Winnipeg breakdancer finds 'catharsis' and 'representation' through dance

When Dela Awuyah gets anxious or overwhelmed about the stresses of life, he hits the floor.

The 29-year-old breakdancer, also known as Mooki,has used dance as his outlet for 16 years to move through grief after the death of his cousin, as well as the struggles of poverty he faced growing up in Winnipeg's West End.

"Moments happen where you're kind of like, 'What do I do?' And then you sit there in the catharsis of the emotions but because I had breaking, Iwas able to go down to my basement and cry it out, but also create some moves and representation of that."

He was 14 when he discovered his loveofrap and hip-hop culture.

"Once I started to create my own movements I kind of just decided that certain moves would mean certain things. And in doing that I found myself expressing myself that way," Awuyahsaid.

Now, Awuyah is sharing his knowledgeof breakdancing and hip-hop culture with his studentsat Red River College Polytechnic.

Awuyah'semotional connection with breaking is the subject of a short documentary by three studentsEvan Rivard, Sean Monferoand Patrik Dela Cuesta, all 18 in theCreate programat Sisler High School in Winnipeg. The post-high school program trains students in the creative digital arts, including filmmaking.

The short documentary was produced as part of CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create, a continuing video storytelling collaboration.

Meet the filmmakers

Evan Rivard has been making and watching movies since he was a toddler, and has a deep passion and desire to tell poignant stories in all types of films.

Sean Monfero loves film production, lighting, and editing. He loves to experiment with his filmmaking, trying new techniques and working with other creative storytellers.When he isn't behind a camera, you can find him snoozing in his bed or hanging out with his friends.

Patrik Dela Cuesta has been experimenting with different types of editing techniques and motion graphics since middle school. He is also an automobile enthusiast who can regularly be found at meets near Portage Avenue.

More about Project POV: Sisler Create

CBC Manitoba's Project POV: SislerCreate is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBCManitoba journalists to produce short docs. The collaboration is in its second year. Past projects can be foundhere.

During fall 2023, CBC journalists taught storytelling to filmmaking studentsand led producing workshops over several weeks at theCreate program at Sisler High School.

The post-high school programfocuseson education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media.