A breakdancing pioneer who brought dance battles to the mainstream and worldwide stage has accused Australian artist Raygun of being ‘on the wrong stage’.
Richard ‘Crazy Legs’ Colón, an American b-boy, played a pivotal role in bringing hip-hop dancing to the attention of the public, introducing the Rock Steady Crew to London and Paris in 1983.
He grew up in Manhattan and began breakdancing at age nine. In 1979, he became an early member of the Rock Steady Crew, eventually becoming its president.
Today, Crazy Legs continues to influence the dance world through community engagement, dance classes, and theater productions, as well as appearing in films and documentaries.
Although Raygun was ridiculed on social media for her interpretive performance at the Paris Olympics, Colon was not amused.
He said the routine had damaged the work of the 1970s and 1980s and “hurt” the people on the streets who created the culture.
“Breaking comes from a culture of people who have had hard lives. When we see something like that, we’re like, ‘Yo, is that a joke?'” Colon told the New York Post.
“Maybe it’s a hobby for her — and that’s fine. Do your thing, girl, have fun,” he said. “But you’re on the wrong stage.
“You can’t just disrupt an entire culture,” he said.
Richard ‘Crazy Legs’ Colon played a major role in introducing breakdancing to the world and he was not impressed with Raygun’s performance at the Olympics
Raygun has remained in Europe and thanked her supporters in a video message on Instagram
Colon also accused Raygun of taking away the opportunity of another breakdancer who could have performed better at the Olympics.
“You don’t have to be an expert to drive a car, but you have to be good enough not to hurt other people on the street,” he said, comparing her movements to a car crash.
“The awkward B-girl took the place of the more talented Australian athletes, probably because they didn’t have the resources or money to make it to the Olympics,” Colon said.
“It would have been nice if she had withdrawn,” he said.
“She took someone else’s opportunity.”
Raygun herself responded to her critics on social media overnight and thanked her supporters.
“Hi everyone, I’m Raygun,” she said in an Instagram video.
‘First of all I want to thank all the people who supported me.
“I really appreciate the positivity and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That’s what I was hoping for.
“I didn’t realize that this would also open the door to so much hate, which has honestly been quite devastating.”
Crazy Legs (red sleeves, center) was part of the popular Rock Steady Crew in the 80s
Raygun became a viral sensation after her controversial routine at the Paris Olympics
The AOC also issued a statement defending Australian chef de mission Anna Meares and the AOC selection committee after they faced criticism over Raygun’s selection for Paris and a petition was launched calling for a public apology.
“The AOC is deeply offended by the insult to our Chef de Mission, Anna Meares,” the statement said.
“The Australian Team Chef de Mission played no role in the qualifying events or in the nomination of athletes to the AOC selection committee, of which the Chef and I are members,” said AOC chief executive Matt Carroll.
“It is outrageous that these lies, made up by an anonymous person, can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and intimidation and is defamatory. We demand that it be removed from the site immediately.
‘The petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis. It is appalling. No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympics should be treated in this way and we stand with Dr Gunn and Anna Meares at this time.
“It is important that the community knows the facts and that people do not form opinions based on malicious untruths and misinformation.”