Breakdancing in your 50s: ‘My body can still do everything – but it might take a year to heal an injury’

“When everybody strips off and we’re all in our boxers, you can’t tell who’s 50,” says Canadian B-boy Crazy Smooth. “We’re all dancers, we’re all ripped,” he laughs. “Tash is a five-times grandmother, she’s got four kids, and she’s got a six-pack.” Smooth, AKA Yvon Soglo, is talking about his latest show, In My Body, and its cast of hip-hop dancers who range from their 20s to late 50s. It’s a piece that tackles the reality of being an ageing B-boy in a culture that’s often associated with youth – witness the ultra-athletic, acrobatic moves from the breakers (the proper term for breakdancers) debuting at this year’s Olympics. Natasha “Tash” Jean-Bart is 53 – although on screen on our video call she could pass for a couple of decades younger. “But in my brain I’m still 20,” she says. What moves can she still do? “My body can still do everything!” she insists. “The knee drops, the dives …” But she has to make a judgment on when she’s going to do them these days. “If you injure yourself, the repercussions are huge. It doesn’t take a week to heal, it might take a year.” Smooth, who is 44, and...