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Come to VillageFest, the downtown Palm Springs weekly street fair on Thursday nights and you can hear loud hip-hop music thumping from a multi-colored boom box. A crowd gathers around a crew of breakdancers as they watch in awe, pointing their smartphones to snap photos for social media or walk up to leave tips. The b-boy crew first met at Palm Springs High School and have always stuck around with each other to keep the hip-hop tradition going. They started performing in front of audiences at dance shows and pep rallies to overwhelming praise. In time, the crowd size grew and they gained more confidence. As a spectator, I stand mesmerized by the kinetic energy — watching the crew take turns breaking on a white mat placed in the middle of the street as they showcase their individual talent. One dancer, I had the opportunity to meet is Timothy James Long, a 27 year-old half Filipino and half American born in St. Louis, Missouri. At age two, his family moved to Palm Springs, California — and ever since, Timothy is living the b-boy lifestyle.
How did you get the name B-Boy RiceBowl?
B-Boy stands for “Breaker or Bronx” Boy and the name “RiceBowl” is the name I gave myself when I first started dancing. Why RiceBowl? Well, part of it is because a “RiceBowl” could be just about anything that you put in it, or any “Flavor” you really want, and the other is…. Idk, but I kept that name ever since, lol! That’s the analogy of it. I am self-taught from Youtube, you can find great tutorials online! Nowadays, the tutorials are so detailed, you can learn just about anything.
When did you start breakdancing?
I was first introduced to it on television when “America’s Best Dance Crew, season 1” came out. Early 2009 when I first started to actually practice the movement. In Palm Springs High School, I saw other breakers as well and that really got me inspired since it was actually in front of me rather than on T.V. I thought I couldn’t do it at first, it was tough to understand everything. Almost quit to be honest, but when I got my first “Windmill” that changed everything as I once thought “impossible” became anything possible. So, I practiced other moves after that! It was very inspiring to have cool moves “with” the music. It wasn’t just big tricks, but overall a “DANCE” and that’s what really separates “Breaking” from everything else which I loved!
Walk us through the creative dance process.
Complexity is the key, or another way of saying it is “Intelligent Movement.” Breaking generally starts around in a circle with a back and forth motion. The way you approach the circle, the creativity is endless. For example, a beginner step called the “six step” is a footwork step that takes 6 “steps” to go around in a full circle. From where you start is the same place to where you’ll finish. Question is, what are other ways you can do “six steps” that could take you around the same circle motion. Well, that’s where the creative part starts. If you put yourself with 100 different dancers, how could you stand out from the other 99 and not look the same? Same concept of “six steps” but 100 different approaches is what makes it very interesting. Everyone has their own way of looking at it which slowly starts to create a B-Boy’s “Style” your own way of movement.
If I want to live a “B-Boy” lifestyle, how would I start?
Like any lifestyle, you eat, live, breathe around what you do. It’s a physical, mental, and spiritual development that all works together simultaneously. Same as a gym, boxing or CrossFit lifestyle, you do it because you love it. B-Boying is like a Martial art, the way you sweep, kick, step, turn has similar properties as any fighting style would have. You see the progression in your journey, which becomes the addicting part. What else can I do better than yesterday?
What do you enjoy most about breaking?
“Music with Intelligent movement.” Music is a beautiful thing we have in this world, and being able to connect with it creates a feeling that is hard to come by with anything else. There’s an endless amount of ways you can dance to one song and being able to adapt to different music on the spot makes it even more enjoyable! It’s a freestyle dance, so you have to move while listening at the same time. You can’t think and dance at the same time. Thinking while dancing will only leave you a step behind, so you really have to trust yourself entirely. What you practice is what will natively come out. Then taking that and connecting it with others, there’s no other physical language like breaking!
Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?
I still see myself dancing in the future. I would like to continue and get stronger, better, as time progresses and hone my craft. I might not be as agile in 10 years, but like everything else, it comes and goes. I believe you further adapt to things as time moves forward. Continue what I love to do and hopefully teach one day! I believe it helped and shaped me as a person, I would love to teach breaking to the next person that might find it useful!
social media: @bboyricebowl