Elliott didn't take his eyes off his owner Ryan while the two of them walked back to us. The mutual love between the two of them was palpable as Elliott jumped around his owner like a gazelle. I had a very good feeling about this encounter.
"That was fast," I said as Ryan flipped his right hand taut and sent his arms gliding across his body like a rubber hose moving to the tip of his left hand. "What was that?"
“I used to be a professional break dancer,”
the young Ryan informed me. I couldn't break dance to save my life. I tried not to but I laughed out
loud as he showed me some of his intricate, athletic moves.
Times were different back then. There weren't reality shows or YouTube stars.
In fact, there wasn't much opportunity for dancers that I knew about. I had
only seen break dancing in person on the streets of New York City .
There was no music playing but as he danced, it
was impossible for me to keep from tapping my foot to the beat of his
movements. All eyes at the park were now on him as he slid, jumped, and landed
on his toes in a dramatic choreographed sequence of intricate dance steps. His
feet moved so quickly I could see why the greyhound was his first choice in
dogs. He jumped and landed on his hands with his feet at a 90 degree angle, then
froze for a moment before popping back up. The muscles in his buffed biceps
were clearly getting a workout as he jumped from hand to hand effortlessly.
Standing now, his shoulders moved one way while his hips moved the other and
then he jumped again, balancing on one arm until he froze in mid-air. This boy
had power and flexibility, that’s for sure. By the time he finished, everyone
at the park clapped.
“That’s twice
today they've clapped for you,” I pointed out.
“On the streets of
D.C., they used to give me money,” he laughed as he brushed the grass from his
hands. “I started by competing with other street performers until I was
discovered. I performed with a troupe from the time I was 16.”
I was impressed.
I had no idea the strength that was necessary for break dancing.
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