Lil G is a Venezuelan b-boy renowned for his ability to execute original, inhuman power moves in sync with the music. A member of Super Cr3w and Red Bull BC One All Stars, he has traveled the world as a competitor, performer, judge, and teacher.
Picture this: I’m scrolling through my Instagram, and to no surprise, Lil G is on the list of recommended pages. I tap the name “lilgvenezuela” and skim his profile. The first line reads, “Kairos ☄God Is The Way.”
So I’ve learned that Lil G believes in God, and the circular emoji is supposed to be a comet. I also vaguely recall that there’s a religious youth retreat named Kairos. Lil G probably doesn’t have the spare time to work as a Bible camp counselor. Hoping to satisfy my curiosity, I type “kairos” into the search bar.
Passing perfection
Kairos is an Ancient Greek word that means “the right, critical, or opportune moment” (Wikipedia). It’s one of the two words for time — the other is chronos, which is the quantitative form of time that we usually think of.
The ancient Greek personification of opportunity is Caerus, a young and beautiful god. He holds a razor, or sometimes a pair of scales balancing on a sharp edge, to represent fleeting moments in time.
All dancers are in search of these fleeting moments, of beautiful kairos. It is the fullness, the perfection that comes from seizing an opportunity with all of your spirit. It’s the satisfaction that you get when you stick a freeze just the way you planned. It’s the joy of losing yourself in the music and being able to move without worries or inhibition. It can be a life-changing moment, or a small instance of fulfillment.
A certain persuasion
The word kairos has its roots in archery, where it refers to “the moment in which an arrow may be fired with sufficient force to penetrate a target” (Wikipedia). There are similarly crucial moments in dance battles, especially for breaking.
In a battle, we want to perform our techniques in the right way, at the right time. Thus we effectively convince the judges and the crowd of our victory. Classical rhetoric originally incorporated kairos in this sense — persuading audiences by saying the right thing at the right time.
Aaron Hess, Assistant Professor of Communication at Indiana University, defines the kairos of rhetoric in two parts: 1. Recognizing a situation as opportune, and 2. Being knowledgeable of and involved in the surrounding environment. In relation to breaking (and various other disciplines), this translates to the following points.
1. Recognizing opportunities to freestyle
Freestyling is a spontaneous aspect of dance that evokes amazement and delight. This effect can often turn the tide of a battle.
During the Stance stream of Massive Monkees Weekend, Ark of 808 Breakers explained the three common forms of freestyle in breaking. The most common form is performing an impromptu movement to hit an accent in the music. For example, if you see a b-boy suddenly do shuffles during a drum roll, it’s likely that he recognized the musical opportunity and used a simple technique accordingly.
Skaters work within landscapes, we work within music. -Jeff “Ark” Wong
The second way to freestyle is to modify your planned sets. Many breakers have premeditated combinations of moves (sets/combos/“bangers”). The freestyle aspect comes from performing these moves in different orders or with different characteristics. If you expect a song to climax early, you can perform the highlight of your set earlier. If a song has repeated accents, you can repeat a move or sequence to match.
Then, there’s “pure freestyle,” which is full musical immersion and instinctual movement. Imagine a baby dancing without a care. He doesn’t care who’s watching or whether he looks silly, he’s just having the time of his life. Pure freestyle is effective in competition when you have the internalized vocabulary to support it. Because it has no restrictions, this form of freestyle can be used at any opportune moment — aim well and let your arrow fly.
2. Understanding the conversation
As with rhetoric, it’s important to express yourself in a way that your audience can digest. The most basic requirement is to speak the same language. Imagine how counterproductive a 30 second krump solo would be in a breaking battle. It’s like trying to debate in German when everyone else only speaks English.
Advanced b-boys/b-girls, fluent in the language, should understand that a battle is a conversation, and how to make statements within that context. Structuring rounds as narratives and using clear themes are examples of ways to amplify the effect of those statements. With these techniques, you’ll be ready to dive headfirst into kairos, the perfect opportunity, when it arrives.
Like conversations, battles have ebbs and flows. Whether one dancer has been performing better than the other, or the two are in a deadlock, each gets their own turn. There are always opportunities to seize the momentum. Factors like the music, your opponent’s mistakes, and your remaining repertoire can combine to reveal a path to victory. The rest is just timing.
Maybe your goal isn’t to win dance battles. Nonetheless, you can express yourself more effectively if you recognize opportunities and understand your environment. This applies to everything from competitions, to cyphers, to performances, and even to situations outside the realm of dance.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this mini mashup of breaking, rhetoric, and etymology. Go forth, seek kairos, and keep your eyes open. I’m sure you’ll find the right moment.
Epilogue
I asked Lil G what kairos means to him, and he replied, “Kairos = is when the sky becomes one with the earth, the perfect time.” The comet emoji makes a lot more sense with that explanation.
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or feedback. Follow me on Instagram @glissando for the latest updates, and please share to spread the knowledge. Thanks for reading — peace!
