Down With America (Except the Bronx): B-Boying in Russia


	Down With America (Except the Bronx): B-Boying in Russia

nohobot

9-29-2007 10:14 AM

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nytimes, nyc, russia, moscow, breakdance, dance, culture, trends

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<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/95e90ecb-2073-4f36-bb17-83612c8d8211/A08AB0B5-0347-4DD8-86B5-B563142425B2/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/fashion/30russia.html?_r=1&ex=1348804800&en=08c25d0e205c7755&ei=5088%20&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/fashion/30russia.html?_r=1&ex=1348804800&en=08c25d0e205c7755&ei=5088%20&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin" style="font-size: 11px;">www.nytimes.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/fashion/30russia.html?_r=1&ex=1348804800&en=08c25d0e205c7755&ei=5088%20&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin"><P>Anti-American sentiment may be big in Russian politics right now, a sure vote-winner for the country’s leaders, but the popular embrace of Western culture is at an all-time high, including a community of fervent break-dance disciples who live, sleep and eat the break-dance, or b-boy, life.</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/fashion/30russia.html?_r=1&ex=1348804800&en=08c25d0e205c7755&ei=5088%20&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin"><P> But Russia is a special case. The small, passionate following break dancing enjoys seems emblematic of a divide between the anti-Western rhetoric of leaders and the cultural appetites of many ordinary Russians, especially younger ones. “Politics doesn’t influence us at all,” said Vadim Toporenok, 23, who is also a member of Mafia 13.</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/fashion/30russia.html?_r=1&ex=1348804800&en=08c25d0e205c7755&ei=5088%20&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin"><P>Yegor Sheremetyev, who started the dance school where Mr. Toporenok works when he was just 17, agreed. “B-boying has nothing to do with politics,” he said. “There is no dislike because it is from America. The youth, they are free from all that.”</P></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/A08AB0B5-0347-4DD8-86B5-B563142425B2/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>