64 pages Edited by Jim Sullivan and Lori Calicott Designed by Jeff Hapner 33 x 28 cm Language: English Paperback, spiral binding Publisher: Beekman House 1984
Later reissued by International Publications of Skokie, Illinois in a simple paperback format, Break Dancing: Step-by-Step Instructions remains one of the clearest and most visually striking documents of early hip-hop dance. Written by Jim Sullivan and Lori Calicott, this richly illustrated guide breaks down the foundations of breaking — from the top rock to the helicopter, the moonwalk, King Tut, freezes, and more — through a sequence of full-color photographs and precise step-by-step explanations.
The book features an exceptional cast of real street dancers — Lori Calicott, Little Man (Felix Castro), Lightnin’ Pete (Peter Garcia), Fast (Javier Gonzales), Short T (Sammy Crespo), Mister A (Don Earl Surge), Killer Freeze (André Washington), Esperanza Escareno, Missy Morales, May Ortiz, Jeanie Ortiz, and Johnny Williams — coordinated by Fredrico Figueroa. The visual documentation includes photography by Martha Cooper, Ann Summa, George Siede, Donna Preis, Laura Zito, and others, capturing both the athletic precision and the raw street energy that defined the early 1980s.
If not the best, it is certainly among the most iconic books ever published on breakdancing — a rare edition that taught a generation how to spin, lock, and pop. Both a practical manual and a cultural time capsule, it preserves the colors, movements, and spirit of a dance form that changed the world.
