Dancing toward respect and fame

The man said he would show some moves. In a blink of an eye, his body spun a couple of times with just his hands touching the floor.

Thanks to his relatively long legs ― and taekwondo training in his early teens ― the spins performed by break dancer VERO are larger and more dramatic than average Korean b-boys, but somehow lighter and very well controlled.

With his signature spins, the 27-year-old dancer became a household name in the b-boy circle. VERO, whose real name is Jang Ji-kwang, won the U.S. B-boy Championship, Australia’s Destructive Steps 4 and R-16 Korea World B-boy Masters Championship in 2012; U.S. Freestyle Session, France’s Pessac Battle Arena 3on3 Battle and others in 2011 and more. His team, Jinjo Crew, is also ranked world No. 1, beating traditional powerhouses such as the U.S. and France at international competitions.

Wherever he goes, VERO attracts hundreds of break dance fans who upload video clips on websites and the dozens of fan sites dedicated to him. 

On Nov. 30, the break dancer will be competing at the Red Bull BC One 2013 World Final, regarded as one of the four major international b-boy competitions alongside U.K. B-boy Championship, Freestyle Session, and Battle Of The Year. The world final will be held in Seoul for the first time though two of its previous winners ― Hong10 and Wing ― are from Korea.

“I wouldn’t say I am not scared. It is a lot of pressure,” VERO said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Friday at the Jinjo Crew studio in southern Seoul. “I try to picture myself winning. When I close my eyes I can hear the music, the groove ... then I see my performance, awesome! And I see the trophy that I hold in my hands with the big smile I make ... This imagery really helped me through the Seoul tournament and I hope that will take me further,” he said.

But it doesn’t mean he is only dreaming. Bearing serious injuries around his wrists and thigh, as well as spine and other health-related problems, VERO keeps a strict nine-hour-a-day practice schedule, and stays away from booze and cigarettes.

“One of the real reasons I want to win is to be respected as a true artist rather than some youngster who was briefly infatuated with trivial street culture,” the dancer said, recollecting his memories of landing at Incheon International Airport after winning an international competition. While he was avidly cheered and encouraged overseas, he had to eat instant noodles at a convenience store by himself, feeling he had been degraded to an “underdog” once again.

“There have been strange perceptions that Latin or aerobic dancers could be respected as artists but b-boys are more potential juvenile delinquents. I admit that the sense of deprivation, the zeal to be acknowledged and respected, have brought us up to where we are but it is time to change,” he said.

VERO hopes that one day, break dancing could guarantee one’s financial success with sponsorships and the like. It is a far cry from the current situation, where the majority of dancers heavily rely on thin checks by small event managers and donors.

“If I keep winning and dancing till I’m 60 ― I can see a lot of foreign dancers developing routines for the elderly generation, so why can’t I? ― then people will be able to see the true side of break dancing: cool, peace-loving and fun moves. I hope I will be able to buy a tall building to dedicate to break dance, and let people know that dancing doesn’t make you hungry,” he said.

“In fact, it makes you happy and rich at heart.”

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)