oes On'
Breakdown, a hip-hop dance troupe, puts on a show
every year that sends most of its proceeds to charity
BY AMY LICHTY
PULSE REPORTER
Breakdown, a Eugene hip-hop
dance troupe, puts on a show every
yearthat anyone from three to 89 years
old can enjoy and appreciate.
Beginning in October, Breakdown
holds auditions for a performance six
months out, and the dancers work hard
for eight hours every Sunday to create
an amazing show they can be proud of.
"Our dancers have incredible
dance backgrounds. There's usually
about 80to 100 dancers that try out,
and we can take no more than 55,"
Breakdown director Lindsey McMa
hon said. "They blow me away when
I watch them, and I can't believe that
they're here in Eugene."
Not only does the group work hard
to produce a great show, but the
dancers also work hard to give back
to the community. Every year, Break
down gives the majority of its pro
ceeds to charity.
Thisyearthe company chose to
donate its money to Eugene's Relief
Nursery, a daycare centerthat at
tempts to prevent abuse and neglect.
"The families that go to this place
are anywhere from just overbooked
and overstressed and need some
where to drop their kids off, or some
where there's abuse or substance
For the week of March 4th!
Au important, tuneless classic has beeu
ilmed successfully and at long last."
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AJ Pacino's terrific to watch and listen
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a film by Mike Leigh
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abuse involved and they need to get
their kids into a safe place,"
McMahon said.
But the nursery isn't the only char
ity Breakdown will give to this year
— Breakdown donates money to the
hip-hop community as well.
"P.U.M.A. is a new non-profit or
ganization, which started with the in
tention to train children and adults in
working in the music business, mean
ing they get real world experience
working on things like promotions, ad
vertising, marketing, studio engineer
ing and multimedia," said Michael
Kay, CEO of Northwest Beat, the
company that produces Breakdown.
"It's being established in a real world
setting in the sense that they'll actual
ly be interacting and working in a
community and letting people know
about current music."
Members of Breakdown also feel
it's important to immerse themselves
in the charity they're working for.
"Last year, we gave our money to
the Turnaround School. They're a
school that helps children, teens and
young adolescents who tend to get
in trouble a lot," said Jordan Klindt,
administrative director of Northwest
Beat. "Not only were we able to give
some money to them, but we actual
ly went to the school and performed
for them and hung out with them.
This year with the Relief Nursery, we
took our dancers on a tour so that
they can see where their money is
going to and what they're dancing
and working so hard for."
Working hard will have its bene
fits when Breakdown performs on
March 5,11 and 12 at Churchill High
School, and also on April 2 in Port
land. This year, the performers are
trying something new, using their
hip-hop dancing to tell a story of two
star-crossed lovers.
Based on "West Side Story," "And
the Beat Goes On" is the tale of a
group of dancers who live in a town
dominated only by hip-hop. Fighting
causes the group to split in two, form
ing the Crows and the Doves. McMa
hon said that each group is defined by
two different hip-hop styles: one is
jazzy and technical while the other re
flects street hip-hop.
"It's probably not going to be what
people expect," Kay said. "We're a
Eugene dance company, but it looks
like an evening at Broadway. People
in the audience are really excited and
really entertained, and they just can't
believe that we have something like
that going on around here."
Tickets are on sale at CD World
and West Moon Trading Company.
Prices are $10 for adults and $7 for
children 10 and under.
amylichty@dailyemerald.com
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iiiuroudy, xvidiLii j ureuun uaily emerald | 11
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