The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy

For much of mainstream America, break dancing was a fad epitomized by the red Adidas-clad New York City Breakers, spinning on their heads on late night talk shows, or the Rock Steady Crew's mime-inspired Flashdance cameo, or those wild and crazy guys and gals in the breakout 1985 feature film Krush Groove. But the roots of break dancing, one of the key elements in hip-hop culture, go back much further. The Freshest Kids traces the real evolution of b-boys (break dance boys) from pioneers such as hip-hop Godfather Kool D.J. Herc in the 1970s up through its explosion into mainstream poplar culture during the 1980s in fashion, music and films. Serving up a treasure trove of archival footage of b-boy battles and performances to compliment interviews with the likes of Afrika Bambaataa, KRS-One, Mos Def, and many of the legendary dancers themselves, uni-named director Israel's The Freshest Kids places break dancing in its proper place in the hip-hop pantheon alongside rapping, DJing, and graffiti art. And when Rock Steady Crew icon Crazy Legs gives props to Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, the Harlem Globetrotters, and Bruce Lee as major influences (a seemingly disparate group), viewers can witness the evidence in these graceful and athletic performances that defy the logistics of gravity. Recommended, even for more liberal high schools that can look beyond the street language. [Note: The DVD's superior extras include more b-boy battles, bonus interviews, and music videos.] Aud: H, C, P. (D. Fienberg)