Buffalo Rising Online

Jun 1st 2008, 10:49am By queenseyes

No, it's not a post about the pending anniversary of the War of 1812... it's a different type of battle. Battle @ Buffalo takes place at Verve Dance Studio (above Hyatt's Art Supply on Main Street) the last Saturday of each and every month. Last night breakdancers (and some b-boys) from Rochester, Syracuse and Pennsylvania arrived to do battle with our own Buffalo b-boys, and I can honestly say that it was a riveting competition. The battle is hosted by Shane Fry, a dancer who I first met years ago when he set up at the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts. Since that time, Shane has taken his gift to Verve Dance Studio where he now teaches the art of breakdancing, while hosting spectacular b-boy battles.

Shane has virtually put Buffalo on the map when it comes to b-boy competitions. Break-boys (and girls) gather once a month to show their moves. Some of the moves may be old-school, while some may be 100% unique or even jacked from a scene in a recent action flick. These moves are used to get into the heads of their competitors, while winning the hearts of the crowd. Actually, the ability of 'psyching out' an opponent can be key in winning favor with a judge. At last night's event we witnessed a perfectly timed b-slap dropped by one competitor - a slight of hand move (ala white gloves) so unexpected that the crowd (young, old, black, Asian, white) jumped out of their seats to cheer. Of course there were plenty of power moves as well... flashkicks, master swipes, and air flares were only topped by an opening act one-punch headglide.

From flashy footwork to robotic body moves, experiencing a Battle @ Buffalo is simply amazing. The New Era sponsored battles are hosted by DJ Simple and b-boy Depree And if you really get hooked, then you can take a breakdancing or hip hop class with Shane and actually learn your own uprock, freezes and power moves (with a focus on rhythm). To learn more about the battles and the classes, call Shane at 716.432.2761. Or check out some of the battles by conducting a search for Battle @ Buffalo on YouTube or MySpace. Next month's show starts at 5:30pm (normally 7pm) and ends with an album release after-party for Pseudo Intellectuals at the Tudor Lounge (Saturday June 28th). Verve Dance Studio is located at 910 Main Street above Hyatt Art Supply (2nd floor) - there is a $4 cover charge for a battle with cash prizes for the winners.