COLUMBUS, Ohio — Breakin' or breakdancing, as many people call it, is keeping some kids occupied and on their toes while school buildings are closed. And it's all with the help of a central Ohio dance instructor who shifted his studio classes online in an effort to help kids and give parents a break.
- James Alexander opened up Flavor'd Flow Studio in 2016
- Alexander's taught dance in Columbus for various companies since 2010
- He currently offers classes to the public for donations of up to $10 on Fridays as a way to provide kids some normalcy and socialization
Growing up, James Alexander always wanted to be an elementary school teacher. But he didn't know breakin', often called breakdancing, would have his heart too. Unsure of what to do, he decided to merge the two together one day. Now with his studio closed because of COVID-19, it's those two passions that have moved him beyond the studio and onto another platform.
Dance instructor James Alexander starts his Thursday night class. "Okay Everybody Up." Usually, he gets his students ready to dance with a quick life lesson first and then a warmup in the studio, But for now, he's helping them do it on hardwood, carpet and even cardboard — each one, in their own homes virtually. The dance they're working on is not just doing any dance — they're breakin'. It's something that comes from the hip hop culture, which means to break out and dance.
Watching their moves from his computer, Alexander said he's been teaching kids to dance for more than a decade in Columbus. For these kids right now, the fancy footwork is taking their mind off of COVID-19 as they finish up the school year. Giving quick critques and comments to students, "Okay nice, lookin' good guys," Dancer, Kasim McCarthy-Brown said, "It makes me feel like I have power so I can get through my work really fast."
Working on the next spin, knee drop move, Alexander said when he opened up his Flavor'd Flow Studio in 2016, "My end game really was to open the studio up, give back to Columbus, give back to the kids, give the kids and outlet, be able to be a person in a kid's life that I could be the mentor, the role model, teach them life lessons."
Alexander, who's also a bartender, is solely focusing on his virtual dance classes since COVID-19 forced the bar to close. He initially planned to keep the studio open but that plan fell through.
"That next week is when everything shut down. So, I was thinking of different plans of action," he said.
And before he knew it, he turned to Zoom to work with kids ages 4 to 17 on breakin' and poppin'. He said doing classes virtually isn't easy.
"It's harder, but it's working. And the kids get some socialization, some normalization and some exercise which is really important."
Practicing what they just learned, Alexander said the online classes provide socialization and normalcy. He adds that it's also helpful for him too as it gives him the chance to still teach history, culture and foundation of dance, along with life lessons like working hard to their reach dreams.
"Knowing that stuff, knowledge is power and power is confidence," he said.
It's confidence which fuels innovation, creativity and motivation for kids in a number of other areas too. For Skylar Thirtyacre, she said, “It helps me with motivation with like school work...and it helps me with motivation to not be so scared of crowds."
And it's motivation that will keep them dancing throughout the summer and into the next school year, even after Alexander opens up his studio again.
Alexander hasn't decided yet if he'll open up his studio right away once he's able to do so. He's still considering his options for classes. For now, he'll continue to hold his regular classes online, as well as Friday night classes that are open to the public for a donation of up to $10. He said if parents don't have it, they shouldn't worry.
To learn more or to sign your kid up for breakin' classes, go to the Flavor'd Flow Studio website.