Local dance studio bringing in one of the newest Olympic sports to West Texas: breakdancing

Joey Hahn runs the JK Dance Studio, teaching a style of dancing that found its popularity nearly sixty years ago. MIDLAND, Texas — It’s a style of dancing that became popular on the streets almost 60 years ago. “The history of breakdancing starts in the Bronx of New York in the late 60s to early 70s,” said Joey Hahn, the owner of JK Dance Studio. “They were using breakdancing as a way to dispute arguments. They’d get into fights and they would settle it without violence so they started battling against each other.” Breakdancing, better known as breaking, would eventually set the stage for a wider culture of hip hop dancing. So much so that it would eventually earn a spot on the international stage. Hahn, a dance instructor in the Permian Basin, is one such breaker. He’s getting ready to expand to Midland at the JK Dance Studio, teaching kids all types of choreography. Hip hop dance, however, is a dance he is very familiar with. “Hip hop is something I try to bring to the community. It’s something new that people didn’t know about,” Hahn said. “Plus my style is different. I learned from different places, like LA,...