By Jennifer Wilson
When most people think of breakdancing, they think of people dancing in the streets, or the hip-hop background dancers in rap music videos. Most people don’t think of professional dancers.
But an Ottawa-based breakdancing crew is working to change that perception.
The Qwod Skwod was founded in 1995 by Rurik Padolsky, a choreographer who first got into dancing by going out to clubs and watching other people dance.
This professional group has performed across Canada and Europe. Padolsky says he started his own group as a way to expand breakdancing as a dance form.
“It’s a breakdance crew that tried to get away from standard, boring breakdancing and kind of explore the dimensions of dance,” says Padolsky.
He says they wanted to break away from the traditional and showy moves like head-spins, balancing on one hand and flips. They use those moves in their choreography, but they integrate them with other styles of dance, such as jazz or modern, and do more dancing than just flashy moves.
Miguel Faulkner-Carriere, a choreographer who joined the crew in 1999, says that modern dance is about finding new ways to move with the traditional steps you learn in dance class and not having to conform.
Padolsky and Faulkner-Carriere are currently choreographing a show in collaboration with Ottawa’s Le Group Dance Lab. Faulkner-Carriere says they were attracted to working with Le Group because the dancers’ various backgrounds in styles such as ballet and modern allow them to explore different styles of dance.
“People see breakdancing as just a certain dance,” he says. “We try to show that even in breakdancing, all the dancers have individual styles, so it’s always a totally different dance.”
“Our whole group is made of misfits, from all sorts of genres,” says Padolsky. “There’s a lot of influence from everywhere, a lot of skateboarders and punks and hip-hoppers. For us, the whole goal of breakdancing is to find your own individual style.”
Robert Abubo, a dancer from Le Group who is performing in the upcoming show, says what separates the Qwod Skwod from the rest of breakdance culture is that they don’t listen to rap music when they practice or dance, but listen mostly to electronica, independent rock or punk.
“They’re doing quite a simple thing, they’re just changing music, but it changes completely how they move and completely how they feel,” Abubo says. “They’re challenging themselves rhythmically and dance-wise just by changing what they listen to.”
Padolsky says what makes their crew unique is that they are bringing breakdancing onto the dance stage instead of just in the hip hop clubs.
He says the problem with other dance groups is that they don’t know how to incorporate breakdancing smoothly into their shows.
“They either try to go too modern with the dancers and they don’t do any breakdancing or they just go out there and breakdance,” he says.
“We’re very theatrical, we tell a story,” says Faulkner-Carriere. “Our movement is different from what people will usually see, even if you are a breakdancer.”
Padolsky says they’re trying to overcome many stereotypes about breakdancing.
He says when he approaches people about performing for them, they think of breakdancing as connected to the thug scene.
“And then they see us dance and they’re like ‘Oh that’s not what I thought,’ ” he says.
Faulkner-Carriere agrees that people don’t often think of breakdancers as professional.
“They always ask ‘Where do you practice? Do you practice in your basement or on the street?”
He says that people are surprised when he tells them he goes to a dance school.
Abubo says that as a professional dancer he’s always fighting for what he does.
“I’m fortunate enough to get paid for doing what I love,” he says. “A lot of people still don’t get it, they consider (dancing) a hobby.”
“That’s what we try to overcome,” adds Padolsky.
The Qwod Skwod is performing on March 31 and April 1 and 2 at 8 pm at Le Group Dance Lab in the Arts Court on Daly Ave. For ticket information call 235-1492.