Alvin Lau - For the Breakdancers

[yasmine59]

CHICAGO!!!!!

[BleachedPoet]

@mistermeka. It doesn't matter if it's not breakdancing. He doesn't claim to breakdance: the poem's dedicated to breakdancers and just dancers in general. What's amazing is that he weaves his popping and words together. i dare the average dancer or poet to do that.

[awerg69]

this guy is a fagget

[kidcrusaderrr]

@awerg69 your a fagget.

[bluninjadragon]

As a chicagoan who bboys: all i can say is...

you perfectly sum up the reason i bboy. thank you for that moment of inspiration

[Carto0n7]

thanks man.. made me smile! im a popper

[Wanekalily]

You are THE MAN. I'd love to watch you drink Red Bull.

[alexadrian05]

trash talk plsssss

[cracklemuffin]

this is tight

[DIEGOROCKS212]

amazing!

[AkiraKenshin]

breaking did not originate from all over the globe lol, it's shared and built up from around the globe but it was born in the states

That was a great poem, I never thought i'd see that kind of style, using popping and tutting and animation to recite poetry, thats pretty damn awesome, your movements go with your lyrics its an incredible blend.

Your verses are sick, you kind of remind me of Flobots the way you speak, very realistic and prose yet filled with powerful metaphors

[Shake26]

his talking so fast but its damn inspiring!

[RockMeRawscoe]

You make breakdancing..a mystic...art.

[DeftJay]

If I saw this live, my friends and I would have broke down into tears of joy. Especially my friends who are in the Runaway Tribe.

[spamoo]

Not enough people do something like this anymore, talk about something they have a passion for a put soul into it.

Most seem to be obsessed with "everything poems" where they think they're telling people about the meaning of life or where they ramble on about battlefields they've never known or never known anyone from, but it seems "deep"

This is where poetry & slam really meet, and they have to meet like this more often because both these things arent holding high enough a position in society.

[212230266191412]

ughmm cheack out def poetry

[minilik99]

The most rudimentary forms of what is known today as 'breaking' actually originated in Brazil. It was formulated by Africans enslaved by the Portuguese, They created a a modal warfare concealed as a dance known as copeira

....

[tercoil]

lol lots of people say that, but basically only a small amount of power moves were INSPIRED by capoeira, breaking draws upon many things, gymnastics, capoeira, martial arts. There is no one thing which breakdancing developed from.

[funkadactyl01]

brilliant

[solitdude]

that shit is wicked

[moonfreak421]

great poem, but i can't help but to to comment on the fact breakdancing wasn't such a poetic and grandurous art in 83 when it was just the black kids doin' it.

[midlevelronin]

Back in the late 70's, insteading of violence, youths in the slums, barios, ghetto's of New York vented their frustrations through a very vivid and emotional type of interpretive dance. Through the eyes of our generation's youth nowadays, it doesn't look poetic or flashy as it does now. But it's echo is much greater, to express yourself in a way that releases all pent up emotions during those times, is the most poetic thing a person can do. And it wasn't just "the black kids" that were doing it.

[narutoboy2010]

i thought breakdancing was invented in Korea. O_o or at least i heard that

[tercoil]

you heard very wrong, korea only picked up breakdancing like a decade ago, they managed to develop their moves extremely quickly though, but it definitely came from america

[AznStyleRemixX]

breaking originated from all over the globe.

everyone brings their own heritage and style to the dance =]]

[skip1ification]

breaking originated in the bronx

[elvayz]

nah, bronx.

[chuminat0r]

no it was only recently brought to korea.

[AznStyleRemixX]

LMAO

[kfboi03]

WOOT!

[Tosh13]

WORD UP!!!

[Andohhh]

wow.

[LevisLBC]

This was the beat piece of poetry I have ever heard, along with great dancing. Great job Alvin, Great job.

[inkjet08]

this is FIRE!!!!!! ABSOLUTE FIRE!!!!

[citizenwind]

popping and breakdancing or not the same thing. i do both, but sadly, i found i very difficult to stay articulate and close to the microphone while spinning on my head. alas, the limitations of art.

[jvking]

haha.. i feel u. still, much respect nonetheless

[liftong]

@citizenwind I would like to use your poem in my classroom. Is this OK? Do you have a print version?

[liftong]

@citizenwind

[mistermeka]

@citizenwind this is not even breakdance, you should do it like this.. youtube . com/ watch?v= 3DWdENUs91A

[freestylekid13]

@citizenwind very true, i but i just pop i dont breakdance :(

[heartb0x]

i always thought breakdancing and popping were the same thing, but what do i know, i'm not a bgirl or a popper lol. plus, i imagine that it would be hard to break while trying to deliver poetry. nonetheless, i love alvin, he's awesome!

