Turning a Passion Into A Program: “The Old School”

By Sander Bregman, CHS ‘11

"It takes an athlete to breakdance, but it takes an artist to b-boy.”

Those are the words I live by. One can do some breaking moves and call it b-boying, but to be a true b-boy, you need to create, inspire, and dance like no other. When I was at a summer camp in middle school, a cabin mate of mine showed me a few breaking moves and piqued my interest. Then, in November of my sophomore year, when I quit crew after 3 seasons, I was looking for an activity to fill my time. That’s when it hit me: breakdancing. Once I found out what breaking is all about, I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the music, the people, the culture, and the dance. This led me to join element-1, the University of Michigan b-boy club, where I learn from the best in the area and teach myself when I get the chance.

Last spring, I broke my wrist skating with friends. Because I couldn't break with a cast on my wrist, it made me realize how much I love b-boying. After it healed and I got my cast off, I started breaking every day. I named myself after my cast; to some I'm Sander Bregman, to others I'm B-Boy Cast.

Old School.jpg Once I became known as "that breakdancing kid", some of my peers started asking me to teach them how to breakdance, but I didn't know where I could teach them. My friend Jake Cinti is really involved at the Neutral Zone, and he suggested that I start a program here. So I filled out some paperwork, got it reviewed and approved by the Teen Advisory Council, and started coming to the Neutral Zone every Tuesday at 5pm to teach and lead “The Old School.” Through the program, I've discovered the joy of teaching. Some people learn very quickly, while others struggle with basic moves, and that's okay. The most important thing for me is providing others with an opportunity to learn the joy of dancing, rocking to the beat, creating their own syle, and being an artist, just as I did. The Old School is six members and growing, and will be performing in Breakin’ Curfew this year, on May 15 at the Power Center, so you should all come check us out!

“freNZ” Host Vintage Hollywood Affair @ Michigan Theater

On Thursday, February 25, the freNZ committee invites young Ann Arborites to dress in their finest “red carpet” attire and enjoy fine music, film, food and drink in support of Neutral Zone programs. freNZ, formerly known as the Neutral Zone’s “Under 40” group, is a committee of young and hip local professionals whose mission is to be a fun, highly-engaged group that cultivates and fosters engagement of peers to contribute to the Neutral Zone with time, skills and donations.

Hosted in the historic Michigan Theater, the evening will feature music by Neutral Zone teen musicians, film shorts from the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and a dance party hosted by Dark Matter’s Forest Juziuk. Some of the food and drink donors include Sava’s Café and Arbor Brewing Company. The group hopes to raise at least $2,500 through ticket sales and a silent auction to donate towards Neutral Zone’s Literary Arts programs, in addition to raising awareness about the Neutral Zone. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.neutral-zone.org/vintagehollywood

Alumni Updates
Over the winter holidays, longtime staffers Lori Roddy and Ingrid Racine invited back

some NZ alums back to share a community lunch and reminisce over the good times they had at the Neutral Zone.

Here’s what they’re up to these days:

Josh Hayward, Huron ’06: Finishing his last semester at University of Washington (Seattle) with a degree in graphic design.

Ian Pollack, CHS ’06: Spending the semester in Japan and then transferring back to U of M to finish his degree in Creative Writing and Japanese.

Sara Griffin, PHS ’06: Rocking all over Southeast Michigan with her band The Ultrasounds. Check ‘em out at myspace.com/theultrasounds

Evan Taylor, CHS ’06: Finishing his last semester at Marlboro College in Vermont with a degree in history.

Toniesha Jones, PHS ’07: A junior at the University of Michigan, Toniesha is double majoring in Women’s Studies and Sociology. She volunteers with the Prison Creative Arts Project, and teaches math in Detroit schools through the Young Peoples Project.

Debi Sabo, CHS ’07: Completing her Teaching Degree at Eastern Michigan and working at the Hands on Museum in Ann Arbor.

Gahl Liberzon, CHS ’07: Attending U of M and currently participating in the Semester in Detroit program. Gahl, an alumni of VOLUME poetry, has also won two of U of M’s prestigious Hopwood Awards.

Shelley Salant, HHS ’07: Touring and recording with the Detroit based band Tyvek: www.myspace.com/tyvekmusic. You can catch her working at Encore Records when she’s not on the road.

Vivi Mauricio, CHS ’08: Attending Earlham College in Indiana, and thinking about a career in grassroots activism.

Bennett Stein, PHS ’08: A sophomore at U of M, considering a major in Public Policy.

And here’s where some of our most recent graduates can be found:

Charlie Hack, HHS ’09: Columbia University
Hannah Huget, PHS ’09: University of Michigan

Alex Gradwohl HHS ’09: Penn State

Ryan Mark Griffin, PHS ’09: UC Santa Cruz

Emma Tolman, PHS ’09: University of Michigan

Neutral Zone is a diverse, youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artisitic expression, community leadership, and the exchange of ideas.