Aasim Cheema has been dancing since he was a small child attending weddings. He recalls that every time he heard music he would “jump out on the dance floor and bust some moves!” Aasim took a year of formal ballet classes while in elementary school.
Aasim started breaking his junior year of high school. What began as a way to impress a girl soon became a hobby and then matured into a passion. Aasim has been breaking for almost ten years now. Aasim main focus is on one style of dance – breaking. “There are so many aspects to breaking that I find myself spending most of my free time fine-tuning and creating new movements.” In the past year, Aasim’s passion for dance has created segues for him to experience other disciplines of dance, including; jazz, swing and hip-hop choreography.
Aasim describes his individual style of break as fast, intricate, and aggressive. The type of movements Aasim portrays on the dance floor reflects how he views himself as an artist and a person. Continuous movement or flow is another aspect of breaking that he is naturally drawn towards. Aasim says he likes to combine his bboy moves in creative ways. “Continuously transitioning from one break move to another creates a flow. With proper flow, I can submerge myself into my subconscious emotions and draw out a part of my personality through my dance steps.”
Aasim says he has a multitude of reasons why he loves breaking. “I really enjoy the friendships I have formed with fellow bboys. Every dancer I have met through breaking has been a unique, energetic and wonderful person. In every city that I have visited for a competition or show, I have been met with open arms by local dancers.” “Breaking is a great way to easily meet and interact with incredibly diverse groups of people and form lasting friendships”, Aasim says.
Aasim is currently a second-year law student at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln College of Law. He is also involved with several student organizations (Multicultural Legal Society, Phi Alpha Delta, and UNL Breakdance Club) and dance projects, such as The Basement. Aasim is a founding member of O,Ne Breakers – a breaking crew that has been representing Omaha, Nebraska for the past 5 years in local showcases , schools and regional competitions. Aasim hopes to use his training as an attorney to bring a higher level of organization to the local Omaha and Lincoln breaking scenes.
TEDxOmaha is an independently organized TED event. As a part of the global TED community, we connect locally to explore the ideas and situations that affect our cultures, environments, and minds.