[jvking]

props to this dude... but that is not breakin. That is popping (also waving, ticking, strobing... or known as FUNK STYLES). but still... dope piece. His movements distract me, not b/c they take away from the piece, but I am a bboy, & the more he keeps talking about breaking using popping... it gets to me

[monkey3691]

if u know what breakdancing is then you no that you dance at the break so popping is breakdancing because you pop(dance) at the beat(break).

[jvking]

Nope. wrong. Poppers generally dance to Funk... since it comes from the West Coast, that's what they get down to (Thus the umbrella term FUNKSTYLE(S). They also boogie to electronic music. We all dance to breaks, but poppers/funkstylers main music is funk/electronic, not usually consisting of breaks... as opposed to bboys/bgirls, who's dance is characterized by dancing to the break in a song... thus BREAKERS. Seriously.. learn u history & elements of the dances b4 u try to skool a bboy

[rpera15]

i love his work (=

[pmparas91]

AAAHAHAHHAH!!!!

OOOO SSSHHIIIIITTTTT!!!!!

that was TOOO SIICK!!

tsooooo!!

[soundtrackseven]

OMG DOOOOOOD.

OMG.

not only was the poetry fierce,

the moves were hot!!!

OMG DOOOOOOD beyond cool!!!

mannnnn!!! crazy!!!

[NL1012]

Alvin Lau is amazing. The poem he wrote to propose is my favorite. It's jaw dropping, breath taking, aw inspiring.

[kinduvabigdeal]

holy @&$^ iight between this and his work on Def Poetry I'm officially a fan now where can I find more of his stuff?

[dshadowazn]

where can i get the words for this poem

[M1i2K3E4]

i asked alvin he doesnt write most of his poems down. ive writing them down tho as i listen and rewind lmfao so if you want them just ask

[citizenwind]

uh, i'm working on a book ,so eventually i will have texts.

[M1i2K3E4]

ive finished the project long ago..

i've wrote out about 5 of his major poems

(in rough tho, some parts are entirely wrong)

if you need them send msg

[citizenwind]

please do not distribute copies of my poems without my permission. i'm sure you can understand why I'd have a problem with that. thanks.

[M1i2K3E4]

I'm pretty sure I already asked you permission. I have already TOLD you in an email that I'd be using it and you for an English Culminating Assignment, in which you replied heartily. Thanks.

[citizenwind]

1) it's totally different to be using my work for a private english class and to be distributing it to the general public.

2) also, if you're going to be a punk about it, why on EARTH should i give you permissions for anything?

[M1i2K3E4]

I honestly don't think I was being "punk" about anything at all. I merely stated that you had already given me permission to use it in an English class and there was certainly nothing about distributing your work to the general public. I have ALREADY apologized for the mistakes below and I don't think it necessary to continue this any further. With all due respect, this project is long gone and done, and I wish to leave the past in the past. Thanks.

[M1i2K3E4]

actually, i take what i said back.

"plus, i imagine that it would be hard to break while trying to deliver poetry. nonetheless, i love alvin, he's awesome!"

you're not even alvin?

[M1i2K3E4]

Wow.

I take that back too.

That wasn't your comment.

Lol I resent that. That's what being up without sleep for the last 3 days does to you.

Truly sorry. Please take this as an apology.

[n0s1r]

@M1i2K3E4 Always with an excuse eh.

Up for three days.Right.

Well. I only posted this because I was up for three days. Please give me a pass.

[M1i2K3E4]

@n0s1r

good reply 1 year later dumbfuck.

and just because you dont lead a busy life doesnt mean you can chirp at mine.

get a life thanks!

peace.

[n0s1r]

@M1i2K3E4 I was busy dumbfuck, for the whole year.

Just because you don't have the mental capacity to formulate a logical response doesn't mean you can keep going even though you already lost the debate. Get a brain thanks.

Sheesh.

[BgirlXaigon]

he reminds me of Beau Sia

[supamoe1984]

There both Asian thats all that he and Beau Sia have in common, Alvin is way better in my opinion.

[M1i2K3E4]

they are both very talented

[tpb86]

Sia plays for more laughs while getting his point across. I like 'em both!

[jaygee]

i love this! brilliant

ive never seen him w/o his glasses before

what a cutie! lol

[mashkun]

holy crap.. this is fuckign amazing..

[cheesesteakphilly]

This is talent...for real

[whitewingfirm]

He came to the November Poetry Slam at our school and performed this poem, among others. It was absolutely amazing.

[xiNFiN3T3RNALx]

Yeah. It was too bad that someone didn't get a video of that. He was even more amazing with Robby as his drumer.

[tnacrew]

very dope!

[darkopacity]

That was HOT!

[sherodthebod]

I rememer seeing this in person. Amazing!

[rackoy07]

wow

[scottiedoughnut]

excellent

[rainyzerox]

it gets better :]