Overview of freezes in breakdance

What is a freeze?

A freeze is a position held without any movement. The body is completely still, and that’s where a freeze got its name. The dancer tries to freeze its body. Freezes are the only element of breakdancing that doesn't include body movement.

A freeze is often performed aligned to the rhythm of the beat and/or towards the end of a breakdance round.

Freezes are considered to be one of the four elements of breakdance, alongside toprocks, footwork and power moves.

Freezes in dance battles

Freezes are used a lot in breakdance battles.

The dancer can use the freeze to hit the accent of a certain song that the dj is playing. This could be a snare, a drum or another music instrument. Timing your freeze to a particular part of the music can add a lot of strength to it, and could get a great reaction from the crowd. After all, breakdance is a dance and using your moves to the music will help you to get a crowd reaction and to win over the judges at the battle or competition.

Another reason breakers will use a freeze would be to end a sequence of power moves. We see this a lot in breakdance. A freeze can beautifully complement the end of the rotating body during power moves, and can be a great finish of the sequence.

A freeze can also be used to give a proper ending to a breakdance round. The dancer will end its round with a freeze to make his or her round more complete, and possibly to let the opponent know they are finishing up their round.

Another reason to use the freeze could also be to show your opponent that you can do the same freeze as they just did in their set - maybe you can even do it better. It is possible that breakers do a freeze to point out to their opponent that they can do it too, or even better.

Below we will give you an overview of all freezes in breaking.

Baby freeze

The baby freeze is a freeze where you stab one elbow into the side abs and let your body rest on your hand palm. The other arm bends in a 90 degree angle, also using the hand palm to lean on the floor. Simultaneously you are resting your head on the ground and have both legs off the ground, lifted in the air. This freeze is often performed whilst resting the knee on top of the arm that is bent on the ground in the 90 degree position, using the elbow as a table for the surface of the knee.

The baby freeze one of the most commonly used freezes in breakdance and is a one of the foundational freezes. It is also usually the first freeze beginner breakers learn.

In the baby freeze position you can also switch the legs.

Chair freeze

The chair freeze is a position in which you fold your body in the form of a chair, hence its name. You start from a bridge position with your head and feet on the ground for support, while keeping the surface of your back off the ground. You then use the elbow of one of your arms to find support in your back.

Often, dancers will first learn to do this move with two feet on the ground, but will later be able to lift one leg off the ground and put it on top of the other leg in a figure four position. The chair freeze is a classic freeze that is seen a lot in breakdance battles.

Airchair

The airchair is an evolution of the chair freeze, and could be best described as a chair freeze but with the head lifted off the ground in the air, as well both of the legs being off the ground in the air. The dancer brings the knees towards the chest in this position, bringing the upper and lower body closer to each other, forming a real life chair position. Imagine the upper body being the support of the chair, and the legs being the part of the chair you would sit on.

The air chair is one of the most popular freezes in breakdance, and is used in a lot of different combinations and variations. Think about moves like the airchair spin, air chair flares and airchair hops. The air chair is a beautiful move to see.

Handstand

The handstand has been around for a long time, and is originally not a breakdance move. It first evolved in the world of circus performances and gymnastics. Breakdance adapted this move and made it its own.

The dancer performs the handstand by supporting the body in a vertical position with the legs above the body in the air, while balancing on the hand palms and fingers.  The body is held straight, with the arms and legs fully extended. The space between the hands in a basic handstand is about shoulder-width apart from each other, and the legs are held together.

In breaking, there are a lot of variations of the handstand. The legs are formed in different shapes and forms, and it can be done one either one hand or two hands.

Elbow freeze

The elbow freeze is a variation of the handstand, which is also used in some other disciplines such as yoga and gymnastics.

The elbow freeze is a position where the dancer leans on the forearm of one arm, using the hand palm on the ground for grip, while both legs are up in the air. While during a normal handstand the dancer leans on both hand palms for balance with the arms straightened, the elbow freeze has its main support through the forearm (and so) the elbow. The elbow freeze is generally perceived as a spin-off of the handstand.

Turtle freeze

The turtle freeze is one of the most basic freezes in breaking that is relatively similar to the baby freeze and the side freeze. It is also the basis for the power move ‘turtles’.

The dancer puts his elbow in his abdominal at the front side of the belly, placing the hand palm on the ground, while the legs are still on the ground. The stabbed elbow into the belly functions as the balance point for this freeze. Then, the dancer leans forward and lifts the legs off the floor, using the hand palm of the arm that is not stabbed in the abdominal to find balance.

The turtle freeze is one of the first freezes you will learn in breaking, and forms a good foundation for future freezes.

Shoulder freeze

 The shoulder freeze is a freeze where the dancer leans on the surface of their (upper) arm, while having both legs in the air. The side of your head is leaning on the ground in a straight line with your shoulder. It’s important that your back is not on the ground, your balance only comes from leaning on the arm proper.

The shoulder freeze is the foundation for power moves like the shoulder spin and the shoulder halo.

Frog freeze

The frog freeze is a freeze where you lean with your elbows on the insides of your knee, and the move looks like a sitting frog (hence the name). You start by sitting in a squat position with the knees wide. You then bring your arms towards the floor, leaning on your hands and you place your elbows into the pits of the side of your knees. You lean forward to lift your legs off the ground to find your balance.

Spider freeze

The spider is a breakdance freeze that makes you look like a spider, that’s where the name comes from. You start from sitting down on the floor with your back straight and legs on the ground. You then simultaneously lift up both legs, and put your upper arms under the surface of your knee pits. Then, you lift your butt off the floor and use your upper arms as a balance point for your legs. You find your balance by controlling your body in the air through your hands, which are your pressure and balance points on the floor.

