Richard “Crazy Legs” Colon is the one and only b-boy legend, a living personification of hip hop. His walk to the shops is an art form. He is the b-boy equivalent to Michael Jordan and Bill Russell on a basketball court, Michael Jackson and Fred Astaire on a dance floor. The hip hop culture of breakdancing from the Boogie–Down Bronx begins and ends with the footwork and toprock of Crazy Legs.
Background
Richard "Crazy Legs" Colón grew up in Inwood section of Manhattan, New York City, where he was introduced to "breaking" by his older brother when he was nine. He was an original member of the Rock Steady Crew after its foundation in 1979. Growing up poor in the projects of the Bronx, legendary b-boy Crazy Legs saw the gang activity that his fellow Puerto Ricans were involved in. Choosing to make something of himself, he got into breakdancing. At the tender age of ten, Legs and his cousin Lenny Len would spark battles with the leaders of the RSC, Jimmy Jo and Jimmy Lee. They lost but gained renown respect for their skills. They were pitted against other area outfits in future battles and before too long, the Rock Steady Crew were a force to be reckoned with as the strongest b-boy crew in the game. But it wasn’t until Legs’ parents moved them out of the Bronx to Manhattan did his story really begin.
Career
Richard "Crazy Legs" Colon is a 24-year veteran of Hip-Hop culture. He is one of the original members of the Rock Steady Crew and Ghettoriginal Productions. Credits include many of the first Hip-Hop tours in the early 80's, which set the foundation for what the culture has become. He has been featured in such films as Flashdance, Beat Street, Wild Style and Style Wars as well as various television programs, commercials for Coke, Sprite and Nike, and music videos. He participated in the Peabody Award-winning documentary "Dance in America: Everybody Dance Now" and in the Great Performances 20th Anniversary Special.
Legs won the 1991 Bessie Award for Choreography and the 1994 Hip-Hop Pioneer Award from The Source magazine. Other career highlights include starring in the Off-Broadway play Jam On the Groove, working with Savion Glover, and teaching John Leguizamo to b-boy (Break-dance) for his Tony Award-nominated play Freak. He has also choreographed music videos for Wyclef Jean (which was nominated for a MTV Award for Best Choreography) and Multi-Platinum artist Moby. Crazy Legs and some of the other members of Rock Steady Crew were the first b-boys to perform at Carnegie Hall on Jan 19, 2001. Along with the Rock Steady Crew, Crazy Legs has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Japan, Australia, South America and Europe.
When his schedule allows, he volunteers by teaching the art of b-boying and participates in several community outreach programs and workshops. It was his dance program at the Point C.D.C. for young people in the South Bronx, which garnered him the New Yorker of the Week Award from New York 1 News. Crazy Legs hosts and organizes the annual Rock Steady Anniversary, a monumental community event that honors deceased members of the crew and celebrates Hip-Hop culture both past and present. The Rock Steady Anniversary attracts DJ's, b-boys/b-girls, em cee's, writers and thousands of Hip-Hop supporters from all around the world. Crazy Legs' success is a testament to the longevity of Hip-Hop culture.
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Quotations:
“Love of music, reputation and tradition… Gotta keep every aspect of Hip Hop that is positive alive and pass it on so that it can be used as a tool by others to advance in life and express themselves when they have no other outlet.” - CRAZY LEGS