How can I learn to breakdance?

Question

I am 31 and I have never learned how.

Answer 1

Sorry, I don't think that it's something that you can easily learn. I believe your window of opportunity has passed, but you can still learn salsa or something like that...good luck

Answer 2

Practice.

Answer 3

Take Classes!

If you have time, try Bboy.org

It's a good website (with instructional guides) if you can't attend classes or don't have someone to teach you in person.

I don't recommend doing it alone unless you are really determined but as long as you know what your doing, you'll be fine.

The first things you should learn are:

6 Step(Category of footwork)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGsq_GYxb...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0WXUskpN...

Baby Freeze(category of freeze)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knJIpeoDf...

Indian step(Category of toprock)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41unkXlZY...

I don't generally like Expert Village's "Breakdance Videos" but these one's I posted are being thaught by Bboy Machine, a very well known bboy.

Again, you can find numerous guides/tutorials on these on Bboy.org, or even Youtube (I suggest you take a look at many of them to see what kinds of variations are being done and to avoid learning from a horrible guide)

Another thing to keep in mind is that a right handed person would generally like their footwork clockwise and freezes with right arm stabs.

The tutorial of the 6 step I linked is demonstrated going Counter-ClockWise(except at the 1:36 demo), and the tutorial of the baby freeze I linked is stabbing with the left arm.

After you learn those, there are more moves to learn from different categories:

footwork, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXssUeN6m...

toprock, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1o48G4lJ...

freezes, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBLkTjc0z...

powermoves, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4K9a8bfq...

And of course there's also transitions you would need to learn to put these moves together, and there's other categories too (abstract, floorwork, flips, ect...) but you'll get to know them as you go along - That is if you do ;)

Once you learn the moves above I would suggest going into:

Knee Drop(Drop - transition from standing to... not standing, lol)

3 step(footwork)

Coffeegrinder / helicopter(footwork)

CiCis(footwork) (you wont find a good solid guide for CCs, thought I can make one if you'd like)

Turtle freeze (also handglide freeze, just one arm not stabbing)(freeze)

Chair freeze(freeze)

Charleston(charlie) Rock (Toprock)

2 Step(footwork)

12 step(footwork)

"6 step into baby freeze" (Transition)

And then of course, there's more moves that you can learn, and even create, this can be a really inovative dance that can teach you a lot...

If you ever ask yourself  "how many footwork steps are there?"

People will give you different answers but I'll explain them as you may get confused.

1 Step - Non-existent in my book, though people say it's another name for a Coffeegrinder

2 Step - I recommend it, personally

3 Step - I recommend it, personally

4 Step - Learn it or not, your preference

5 Step - Learn it or not, your preference (I personally don't like it)

6 Step - Basics of basics! Everyone has to learn this!

7 step - Learn it or not, your preference (I personally like it)

8 step - Just a 7 step with a mirrored step added in (non existent to me)

10 step - Non existent to me, seems like an improperly created move (I personally don't like it)

12 step - I highly recommend it

Also note that this dance can be really loose with information, for example, some moves can have 5 names while others can have no official name at all... hence why I believe you should learn the history of the dance (wikipedia is an inaccurate information source)

Or if you intended in jumping straight into strictly powermoves the the first you should learn is a Windmill, the only prerequisite for it (in my opinion) is to know how to do a proper handglide (right handers should generally do their powermoves clockwise)

CounterCW Windmill tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftiC6jub7...

Hope this helps!