Planet B-Boys

I have never really gotten into shows like, "So You Think You Can Dance" or "America's Best Dance Crew", even though I would probably really enjoy them.  I know who the Jabawakies are, and I think I may have seen an episode or two of their competition on "America's Best Dance Crew".  I find it amazing what these people can do with their bodies and the pure strength and creativity they exude.  This same awe is what I felt this morning watching Planet B-Boys.  Planet B-boys is a documentary following five teams from around the globe and their journey to the "Battle of the Year" in Germany.  I love documentaries and this is probably one of the best ones I have seen.

One of the things I love most about this documentary was that it showcased how universal hip hop has become, and what a positive force it is.  One of the B-boys from France pointed out there there's a lot of negativity coming from people who don't take the time to really look at the genre because many people just associate it as "gangsta rap", but there's so much more.  Hip hop has become more than just music, it's an art form, it inspires dancing, painting, clothing and culture all over the world.  Planet B-Boy shows how each of the teams are shaped by their countries interpretation of that culture.  The Japanese are cutting edge, the French are beautiful dancers, the Koreans have power in each of the moves and United States feel they are defending history as the originators of break dancing.  to each of these teams and individuals dancing is a positive force in their life.  It's truly inspiring to watch.

I also loved the focus on friends and family of each of the dancers.  They each obviously have their own biological families, some that are shown and others that are not, but they also see their team as a family.  The French team is mostly made up of Northern African immigrants or children of immigrants, and then they have one young white boy.  It's great to see how they take him in as a brother and to see how the boys mother's perception of break dancing the the culture around it changed.  They same family bond can be seen in all the teams.  When one Japanese dancer lost his father they said it was like the team had lost their father.  The United States team uses the word family to describe each other.  It is clear that this culture has made an unbreakable bond among these young men.  I suggest that if you have netflix you go online right now and stream the movie instantly to your computer or playstation or whatever. 

Finally, I think that most people consider break dancing to be a thing of the past.  It was big in the 80s along with Run DMC and LL Cool J.  This documentary proves that it is not only still relevant but that it is growing and evolving globally.  Each year teams try to come up with something more spectacular than anyone else and that the world has never seen before.  The creativity is immense, and you see it influencing these dance competition television shows, and the choreography of some of the biggest pop acts today.