True Crew, truly amazing
Break-dancing youths grow popular in Burlington
Jeff McLaughlin | staff writer
jmclaughlin@smcvt.edu
| “You might say we have an over-abundance of folk singers with guitars,” says Ron Redmond Church Street Marketplace director. “Over the past few years, we've made efforts to bring new and different types of performers to the street.” |
If you have ever been jealous of a break-dancer's moves, a group of 10 and 12-year-olds from Montpelier, Vt. will amaze you. The group is called True Crew and it has shown the town of Montpelier, and many others, its skills.
How did it all start?
The group is comprised of six dancers who take classes at the Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio in Montpelier. Ari Markowitz, Adi Birnbaum, Laci Harman, Tucker Robinson, and Luke and Nathan Burton are the primary members of the group. Nathan is 10-years-old, while the rest are 12.
This group of hip-hop and break-dancing youths has put on performances in its own town as well as in the Burlington area. True Crew uses its break-dancing skills to entertain audiences and raise money to compete in dance competitions.
The Burton brothers befriended the other members of the group when they moved to Montpelier a few years ago, they say.
“I saw what incredible things break-dancers could do,” Luke says. “I started with break-dancing and then moved up to hip-hop.”
Markowitz and Robinson are schoolmates at Main Street Middle School. Birnbaum attends River Rock School and met Markowitz and Robinson through dance class. Harman became a part of the mix through dance class as well.
“I started with break-dancing three years ago,” Markowitz says. “My sisters always did dance and eventually I decided to start break-dancing.”
Markowitz, who started at the age of 9, and Luke, who started at the age of 10, were the first to initiate the idea of creating a dance crew. Once they proposed the notion to the others, everyone jumped in with a great deal of enthusiasm, Birnbaum says.
“My mom thought I should dance,” Birnbaum says. “First we were all in dance camp together, then Luke and Ari came up with the idea to have a crew.”
Time to get serious
Once the group’s skills began to improve, it decided to take dancing to the next level. The group’s quest was to raise enough money to get a spot at the Monsters of Hip Hop convention in Worcester, Mass. on Oct. 6 and 7, 2007.
Fund-raising during performances at its town farmer’s market during the summer helped earn money. Along with the money made during those performances, the crew received a permit from Mimi Gutchell, Church Street Marketplace manager of licenses and permits, allowing the group to bring its routines to Burlington.
According to Gutchell, the group met the standard requirements to earn a spot on Church Street. It also allowed for some diversity among the performers of the area, she says.
“You might say we have an over-abundance of folk singers with guitars,” says Ron Redmond Church Street Marketplace director. “Over the past few years, we've made efforts to bring new and different types of performers to the street.”
True Crew performed on Church Street for two hours each of the last three Sundays in September. As a result, True Crew raised about $800 and earned a spot at the Monsters of Hip Hop convention, says Deb Markowitz, Ari’s mother,group supervisor and Vermont Secratery of State.
Monsters of Hip Hop
According to the Monsters of Hip Hop Web site, the convention's mission is to "bring hip hop dancers together with the industry’s top dance professionals in a fun and challenging environment that fosters self-fulfillment and career development."
Monsters of Hip Hop is a huge convention, Luke says. It goes on for two days with each crew attending classes from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“First you wake up and stretch,” Birnbaum says. “Then we split up into little groups and learned dances. It was a lot of fun.”
After classes on Saturday, the convention holds the Club Stylz Showcase & Freestyle Battle until 10 p.m. Here, dancers are judged on individual performances. In order to place in the competition, dancers must advance to the next round where they are judged for a second and final time, Birnbaum says.
The two dancers who placed from True Crew were Birnbaum, who placed third for her performance, and Nathan Burton, received fourth for his efforts.
Even though the convention has come to an end, True Crew will remain together. Upon returning home the group started back up with their dance classes.
“I’m definitely going to dance for as long as I possibly can,” Luke says.
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