KRUMP DANCING IS COOL

I  have been following a thread [1] on BrewedFreshDaily concerning Michael Polensek’s radical letter – and whether recreation centers might make a difference to our kids  Mr. Polensek’s ward has been promising to build a youth rec center for about 17 years but can’t seem to get it done.

Comments have been made on the BFD blog that rec centers aren’t cool.  Here’s my recent experience:

I attended a KRUMP dance competition at a rec center in Cleveland Heights last Saturday.  About 200 people filled the basketball/dance floor.  Family groups comprised the majority of the audience and there were two competing KRUMP dance teams from two nearby communities. 

In the blurry video frame (I need to shoot at 30 frames per second, not 10 frames per sec) I’ve posted above you can see a back flip in process.  The moves are really wild.

KRUMP is a combination of modern dance, marshal arts moves, gymnastics, pantomime, break dancing, and Michael Jackson.  It is extremely energized and team based.  There is a very cool vibe between the team members, and warm camaraderie as well between the two teams.  I flashed back to my high school swim meets where wave after wave of swimmers flew off the blocks and  cheering and screaming filled the natatorium.  

I take this opportunity to cordially invite  Michael Polensek to the Heights Youth Club [2] – a Cleveland affiliate of Boys and Girls Clubs of America [3]   Seeing kids and feeling the atmosphere in this club will convince you that rec centers are, as Marybeth Matthews observes, healthy, cool, invigorating, fun and very beneficial for our youth. 

Please contact the  Heights Youth Club director (who I know well - mention my name) at mail [at] heightsyouthclub [dot] org

Jeff Buster