Photo: Thor Radford |
Every week at the Massive Monkees dance studio in Seattle's International District, b-boys and b-girls of all shapes and sizes take their turns in the spotlight. They hop, spin, twirl and pose on the dance floor. But these aren't break dancers with years of experience under their belts: they are toddlers and preschoolers who let loose every week at Mini BREAKS, a hip-hop dance class for kids ages 2 to 6, taught by energetic b-girl Fides "Anna Banana Freeze" Mabanta.
Anna Banana Freeze has been a member of the Massive Monkees breaking crew since 1999. Anna started dancing at the age of 16 after seeing a b-girl for the first time. "I was drawn to the idea of expressing myself by creating and doing my own moves," she told me, and she's brought that philosophy to Mini BREAKS.
Each class is an hour long and includes stretching, playing a game of freeze dance, and even pretend play, all designed to get kids smiling, exercising, and developing large motor skills. Anna, who taught preschool for years before becoming a mom and dance instructor, is endlessly patient. Nothing fazes her – not even toddlers running underfoot or preschoolers itching to take a spin on the dance floor.
All of the dancing at Mini BREAKS is informal, safe, and age-appropriate, and each child dances as much as they are comfortable with. Anna shows the kids basic breaking steps to get their feet tapping to the beat, and shares the names of dance moves to introduce students to b-boy and b-girl culture. My 4-year-old daughter now knows what a cypher is, the name for the circle that spectators form around a dancer showing off their best tricks. In fact, after her first Mini BREAKS class, I almost stepped on a dance floor my daughter created out of Barbie dolls sitting in a circle, just waiting to watch her to show off her new moves.
Parents are encouraged to participate with their kids in the class. I asked a fellow mom, Jenna Pollock, why she had signed up her 4r-year-old son for Mini BREAKS. She had recently seen Massive Monkees perform at Renton Technical College, and when she found out about the class, she and her son were eager to attend. "I've been looking for a hip-hop class for a while," she said, "but never found one until now."
Anna Banana Freeze noticed the same lack of dedicated hip-hop dance classes for kids in Seattle, which inspired her to create Mini BREAKS. "To me, the concept made perfect sense – hip-hop culture and breaking translated for toddlers and preschoolers," she said.
Anna's enthusiasm and positivity are infectious. Kids in Mini BREAKS dance with a grin on their face and an energy that they are eager to share with the world.
Massive Monkees Studio, The Beacon, 664 South King St, Seattle
Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m.
$15 drop-in, $13 per class with five class punch card, $10 per class with 10 class punch card, or register online for $10 per class.
