Published: 12:00 AM, Thu Feb 04, 2010
We deserve a breakdance
Brian Dukes
Talking to Daniel Sigmon makes me want to break dance again.
Yes, I used to break dance - as well as a third-grade kid could in the early '80s.
That is why I'll leave it to Sigmon and his crew of experts when they present the "B4 The Heart Breaks" break dance competition Saturday at the Fayetteville YMCA at 5 p.m. The YMCA at 2717 Fort Bragg Road.
The competition is hosted by Sigmon's OTD (One Time Design) Krew organization (a nonprofit), which seeks to use break dancing as a means of community outreach.
"We're trying to get kids off the street and break dancing instead," said Sigmon. "If we can keep them preoccupied, then the hope is that they'll stay out of trouble."
The main event of the competition will be a 2-on-2 B-boy battle, with the winners earning an all-expenses-paid trip to Loose Screws 11, another break-dance competition, in Atlanta on Feb. 20, with $1,000 up for grabs.
Search YouTube for "Loose Screws," and you'll find some clips from previous competitions.
This weekend's competition also will feature an all-styles battle for $100, pitting various dance styles against each other - hip-hop, poppin', lockin', krumpin' and more.
For Sigmon, a breaker of more than 10 years, it's both the love of competition and the ability to help the community, that drives him.
"It's fun to train and compete, to push yourself harder," said Sigmon. "But it's truly inspiring to see these kids perform and know it's something positive."
Tickets are $7. Admission is free for 12 and younger.
Go to causinattention.org or e-mail onetimedesignkrew@yahoo.com for more information.
Staff writer Brian Dukes can be reached at dukesb@fayobserver.com or 486-3523.