The Cast Photo by Russ Rowland

Part musical revue, part history lesson, and part master class, Breakin' NYC is an affable summer diversion that showcases the dynamic dance style's journey into the mainstream. What was once an underground movement has unequivocally entered popular culture. In point of fact, the current show targets a broad audience, including families with children, and features an international cast of dancers from New York City, the West Coast, South Korea, Romania, Peru, and India.

Host/MC Ajalé Olaseni Coard (who is warm and ingratiating) directly engages the audience up front. In the show's opening, she invites individuals to come to the stage and show off their own dance moves to the spirited rhythms of house music. At the performance I attended, several very young children, a few teenagers, and a couple of adults joined her on stage.

Directed and choreographed by Angel Kaba (with assistant choreographer Elodie Dufroux), the program features a series of vignettes and dance pieces illustrating the evolution from b-boy battles and film representation to its current hip-hop form. As breaking spread globally, artists expanded the dance vocabulary, adding moves and styles like "popping," "locking," and "krumping" (an energetic and aggressive style, which is deftly performed here by dancers Nicholas Porter and Kayla Muchotrigo).

For audience members unfamiliar with, among other moves and terminology, the different kinds of "freezes" or variations of "flares" in breaking, the show provides valuable descriptive and cultural context. For instance, company member Justin S. Herbin offers a mini lesson in a segment called "Popping," which draws from the contributions of Boogaloo to freestyle dance. He further demonstrates how dancers create a distinct jerking effect through quick muscle contractions and relaxations, applying this technique to various body parts. Similarly, Messiah Brown provides an assured and impressive physical exhibition of the intricate footwork associated with "Litefeet."

The proceedings benefit from a spare design so as not to distract from the efforts of the hard-working dancers. (Peter Feuchtwanger is the production designer, and Joan Racho-Jansen designed the lighting, which is especially notable for a sequence that evokes a New York City subway scene.) There is also effective use of video (produced by company member Jihad Ali), which highlights performances of legendary and supremely gifted dancers and artists. Unfortunately, the juxtaposition sometimes calls attention to the talents of members of the ensemble, who are good but not nearly Olympians.

Ideally, the dancing will become more polished over time, allowing the choreography to be executed with bravura and the transitions to flow seamlessly, rather than appearing ragtag. Indeed, there were times when it felt like watching street performances by dance crews in Times Square. Compounding the sensation, audiences are encouraged to take photos (without a flash) and record videos, and there were moments when trying to focus on the stage amidst a sea of raised cellphones and glowing screens made it feel like jockeying for a prime view outdoors.

That said, prior to seeing Breakin' NYC, I must admit I had little knowledge of, or interest in, the genre. To the production's credit, I left with a deeper appreciation of breaking as both an art form and a dance sport.