This year’s junior quad day dance marked the debut of Brian Vo’s no-longer-hidden talent: break dancing. All eyes were focused on him as he performed an elaborate windmill.

“I was nervous before, but once I got out and finished my solo, I felt great to have represented my class,” Vo said.

Many people who have known Vo for a long time didn’t realize he was a break dancer until after the quad dance.

“When I saw him during our first quad day practice, I was amazed that he could do all that,” said Jay Lee. “It’s just weird how you can know someone for so long and then see them do all this crazy stuff that you’ve never seen them do before.”

Vo first started dancing the summer after freshman year because it was an invigorating way to pass time. He took each new move as a challenge he yearned to accomplish.

“It takes a million mistakes before I can learn a move, but when I do, it’s always so rewarding,” Vo said.

However, during sophomore year, Vo was unable to set aside as much time to practice.

“As the year progressed, the workload increased, so I didn’t have much time to go out on the football field and b-boy with my friends.”

Even though break dancing is generally done alone, Vo has made many friends who share his interest. Juniors Sanjeev Srivatsa and Jeff Kuo are among some of the people who get together to practice their moves.

“Throughout the year, I met a few people who also enjoyed b-boying, so I practiced with them,” Vo said. “We would help each other with different moves and watch one another improve.”

However, it is hard to tell those who really enjoys dancing versus those who enjoy the “cool” reputation that comes along with it.

“I know a lot of people who try, but there’s an ambiguous line between a dedicated b-boy and someone who’s just in it for giggles,” Vo said.

Although Vo sometimes feels bad that he doesn’t have much time to dance, he doesn’t plan on dropping his hobby any time soon.

“I don’t even practice anymore, since I’m a junior and have to put up with all my academics,” Vo said. “To tell you the truth, when the time comes, I just dance.”