SO FLY

Fly Dance Company enthralls a Fresno State audience with energetic break dancing

By CHRISTY ARNDT

High energy.

High flying.

High-definition moves.

A break dancing team, known as Fly Dance Company, brought a dose of hip hop culture to Fresno State at the Satellite Student Union on Saturday night. The show was just one stop on a tour through California and Alaska, before they continue on to Europe.

The road has been long but rewarding for the Houston-based four-man group and its professional choreographer and director, Kathy Wood. When she found the group performing on the street 12 years ago, none of them knew what they were getting into.

“I’m advocating this because it represents a group of children that falls through the cracks,” Wood said.

She sees the group as a positive role model for a subculture that is held together by individuality and determination.

The audience was both thrilled and touched by the group’s performance.

“They proved that if you have a passion, stick to it and you can do anything,” said Raul Cantu. Although the group has been under Wood’s wing for more than a decade, they were self-taught and learned by watching and imitating other break dancers. Some of the urban moves they’ve mastered had the audience jumping out of their seats.

“You never realize the potential for danger until you see them do it,” said Hugh Starkey, a fan of break dancing. He was impressed by the extremely advanced style of slow motion popping pulled off by Rock Williams. Williams started dancing at age 4. His mastery of the art got him a role as a dancer in the film “Too Legit: The M.C. Hammer Story.”

Another member of the group, George Casco, recalled his struggle for recognition as a teen. At 14, he was teaching break dancing at his middle school in exchange for practice space in the gym.

“The school required me to perform at the end of the year,” Casco said.

As time passed, they grew to love the activity even more. While their bodies are changing, they adjust their skills to accommodate it. Also, this rare opportunity to work as a team has given them incentive to continue conditioning their bodies and build character. Some break dancers dancing until age 50, outlasting athletes of popular sports.

Most break dancing groups go unnoticed by the general public, but Fly has met its audiences with a mutual respect. Their popularity skyrocketed with their piece, “Out of Context,” which pairs street-based moves with classical music. The effect is perfect for showcasing high-energy windmills, head spins and popping.

They also beat-boxed to each other’s moves and integrated humorous body language to make the audience laugh.

One dancer, Javier Garcia, moonwalked across the stage to reveal a white sequined glove, only to toss it aside to prove that you don’t need to be glamorous to showcase talent.