La competición

Breakdancers!! Spinning wildly on the slippery tiles of the gazebo floor, around and around they go. The music blares loudly from boom-boxes with a quick and staccato beat. It’s the perfect rhythm-keeper for their unbelievable gyrations. I’m watching some amazing street talent in the gazebo of Cuenca’s Parque Calderon, late on a Saturday night.

The smell of sweat and perfume mingle in the night air as the crowd sways to the driving reggaeton beat. In the midst of all those crowded bodies is one young man, spinning like a dime store top. He’s there beyond your sight; that intense focus is on him. The latino tunes pick up pace as the night slips by. The blueness of the fluorescent bulbs casts a strange feeling on the setting. Time slows and then seems to just stand still as the camera takes in the scene and begins to fire.

Youth — they own the world. And, rightly so, they are our wager on tomorrow. Breakdancing is a form of their art, a vehicle for their expression. I like all kinds of art. Take this in, you’ll be amazed. Better yet, you’ll be welcomed. Have some fun like I did. Roll up your sleeves, be sure you’re wearing your baggiest and longest shorts and just start spinning the night away. No worries, when you run out of steam and start to falter, youthful arms will set you right and into the evening you’ll spin, spin, spin!