Breakin’ the Law, South African Style

Before a few months ago I knew nothing about dance and had never taken an interest in it. Then I started dating a dancer and was given a crash course in the dance culture. I started learning the lingo along with the different types of dance and gradually started gaining an appreciation for the sport. That appreciation has followed me to Cape Town, where this past weekend I spent at Joseph Stone Auditorium in the township of Athlone completely engrossed in the dance culture. I saw some of the coolest and most original pieces of art and athleticism during the nearly eight hours I spent inside the auditorium.

The first event was a fundraiser for Lindiwe Rose, the daughter of our internship coordinator, Vernon. She is an incredible dancer who has won some pretty renowned dance competitions, though she’d never tell you that. Adding to her resume, she was recently accepted to the Debbie Reynolds Dance Academy in Los Angeles and will be leaving in about a week. The show was to help raise money for her trip while also serving as a medium for dancers to say their goodbyes to her. Entitled “Out of the Box,” every dancer had to incorporate a box into their piece, which led to some pretty creative ideas. One dancer symbolically showed how dance helped him “break out of his box,” another transformed boxes that read “y live?” to say “I love you,” and still others used it as a “box of happiness.” I loved watching the stories unfold through the dance, something I hadn’t realized was so prevalent in dancing until that night. After the show, we befriended some of the dancers and they invited us back the next day to a break dancing competition.

So Saturday afternoon at 2:30 we were back at Joseph Stone for “Breakin’ the Law,” a two on two break dancing competition where the winner is flown to the United States to represent South Africa in an international competition. Not knowing what to expect going into the show, we were surprised when we realized the seating was on the stage. Silly us, you don’t watch a dance competition like this from the stands, you crowd in next to the dance floor, intermixed with spectators and competitors alike. The show was intense; at times I felt like I was in a movie. I saw some of the most incredible displays of athleticism I have ever seen on that dance floor. The dancers were in-your-face but pretty much always were good sports regardless of who won. The few people we met the previous night were excited we came back and it was nice actually knowing someone to route for. After over five hours the competition ended and it was finally time to go home and eat some dinner. Our friends didn’t win, but they invited us to hang out with them later that night in the city, where the dancing went on to the early morning hours.

With everything I’m seeing and experiencing here, life can get pretty emotionally taxing. I’ve realized the importance of getting out and having fun. The group who went to “Breakin’ the Law” signed up to be notified when more events happen at Joseph Stone. Hopefully we’ll be able to get back there and enjoy the amazing dance culture that exists in Cape Town.