B-boys battle at Skrappy's

Pop and lock, fool! This isn't "Flashdance"; this is the real thing. On Saturday night at 7, Skrappy's will host Off Beats, an honest-to-God break-dancing tournament and exhibition.

This is the first time Tucson has ever hosted a break-dancing event of this caliber, Nate Camacho, co-organizer said.

Some of the best crews from California, Colorado, Utah, Texas and Arizona are coming to Tucson to participate in the event.

"This is the real deal," said Camacho, who is also a member of the Circus Runaways crew and an anthropology department employee. "Raw B-boyin' at its best."

WILL SEBERGER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Nate Camacho, aka "Killer Robot," struts his stuff on the dance floor at Skrappy's last night.

Three-man crews will battle throughout the night for a cash prize of about $300. Three judges from two crews will judge performances: Lawrence of Circus Runaways, Quetzal and Thosh of the Sour Patch Kids. But the cash prize is hardly worth the trip; the real reward for these B-boys is performing at an event of this size and getting a response from the crowd.

The biggest responses come for moves that most people can't do, and the most important thing, said Chris Pinedo, a freshman at Pima Community College and breaking teacher, is originality. Break-dancing, or B-boying as it is more politically correct to say, has come a long way.

"It's a big misconception that everyone just spins on their head," Pinedo said.

The various crews at Off Beats are going to show how far B-boying has evolved from the days of "Breakin' II: The Electric Boogaloo" into the art form it has become today.

Some crews try to specialize in certain moves and create a niche with their style, combining the four basic types of moves: Power, Circus, Footwork and Abstract.

Power moves are flairs, spins and windmills, seen in Run-DMC videos and Dr. Pepper commercials. That is probably the most well-known style of breaking.

The second style of breaking, Circus, is basically what it sounds like: acrobatic and gymnastic. It's "the poor man's ÎCirque du Soleil," as Pinedo said.

"It's an expression of modern dancing, an evolution from what it was in the past to what it is today," Pinedo said.

Footwork moves are more old- school: They look like something Michael Jackson might pull and more like traditional dancing than Power or Circus moves.

Lastly, is Abstract style, dominant among Arizona-based crews and developed and honed by the Phoenix- based Sour Patch Kids crew. The style is defined by technical moves that require a great amount of strength and flexibility.

Each type of move plays a role in the main battle and in an exhibition match between David, formerly of Circus Runaways, and Jack the Pumpkin King, who is currently with Circus Runaways.

This grudge match is the result of a long history of trash-talking between these two B-boys, Camacho said. The winner of this match will not be determined by the judges, but by crowd reaction alone.

But aside from the pros, there will also be open circles for those who want to dance but don't have a crew. And those who just want to watch are still invited to the big dance party, with beats provided by DJ Bonus.

If you haven't seen real B-boying, you have options this weekend: You can catch the breaking movie "You Got Served," which opens in theaters tomorrow. Or you can skip the Hollywood version and check out the real thing Saturday night.