Hands and arms spread on the waxed gym floor. Legs wrapped around each other in the air. The records spun as tall speakers spit out blaring beats. Everyone watched intently, cheering, as they encircled the dancers.

This was the scene at the Urbana Middle School on Saturday night, where UC HipHop, a registered student organization, hosted IL Breaks III, a B-Boy/B-Girl competition. The event was hosted by Richie “Crazy Legs” Colon, a renowned B-Boy from the legendary New York City-based Rock Steady Crew.

There were individual and team competitions, each centering on different aspects of B-Boy and B-Girl dancing. The centerpiece of the night was a four-on-four battle, won by Self Xplanatory, who walked away with $600 in prize money.

The term B-Boy was created in the 1970s by DJ Kool Herc in New York City. B-Boy and B-Girl stand for “break boys, beat girls,” according to the Rock Steady Crew timeline.

Steven Daniells-Silva, or “Suga Pop,” who hosted a popping and locking workshop earlier that day and is a member of the Rock Steady Crew, said that along with break boy, B-Boy also means “Bronx boy,” which pays homage to the place of origin for this type of dancing.

B-Boying is a “combination of footwork, power moves, freezes, and most important, character,” said Michael Crammond, head organizer of IL Breaks III and senior in ALS. “The character is essential.”

This type of dancing has been around for 30 years, and although it is relatively young, it is more popular than ever before, Crazy Legs said. In the 1970s, young people started creating fast, elaborate and original dance moves throughout various New York neighborhoods. And with the talents of old school B-Boys like Crazy Legs and Suga Pop and the popularity of funk, soul and hip hop music, B-Boys created an alternative to youth culture from dance and music to clothing and mentoring.

“This is an American art form, and it needs to be nurtured,” Crazy Legs said. “I’m doing for it, what was done for ballet.”

Crammond said he was able to get Crazy Legs and Suga Pop to come to the Midwest, through his connection with Jocelyn Jackson, field marketing manager for the energy drink and Rock Steady Crew sponsor, Red Bull.

“Over the last two years, I’ve been building a relationship with UC HipHop,” Jackson said.

As a sponsored athlete, Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew are connecting with B-Boys and B-Girls across the world, from Crammond and UC Hip Hop in Urbana to people in England and Japan.

Tyquan Hodac, a member of the Zulu Kings, another B-Boy and B-Girl dance group, drove four hours from Ohio to attend Saturday’s competition. He said Crazy Legs, who he met at another event, told him about the contest in Urbana.

Hodac attended the workshops to have the opportunity to learn from Suga Pop and Crazy Legs, who discussed intimately with the attendants about the fundamentals and innovation of B-Boy dancing.

“(Crazy Legs) is a pioneer of the dance,” Hodac said. “And Suga Pop is my inspiration.”

Miguel Del Real, a member of Self Xplanatory, also traveled to Urbana to participate. Del Real, who is from Rockford, Ill., has been dancing for three years.

“It’s challenging physically, mentally and visually,” Del Real said. “It keeps the mind working.”

Although the event lasted for multiple hours, and some personal tension turned into conflict and interrupted the competition, which was later publicly apologized for, “the vibe was really nice,” Del Real said.

For Crazy Legs, Suga Pop and the participants the day’s events were a success. The UC HipHop event and its participants showed that in the world of B-Boys and Hip Hop, “there is longevity and there is a culture,” Suga Pop said. “There was nothing like this when I was young.”