Breaking
Breaking
Luis “Dosu” Carrera Is Coming for the Crown
The international breaking star on competing, learning, and standing up for himself.
For the last eight years, Luis Carrera has been freezing, spinning, and power-moving his way through the United States in a variety of high-profile dance competitions, securing big wins along the way and earning his status as one of the world’s premier breakdancers.
The Peruvian native—who goes by Dosu in the breaking scene—is named after a Naruto anime character that obliterates opponents through sound. And such a moniker is fitting for a person whose laser-sharp focus and passion for movement has driven his international success. When talking with Dosu, his love for dance is so evident, he barely mentions that he’s openly gay—a part of his identity that also breaks barriers, especially in the predominantly straight, male world of breaking.
“All I can say is that I like men and I’m just me,” Dosu says casually over the phone. “I never felt like I wasn’t part of the scene or super outside of it once I got involved; it was just me, dancing.”
Below Dosu, who got his start dancing as a teenager, discusses how dance liberates him, his rigorous commitment to the art form, and how he has become one of the world’s top breaking competitors (up next: a potential spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics), while explaining how he had to stand up for himself along the way.
Wearing his name on his heart.
© Jays Delphia
Growing up in Peru, you were a classically trained dancer, but discovered breaking by seeing it on the street. Is that correct?
I was in a dance school for about five years and [studied] many different styles of dancing and took ballet. At dance school is where I saw breaking for the first time. I fell in love with it and asked the breakers to teach me.
What drew you to what you were seeing?
My first impression was how cool they were—how they dressed was super cool to start—but then there is what you typically think of with breaking such as headstands, spins and freezes. So I knew I had to learn how to do that myself.
You got involved in a competition on the same day that you discovered breaking for the first time. How did that come up?
In order to compete you have to be introduced by a member of the area. I was taught a breaking routine for the first time in the morning, practiced all day, competed a few hours later and won with what I had just learned!
What did that experience teach you about what was possible for your life as a dancer?
In that moment, I was following the spur of the moment and wanting to have fun. Looking back, it was a sign that I was supposed to follow my emotions and trust my gut. I’m so glad I did that, it opened up a new path for me.
Energy break
© Colin Kerrigan
Did you find that it was difficult to fit into that world at first, particularly as an openly gay person?
I never felt like I wasn’t part of the scene or super outside of it once I got involved; it was just me, dancing. In Peru, obviously because of the culture, people judged badly if you were gay and thought you were kind of the worst of the worst. For example, in Peru, most gay men are feminine and there’s nothing wrong with that. I wasn’t a feminine-acting gay man or even really a straight-acting gay man. But there was an expectation that you were masculine as a man. All I can say is I just like men and I’m just me. Nobody knew about me being gay until I moved to the United States when I was 21; I started dancing when I was 15 or 16. I already knew I was gay but I didn’t come out to anyone because I didn’t want to be judged and I didn’t really fit in with the gay community in Peru. I found it more comfortable to talk about all of this when I moved to America and had a partner at the time. Nothing about it was easy, though.
I remember one time that was a turning point for me. I was with a group of guys who became my group [of dancers], and they were making anti-gay jokes. I remember going home to my partner, and feeling like I needed to say something. I messaged one of my friends in the group and said “I know you guys are making gay jokes and it’s fun for you, but I’m gay and if there is any problem with that then I will not come around and I understand, but I need you to know how I feel.”
They apologized and said they love me and want me to keep coming around. So that was the big acceptance I needed to continue on. Then little by little people started to learn more about who I am and I accepted myself more too.
How did you get established as a dancer in the States?
In 2013, I stayed with my friend in New Jersey for a couple months and competed. The next year I came for another competition and stayed longer. In 2016, I met a dance group and began training with them. I’ve been here since then.
What do you learn from being part of dance groups? How does that affect your work?
Each group in each area has its own identity. But the one I became part of, I learned more about discipline, and I learned how important it was to work on my moves until they became second nature. I made sure that what I do is always clean and there are no mistakes, and to learn how to get ready to compete. Coming from Peru and having my group there, I was dancing all the time and being creative. In Peru, I learned how to create my own moves and be original, and I passed that knowledge on to my students. On the West Coast, I danced with a group, the Renegade Rockers, and learned more about strategy for competitions. I knew how to train but I wanted to focus more on the dance aspect of things, how to move more freely.
What has teaching been like for you?
When I say students, it’s sort of how I got started, where I just went up to people I admired and asked to learn from them. People will come up to me now asking the same because they want to compete and win, so that’s a cool feeling. But also I have students from the dance school I went to in Peru. I teach breaking online and it’s great to teach them and realize how much breaking impacts them. Breaking teaches you so much about creativity and confidence; it brings out the inner attitude you must have when performing. I always learn to be more attentive to details—to notice how I’m moving my body, through helping others get in touch with theirs.
How would you describe your style as a dancer?
I’m a student, and I’m always going to be. I think that’s what makes you well-rounded, so I’d say that’s true of me: I’m a well-rounded dancer. I think that makes me able to do a bit of everything. I can perform regionally, I am musical, I have technical skill, the strength for power moves. I feel like I’m the whole package. As a performer, I’m not necessarily in-your-face, but I definitely can do my thing.
How did you come up with your performance name, “Dosu”?
It’s a Naruto character: a ninja who attacks with sound. It can mess up your vision and your hearing without even touching you. That’s how I go about my performances in a way.
Dosu
© Longluu_vst
So, you’re gearing up to potentially compete in the Paris Olympics in 2024. What does it take to get ready for that?
It’s uncertain for now, but I believe the US might be working on putting a team together now, regulations, and a competitive structure. In the meantime, I’m preparing as if that’s right around the corner. I do my workouts, push-ups, pull-ups, working on my stamina, creating new moves. Nothing changes. You keep working as if you’re working toward any competition. Being ready and keeping your focus on what’s next.
Have you been to Pride parades here in the States? What has it been like for you to be there?
I have! One of my favorite moments is when I went to the World Pride event celebrating the 50 year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York. The year after, I was in this competition in Philadelphia, did the nationals in Houston, and did an interview with NewNowNext, and because of that interview, a group of people came into contact with my work as a dancer and made a mural in Brooklyn of me doing a freeze, just in time for World Pride. It was pure joy to be at World Pride. The first Pride I went to was here in Philadelphia; the day before was the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. I just couldn’t stop myself from thinking about how tragic that was, when people were just sharing happiness. World Pride to me was amazing, to see a lot of big drag queens I see on TV, to see all the floats, to hear the music. It was such joy for me, and it always is.
