Breaking
Dance
Get to know Rotterdam’s B-Girl Aruna
Following our Rise of the B-Girl series, we're talking to some of the established pioneers who have made a big impact on the dance scene. This time around we meet B-Girl Aruna from The Netherlands.
If you had to give B-Girls who are just starting out today some advice, what would you say?
I'd say to start developing yourself as a well-rounded artist by working on your craftsmanship, your self-awareness and by utting hip-hop values into action. A big part of an artist's work is to reflect the times. Get in the know about history, social dynamics and politics happening around you and the way they tie into your community. Use your art to be relevant to your scene, your country, your crew, etc. It may sound super abstract, but it brings levels to our impact as dancers and artists. Even though most people are attracted to skills in the first place, it’s important to remember that we are role models, so sharpen your opinion about social justice, health, power dimensions and so on, because you can't be a community leader without a vision. If I was to start over as a B-Girl, I'd put time into that.
When I stopped battling on a competitive level, it opened my mind about what else was out there
What is it about knowing the history of hip-hop culture that’s so important?
To me, hip-hop isn't just art and it's not just beats and moves – essentially it’s about resistance. The levels and experience of that resistance are equally common and dissimilar to everyone. What are the values of hip-hop to you? How do they affect your situation? That’s different to somebody that grew up breaking in the Bronx to someone from Rotterdam or somebody from the Ukraine, Thailand or South Africa. But it’s important to untangle that and find a link that’s relevant to you and at the same time grow an understanding of the culture that got us to where we are today.
How did you decide to become a B-Girl?
Well, actually it was something that was decided for me. I was always a B-Girl long before breaking came into my life. The ingredients were already there – the state of mind, the way I looked, how I dressed, how I carried myself, etc. it was just that there was no breaking where I was until I was 21. So when I discovered breaking, that gave me the opportunity to channel everything that I already was into that art form.
B-Girl Aruna doing a headspin
© Nika Kramer
What propelled you to integrate a political consciousness into your art as a B-Girl?
It started when I stopped being a competitive dancer. When I stopped battling on a competitive level, it opened my mind about what else was out there. Obviously, this was 15 years later, but it takes time to develop your artistry just as much as it takes time to reach a level of understanding: to read, talk and build with people, to connect all these insights.
Did you always have a political viewpoint within your dance?
No, not really. In the beginning, I was very much focused on the moves like how most of us start and focused on the relationship with the music. I was thinking about music a lot and thinking about dancing a lot, my crew and how we can artistically develop ourselves as artists and athletes.
How has your breaking style evolved with your opinions?
As my focus has shifted, the actual moves haven’t changed but the intention has. When I choose to dance, where I choose to dance and who I choose to dance with – that’s changed.
We've got to keep in mind that competitions are only a specific fragment of the scene
Watching the B-Girl scene rise, what do you feel has been the most positive change?
The skills are evolving, the quantity of B-Girls is evolving and the role models are evolving. For example, when I started there was Rokafella, Asia One, Honey Rockwell, and a few girls I’d seen from the other side of the world on video tapes. There weren't many female role models, and what translated mostly from the tapes were their skills. In my community, hip-hop history and social justice weren't themes. Today it's different and women are slowly getting into power positions. For example, Rokafella makes documentaries and runs a hip-hop company with her husband, Kwikstep; Honey Rockwell has a school; J-Skillz has a strong platform; and so does B-Girl Hurricane, who's one of my biggest European role models. Even though I think there are more diverse and stronger examples now, there's still a lot more pressure on our value system.
Looking at the B-Girl scene going into 2019, what do you think is the biggest thing that still needs to change?
It starts with awareness. There's a lot that needs to be addressed. We as a community can support each other better. Hip-hop is being plundered, appropriated and diluted to fit commercial goals. Our values are at stake. I don't know who sees it as their problem. I think it depends on who taught you and how you’ve been educated. What I can work on myself is to live by the values of this culture. When I look at the scene now, there seems a choice between eating and being eaten. I don’t know if that’s the new generation or just the vibe of specific competitions. It’s important to not get lost in the sauce. We've got to keep in mind that competitions are only a specific fragment of the scene. It's not representing the scene on a whole, and some B-Boys and B-Girls can only relate to the prestigious battles and rankings.
What would you say is the key to staying in the game as a B-Girl?
It depends on what you think is “the game”. Like I said, I was a B-Girl before I started breaking and I’ll remain a B-Girl after I stop breaking. It’s in me, it’s who I am and it's rooted in who I always was. I can relate to the bigger picture, so I’ll always stay involved. There's no expiration date on beliefs, ethics and ideals. If you’re in hip-hop because you love head spins, at some point it might not be possible for you to keep doing head spins, so it ends there. Basically, it depends what your focus is. If you find your purpose, there's no limit.
