AURORA, Colo. — In Colorado, women are breaking barriers through an art form that is typically dominated by men.
Le'Toya Garland is the co-owner of School of Breaking, a place that offers breakdancing classes in Aurora. Although Mondays are not many people's favorite day of the week, Garland does not mind them — every Monday night, School of Breaking invites girls and women to come practice from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
"What a great way to start the week with some dancing and music and fellowship," Garland said.
She said, in addition to being fun, these classes are also important.
"Monday is very special because we just get to hold space for people who are not boys or men to have a different kind of session and community gathering," Garland said.
Breakdancing is male-dominated. What's more, very few of the women who practice it are Black. Garland said she is happy to be able to show other Black women and girls that they can also be welcomed into the breaking community — and be successful in it.
"This is something they can do," Garland said. "People tend to gravitate towards activities if we can see ourselves within the space — I just want to be involved and active enough so someone might see us do something and says to themselves, 'Hey, I might be able to do that too.'"
Women's breakdancing class
Garland started classes at School of Breaking after enrolling her young son.
"After just about six months of just sitting in the lobby watching, I told myself, 'I could do that too,'" Garland said.
She said that after she was laid off from her job in tech in 2019, she decided to become co-owner of the business. It is not something she had ever envisioned for herself.
"I went to college for engineering — I'm a graduate of Colorado School of Mines with a bachelor's degree in engineering with an electrical specialty," Garland said. "Every day I’m truly grateful that this is my life — that I had enough conviction not to feel the pressure to conform to something else."
Pressure-free nights are what Garland hopes women and girls have on Mondays.
Ksusha Ziska has been breaking for eight years. At 15 years old, she often competes with boys and men and is usually one of the few dancers who are women.
She said Mondays are a supportive time to learn and try new things.
"It's a nice space to be free and do what I love," Ziska said. "It just makes me feel super welcome and supported and equal."
Though more younger women like Ziska are joining their ranks, Garland said there is another part of breaking and hip-hop culture that needs some help.
"I have yet to find another black woman who owns a breaking school in the United States, which is another reason why I’ve been so passionate about his work," Garland said. "I would like there to be more."
Throughout the whole month of March, for Women's History Month, Garland and School of Breaking will be offering their women and girls' sessions for free. The cost is typically $5.
The women and girls' sessions run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at School of Breaking.
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