The spider is a move that used to be really popular in breakdance, but you don’t see it that often anymore these days. A lot of flexible breakers do this move, as it requires a certain level of flexibility.

Side freeze

The side freeze is a basic freeze that looks a lot like the baby freeze. Just as with the baby freeze, you place your elbow in your abdominal. However, with the side freeze, you lean it more into the side of your abdominal and you open your hips. The side of your head is usually on the ground, but it can also be used without the hand on the ground. The legs are lifted off the ground. The side freeze can be seen as a variation of the baby freeze.

Headstand freeze

 The headstand is a freeze where the dancer balances on the surface of its head, while keeping his or her body and legs up in the air. This is done by forming stability through using the hand palms (and so arms) to keep the body in balance. The arms are placed in a 90 degree angle on the width of the shoulders, just below the head. The dancer then uses the hand palms and fingertips to find balance, while keeping the legs in a V-shape position above the head. The headstand forms the basis of the headspin, one of breakdance’s most famous (power) moves.

Bridge freeze

 The bridge is a position that originally comes from gymnastics. The breakdance world has adopted it and made the position its own. You start from laying on your back. Then you put the one hand next to the right side of your head on the ground, and the other hand to the left side of your head on the ground. Your feet are simultaneously on the ground as well, in a bended position. Your knees are facing the ceiling. Then you use your hand palms and legs to push your back up and head into the air, creating an arch bridge position with your body. Your lower back will be the highest point of this arch bridge.

Breakers tend to add flavor to this freeze by taking one leg off the ground and making shapes with the legs, such as the figure four shape.

Airbaby

 The airbaby is a freeze that requires a high-level of hand balancing, combining elements of strength, technique and balance. It's a visually stunning position that can take years to perfect.

The airbaby has origins in breakdance, but it's also become a trademark move of calisthenics and certain styles of yoga. The airbaby is performed with both hands on the ground, and one elbow leans on the lower-part of the knee, in which the upper part of the elbow serves as a table for the knee to lean on. The other arm is used for support, and the practitioner will use this arm to find the right balance point.

Pike freeze

The pike is a freeze variation of the handstand. Instead of standing on two hands, the dancer takes one hand off the floor, twists their hip inwards, bringing the knees towards the chest. Then, the dancer can use his or her free arm to grab the toe of one (or both) of the feet, while balancing on one arm.

This is a quick freeze that is usually held for no longer than 0.5 to 2 seconds. It’s a dynamic freeze that is commonly used for swift execution, not to balance it. This move can also be performed on the elbow handstand, leaning on the forearm. This freeze is called the elbow pike.

Invert freeze

The invert is a handstand where the dancer puts their hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, and the hands are turned slightly towards each other. With a normal handstand, the body is held straight with the face looking towards the hands. With the invert, the dancer tucks their chin towards their chest, and leans the legs a bit further back than with the normal balance point for handstand. Then, the dancer tucks in their knees towards their chest, and you face your knees and/or feet in this freeze. As the name of the move, it feels like your body is upside down in this variation of the handstand. This freeze is often used in breakdance and looks impressive.

Hollowback

The hollowback is similar to the invert and to the handstand - however, many consider it to be the most difficult variation of the handstand freeze. The dancer starts with a normal handstand, but then instead of looking at the hands, pushes his/her head through and leans back with the legs, giving the dancer a hollow back. The trick is to find a balance point with the legs as close as possible to the floor.

With the hollowback, the dancer is facing the ceiling with the legs hanging closely above the ground. This is different than the invert freeze, where the practitioner tucks the legs in and is facing the knees and/or feet.

The hollowback is a beautiful freeze, but is very difficult to control, as it’s hard to find a balance point. Having a flexible back and flexible shoulders can be a huge plus for learning this move. This move can also be performed via a headstand instead of a handstand, which is called a head hollowback.

L-kick

The L-Kick is a freeze where the dancer enters a handstand with one arm by stepping to the side of the feet instead of to the front. The dancer enters the same way you would enter a cartwheel. The dancer brings one arm straightened to the ground to the side of their left or right foot, depending what your preference is. Then, you bring one leg into the air first, with the other to follow.

The trick is to form an L-shape with your legs, and hold the freeze for at least a second to make it look effective. When the dancer controls this freeze, he or she could up the difficulty level by using their free arm to touch the toe of one of their feet.

V-kick

The V-kick, also known as the Applejack, is a freeze where the dancer starts in a squat position. The dancer then brings both arms to the floor, slightly behind the body, getting grip on the floor through the hand palms and fingers.

Simultaneously, the dancer brings their feet up in the air, trying to form a V-shape with the legs in the air. The dancer throws their legs up - one towards the left shoulder and one towards the right shoulder to accomplish this. The V-kick is a popular breakdance move, even though you don’t see this freeze as often as back in the earlier days of breakdance.

How do you learn freezes?

Learning freezes requires frequent practice. You want to be training your freezes at least 3 times a week, but preferably on a daily basis. Create a routine in your breakdance practice where you take 10-15 minutes of time to purely practice a certain freeze. Film yourself to see where your points of improvement are. A lot of freezes are about balance, and finding your balance point is, in most cases, a matter of frequent repetition, so your body and brain learn the balance point.

It is important to learn the right technique when it comes to freezes. Without the right technique, it can take forever to improve on freezes, and you might never find your sweet spot on balance if you don’t take the right approach. That’s where MyGrooveGuide can help you out!

We have several classes focused on learning and improving freezes for both beginner and advanced level dancers, taught by some of the best breakers around. Learn not only how to do freezes, but also learn how to combine them and transition from one freeze to another. Don’t miss out, and level-up your freeze skill by checking out our online dance classes today!