Children are having a ball in eight neighbourhoods in Porto

Breakdancing, aka breaking is a street dance original from the USA and thanks to the municipal programme "Desporto no Bairro" ["Sports in the Hood", free translation], it is breaking boundaries towards social benefits for children and youth in the Invicta.

"Porto." went to Bairro do Lagarteiro to check it out. Music mixed with laughter and athletic movements as the young dancers performed this choreography showcasing the four main moves of this street dance. The municipal programme "Desporto no Bairro", which is developed by Ágora - Cultura e Desporto do Porto, is delivered by trainers of the Momentum Crew Centre that teaches children and youth how to power move this street athletic dance style.

Breaking is showing the community an entirely new and engaging activity, and just a few weeks from the programme's inception, not only in the Bairro do Lagarteiro, but also in other areas where the project is being implemented, the accession is huge and encouraging.

"There is a large accession by the community, larger than expected. We lay down the linoleum floor coverings and children and youth come to us. We turn the radio on and the sharing begins", stated Max Oliveira, ground coordinator of the "Desporto no Bairro" programme and Director of MXM ArtCenter and also founder of Momentum Crew, the first professional street dance in Portugal.

"Here, breaking is sort of in its natural habitat", furthered Max Oliveira. "Breaking comes along as the result for the need for cultural expression in the suburbs, among the poor section of the population, and it expands within the hip-hop culture".

The municipal programme "Desporto no Bairro" is targeted at promoting inclusion trough sport and is implemented in eight neighbourhoods in Porto: Aldoar, Fonte da Moura, Viso, Ramalde, Pasteleira, Pinheiro Torres, Lagarteiro and Cerco.

For some of these trainers of Momentum Crew, the "Desporto no Bairro" is like returning to their roots. Aiam (aka Paulo Maia) is one of the b-boys that is part of this project and he can see himself in the young and enthusiastic practitioners that join the programme every week: "I was born in the Bairro da Fonte da Moura, in Aldoar. To me, this is super rewarding as I have also started off like this. Not by these kind of initiative, but in the street, with friends and by watching video tapes".

"It is really important for these children, and rather than going around doing stuff they shouldn't, wandering around the hoods. This is our biggest task, to encourage these kids. I think this project plays a crucial role in Porto", enhanced Aiam.

In turn, b-girl Soraia added that the social side to this programme "is really important. Many of us have followed the wrong path of life and Breaking made us get back in the right track. Instead of thinking of doing bad stuff, it works the other way round: it makes us have a healthier lifestyle and to train consecutively", she highlights.

Max Oliveira explained that "what we do here is not exactly teaching like in a class. We do sessions, jam sessions, in a fun way. I think that it is important that the kids should want to entertain themselves with other stuff other than just technology. And we see the kids talking with each other and influencing one another. And all this is really natural".

Makumba (aka João Campos), another trainer, stated that "kids show up, a little suspicious at first; we talk to them, socialize a bit. Breaking is offering these kids other alternatives. I attended a social centre, as well. Not on this art, but I have been practising capoeira for a while. I used to live in a neighbourhood, in Amial."

"I like this stuff", exclaimed a young boy named Zezinho. "I have nothing to do at home. I like to come here and dance. I like the mortal jumps, I like this stuff.

The implementation of the municipal programme "Desporto no Bairro" in Lagarteiro brought other benefits. "The kids only had this rink to play football and had also access to other things, negative maybe. It is interesting that they have other types of activities, art and culture at their disposal. This programme has a lot of potential", affirmed Makumba.

This programme is fast becoming a sensation in the eight neighbourhoods included in the initiative. "Most of all, what we aim at is make them find other interests, through social actions and through the programmes that the City Hall can provide", stated Max Oliveira.

"But, most of all, the goal is that they see Breaking as a way of practising sports and being in touch with culture and that they can follow a happy path", concluded the ground coordinator of "Desporto no Bairro" municipal programme.