rappers or graffiti writers, all the different artists that collectively make up the culture of hip-hop can have their own cypher. When dancers cypher, you’ll see each taking a turn in the center of a circle, contributing a unique style, then resting. The center of circle is never empty and the energy of the cypher grows as the dancers push themselves into increasing levels of athleticism. Rappers cypher together huddled in a corner, rhyming acapella to handclaps or any ambient beats in the surrounding environment. "I was walkin' down the street about three o'clock, when I saw another MC at the end of the block, talkin' to kids tellin' em, how they had to get the dough, so I rolled right up in the cipher and said 'Yo!'" -- K-Os (Freeze)

                                                     B-boy harry Mceeing at Wakilisha.

What is your style? Whatever gets you on the floor, we have what you need to take your skills to the next level! This is what purely happens at Wakilisha "Street Cipher"

 

 

Its all about the expression.

Wakilisha is Swahili word meaning “Represent”. This is a monthly street talent cipher that seeks to deal with challenges faced by the urban youth; using talent as a medium. The Event entails display and reward of talents such as dancing, poetry, singing and rap. The event attracts the best talent in the country and commands a huge following among the youth.

 

B-boy Drift on his freeze!!!         

 

The Crowd turned up in large numbers for Wakilisha.

Best local Dance, rap artists and street poetry will be weaving their lyrical magic inside the heart of Rongai @Tuskeys Stage as part of the foreknown street cipher dubbed WAKILISHA. Aspiring emcees and street poets are encouraged to share their skills during the open mic portion of the event. Be sure to attend.

                                                              WAKILISHA.

                                                              Date: 6th July

                                                              Time: 3pm – 6pm

                                                              Venue: Ongata Rongai – Tuskeys Stage.

                                                              Entry: FREE!!!

 

B-boy Harry Foundation, Compass Nella Fitness Centre, Ongata Rongai.

Email: bboyharry@live.com - Phone: +254 700 472 451.

Is It A Must I Be High or Turnt UP?????

“The fight against drugs is far from over.”

The World Drug Report released by the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) does not present a world getting the better of the battle against the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs in the world. It has noted that the production and use of synthetic drugs is increasing in developing countries though the global markets for cocaine, canabis and opiates are steady or declining. Opium and cannabis production in Afghanistan and South America has declined, but synthetic drugs have grown from the scale of a cottage industry to big business, especially in South-East Asia. While 41 pc of the world’s cocaine is being seized, only one-fifth of opiates are intercepted. Drug trafficking has hit Iran and Pakistan the most, and most of the seizures are made there.  But the scary fact is that even after all the claims of fall in production and increasing seizures and interruption, drugs pose the most  serious combined threat to public health, security and the economy of the world.

        Findings from a National Survey on Alcohol and Drug Abuse conducted by NACADA in 2012/13 shows that 13.3% of Kenyans are currently using alcohol, 9.1% tobacco, 4.2% miraa, 1.0% bhang and 0.1% heroin.

• Overall, bhang is the most easily available illicit drug in the country at 49% followed by cocaine while heroin is the least available illicit drug in the country;
• Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the country and poses the greatest harm to Kenyans as evidenced by the numerous calamities associated with excessive consumption and adulteration of illicit brews;
• Among the different types of alcoholic drinks, traditional liquor is the most easily accessible type of alcohol followed by wines and spirits and lastly chang’aa;
• 30 % of Kenyans aged 15-65 have ever consumed alcohol in their life; 13.3% of Kenyans currently consume alcohol that means that at least 4 million people. 
• Traditional liquor is still more likely to have been consumed by rural children than urban children. More children in rural areas are likely to have ever consumed chang’aa than those in urban areas.
• The current use of all intoxicating substances is higher among men than women; for instance, the current usage of tobacco and miraa is largely limited to males except in North Eastern Province. Comparatively, the survey showed that 17% of men smoke tobacco while only 2.1% of women use tobacco products.
• Since the last survey in 2007, it is noted there has been a decline in the use of cigarettes, tobacco and miraa. Worrying, though is that the median age of first use of all drugs has gone as low as 10 years

             BACK 2 DANCE. 

                   The wonderful and energetic form of Dance and Music is one of the best forms of entertainment and mediums of reaching out to the masses today in the World. With youngsters and adults both opting for the current style of dance and music, it has made its way of entertainment gain popularity and acceptance amongst the Worldly population. The main idea behind B2D (BACK 2 DANCE) is derived from the endless need and desire to spread and showcase Dance and Music talents thus the fight against drugs in our Country has been running for quite a while now and we’ve seen many lives being wasted and battles lost to abuse of illicit drugs…. Through the art of Dance where D.A.N.C.E states Drugs Are Not Cool Ever We saw this is the only awareness that can be channeled and shared among the youth. Having the same language and understanding format to pass a message we saw the only way to achieve this is to bring together Kenya’s best and finest dancers and music artists to Launch a youth Dance and musical showcase and campaign against drugs.

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B-boy Harry Foundation, Compass Nella Fitness Centre, Ongata Rongai.

Email: bboyharry@live.com - Phone: +254 700 472 451.

Crank up the volume! Breakdancing is the IN THANG in Rongai County!!!

Street dance, formally known as vernacular dance, refers to dance styles—regardless of country of origin—that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs. They are often improvisational and social in nature, encouraging interaction and contact with spectators and other dancers. These dances are a part of the vernacular culture of the geographical area that they come from. Two examples of street dance include b-boying (or breakdancing), which originated in New York City,^[2] and Melbourne Shuffle which originated in Melbourne, Australia.^[3] 

^{Without further adieu Ongata Rongai, also locally known as Rongai or simply Rongaa, is a settlement in Kenya's Kajiado County located between the Kaputiei plains and the Western slopes of the Ngong hills.[1] It is a fast developing residential urban aggregation in the outskirts of Nairobi with a population of 35,000 in the 1999 National Census but currently estimated between 66,042[2] and 147,000. The city is situated 17 km south of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya and lies at 1731 m (5682 ft)
Being a multi-class area which is however dominated by the middle-class, as youths we chose to maximize on this county through our God given gifts and talent. We have create a bi-monthly event that showcases art with the aim to support, nurture and recognise rising talents in the region.}

 ^{B-boying or breaking, also called break-dancing, is a style of street dance that originated among Black and Puerto Rican youths in New York City during the early 1970s. The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially in regions such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Russia and South Korea. While diverse in the amount of variation available in the dance, b-boying consists of 3 kinds of movement/ formula breakin: toprock, footwork , and freezes. B-boying is typically danced to hip-hop, funk music, and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties of music along certain ranges of tempo and beat patterns. Through this type of dance we are able to create awareness and give back to the community. So lady or Gent welcome to my world of DANCE with a PURPOSE. "We_Are_The_DREAM".}

B-boy Harry Foundation, Compass Nella Fitness Centre, Ongata Rongai.

Email: bboyharry@live.com - Phone: +254 700 472 451.