Break it down

Amy Paterson / photo editor A member of Phushun Force impresses the audience with his power moves during the final round.

In a night full of power moves _— like windmills, turtles, flares and air tracks — hip-hop, dancing and intense competition, breaker crews from coast to coast battled it out for a $2,500 grand prize Saturday.

At Circles 6, hosted by the JMU Breakdancing Club, 32 four-person crews went head-to-head in a series of battles in Godwin Gym. Each battle had four rounds for each crew. Each break dancer, or "B-Boy," had a few minutes to showcase his moves in a circle on the floor, followed by a response from the other crew.

Macho, Bebo, Nery and Trixtah, of Ground FX Crew of Brockton, Mass., walked home with the grand prize after four brackets of competition, judged by veteran B-boys Twixx and Steelo. Also in the three-way final battle were Phushun Force of Maryland, and last year’s champions Lionz of Zion from the D.C. area.

It’s not all about power moves for groups like Ground FX Crew, though they are popular with the audience. Each B-Boy or B-Girl has to dance to the beat, often with complex footwork at high speeds.

"You have to know your foundation, where you came from, and keep it real," Macho said. Macho has been breaking for five years. "I like to dance. I wanted to do something different than drugs and stupid stuff," he said.

In competition with other B-Boys and B-Girls, Joined Forces took the $200 prize in the Bonnie and Clyde Battle. In this event, a guy and girl paired up to face off another couple.

"You get kind of nervous when you step up," senior JMU breaker Anand Kao said. "Once the music comes, it’s an adrenaline rush; you feel the music and just do what you have to do. The audience catches the energy inside the circle."

JMU was out in full force with four crews: Air Floor Dynasty, Not the Awesome, B-(hold a) Lady and Vote-4-Pedro. B-(hold a) Lady is an all-female crew, a rarity at the competition. Soup d’ Jour also represented JMU in the Bonnie and Clyde Battle.

"Everybody came from everywhere and it was sweet," said emcee Freestyle. "This year was the smoothest competition at JMU yet. Everyone came for the love for the music and the dancing. The vibe in here is so great."

"Battles go whoever shows up, shows up, whoever wins, wins," said JMU Breakdancing Club president Dario Tadic. Circles 6 drew about 1,200 people this year — up from about 100 people its first year. Tadic said the Breakdancing Club donates the profits to the Harrisonburg Boys and Girls Club. Tickets were $7 with a student ID and $10 without an ID.

Sophomore Elyse Poinsett, a JMU Breakdancing Club member, said, "The athletics, the dance and the style here are just amazing." There is a sense of fierce competition as well as friendliness and community, she said.

The night also featured an emcee battle. The five competitors were each given one minute to spit, Freestyle said. Rappers threw out insults and tongue-tying linguistics on the spot. Slim C, of Northern Virginia, won in a final battle with A-class.

Graffiti artists exhibited their work on large canvases as well. "It’s the stuff your grandmother hates, it’s the stuff your mayor tells you is trash. Bullshit — it’s art," Freestyle said.