Thanks to the ADIDAS ORIGINALS X OC Spring/Summer 2013 collection, we're feeling sportier than ever! In the "Let's Get Physical" series, we check in with friends to find out how they stay in shape.
If there's one thing that seeing Madonna live at Madison Square Garden last fall did for me, it's remind me of the true meaning of the word show. Elaborate sets, flamboyant costumes, movie-like role-playing, acrobatics... The entire thing, from start to finish, was legit exhilarating. (I can also attest that, being 10 feet away from the foot of the stage––somehow I landed in the "Golden Triangle" area among the most die-hard of fans, you know, those decked out in Madonna looks from every era––the woman is actually flawless.) Point being that of her 22 dancers, six truly blew me away: the "bone breakers," who can invert any joint in their body and make bone look like rubber. They're kind of like those wooden mannequins you'd have to draw in art class (but if you were anything like me, you'd hand in a rumpled sketch of a stick figure and call it a day), except that these guys are human (thankfully), super high-energy, and also partial to dancehall, which is always a plus in my book.
Bone breaking is a type of Flex dancing, Flex being a contortionist genre of dance that started in the streets of Brooklyn. Its ever-growing umbrella of dancehall/reggae-influenced moves includes bruk-up, hat tricks, and more. Having just returned from the MDNA world tour that took them through Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East, Jahzrel Henderson (aka Vibez) and Stanley Mondesir (aka Sheik) were awesome enough to invite me and Brayden to Brooklyn Beast for a warm-up sesh.
Name: Jahzrel Henderson, aka Vibez
Occupation: Dancer
How long have you been dancing for? I've been dancing for maybe five or six years now. I'm double-jointed so I'm a natural bone breaker.
How often do you dance, and where? I dance 24/7, everywhere. While I'm waiting for the bus or the train... Even when I'm not physically dancing, I'm dancing mentally––picturing how I look from all different angles when I perform.
How do you warm up? We all start off by krumping, because krump takes a lot of energy, so it's a fast way to break a sweat.
Top songs on your warm up playlist? Well being that I'm Caribbean and that my dance style has a reggae/dancehall background, I usually warm up to that. On tour, we have our own DJs who mix old-school dancehall riddims. We usually play artists like Beenie Man, Bounty Killa, Mad Cobra, Wayne Wonder, Mavado, Wayne Marshall, and Ward 21.
1. Red Rat "Yuh Nice"
2. Capleton "Bun Out Di Chi Chi"
3. Mr Vegas "Nike Air"
4. T.O.K. "Somebody's Watching Me"
Favorite sports snacks or drinks? Coconut water; it replenishes me better than any other drink.
Fitness inspirations/heroes? This might be weird say, but Brooklyn is my hero because that's where I learned how to dance, and competition keeps me on my toes.
What was your tryout for Madonna like? It wasn't as hard as you'd think, although knowing that she might not like me was killing me.
What's the best part about being on tour? Traveling the world and learning about other cultures. But I think the best part was South America, because the fe
If there's one thing that seeing Madonna live at Madison Square Garden last fall did for me, it's remind me of the true meaning of the word show. Elaborate sets, flamboyant costumes, movie-like role-playing, acrobatics... The entire thing, from start to finish, was legit exhilarating. (I can also attest that, being 10 feet away from the foot of the stage––somehow I landed in the "Golden Triangle" area among the most die-hard of fans, you know, those decked out in Madonna looks from every era––the woman is actually flawless.) Point being that of her 22 dancers, six truly blew me away: the "bone breakers," who can invert any joint in their body and make bone look like rubber. They're kind of like those wooden mannequins you'd have to draw in art class (but if you were anything like me, you'd hand in a rumpled sketch of a stick figure and call it a day), except that these guys are human (thankfully), super high-energy, and also partial to dancehall, which is always a plus in my book.
Bone breaking is a type of Flex dancing, Flex being a contortionist genre of dance that started in the streets of Brooklyn. Its ever-growing umbrella of dancehall/reggae-influenced moves includes bruk-up, hat tricks, and more. Having just returned from the MDNA world tour that took them through Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East, Jahzrel Henderson (aka Vibez) and Stanley Mondesir (aka Sheik) were awesome enough to invite me and Brayden to Brooklyn Beast for a warm-up sesh.
Name: Jahzrel Henderson, aka Vibez
Occupation: Dancer
How long have you been dancing for? I've been dancing for maybe five or six years now. I'm double-jointed so I'm a natural bone breaker.
How often do you dance, and where? I dance 24/7, everywhere. While I'm waiting for the bus or the train... Even when I'm not physically dancing, I'm dancing mentally––picturing how I look from all different angles when I perform.
How do you warm up? We all start off by krumping, because krump takes a lot of energy, so it's a fast way to break a sweat.
Top songs on your warm up playlist? Well being that I'm Caribbean and that my dance style has a reggae/dancehall background, I usually warm up to that. On tour, we have our own DJs who mix old-school dancehall riddims. We usually play artists like Beenie Man, Bounty Killa, Mad Cobra, Wayne Wonder, Mavado, Wayne Marshall, and Ward 21.
1. Red Rat "Yuh Nice"
2. Capleton "Bun Out Di Chi Chi"
3. Mr Vegas "Nike Air"
4. T.O.K. "Somebody's Watching Me"
Favorite sports snacks or drinks? Coconut water; it replenishes me better than any other drink.
Fitness inspirations/heroes? This might be weird say, but Brooklyn is my hero because that's where I learned how to dance, and competition keeps me on my toes.
What was your tryout for Madonna like? It wasn't as hard as you'd think, although knowing that she might not like me was killing me.
What's the best part about being on tour? Traveling the world and learning about other cultures. But I think the best part was South America, because the fe