Many of you will know her from the events: Petra Schuster. We were curious and asked her a few questions. Here's what you might have always wanted to know.
Petra, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. Please introduce yourself briefly.
Yes, I'm Petra, retired since 2016 and still thrilled and fascinated by the performances of the breakdancers and hip hop dancers.
I accompanied the dancers, was at their side as a qualified social education worker and was right in the middle of the development of breakdancing and the dancers over the course of 23 years. More than 1,200 girls and especially boys, if not more, have tried out breakdancing at our facility since 1993 and many of them have put their heart and soul into it through diligence and hard training, some of them even to this day, even if they no are no longer breaking actively.
How did your connection to dance and Soul Expression come about? Were you an active dancer yourself?
There's not really a connection, but wait. Yes, when I was young I was a sports teacher and I also danced a lot. But I actually always wanted to work with children and young people. And that's why I ended up in open child and youth work.
And as chance would have it, at the beginning of the 90s, a couple of young guys wanted to train breakdancing in what was then called "spektrum". That was the beginning, and there was no end to it until 2016. The scene in the building on Kaßberg grew, the breakdancers got better and better and also became more independent. Then they came up with the idea of organizing a big event themselves. That was in 2002, and hats off to these guys and girls, many of whom are still involved in some way today.
What was your main motivation for taking on all the stress over the years?
Stress is the wrong word, working with children and young people was fun and to be honest: I was grateful to be able to do such long-term, stable, enjoyable and sustainable work with so many boys and girls.
How did you get in touch with our French friends from Brest, who were guests at Soul Expression almost every year?
I am not the key factor in this event, but the break dancers themselves. They not only danced, but also gained experience at performances and events, got to know other dancers and, of course, were keen to make contacts abroad. This has also grown over the years, as has the connection to the breakdancers in Brest. Great experiences for all participants, as well as the experiences from the 90s, when they were in Russia and Finland.
What experiences do you remember and was there a particularly nice episode?
I had to think about this question for a long time. Because regardless of whether it was difficult or something went wrong, everything was somehow mastered and was ultimately beautiful. Every gig, every small event, every big event, whether it was City vs City or the 14 Soul Expressions, everything was beautiful because the makers, the DJs, the judges, the dancers, the parents, the friends and the many helpers all contributed to it. I have fond memories of Soul Expression 2010, where we welcomed an 82-year-old couple to our Soul Expression, the oldest visitors we ever had. They were even given extra chairs.
One learns from mistakes. Did anything ever go really wrong?
Nobody really needs to know that. We learn from our mistakes. Everyone who is involved anywhere knows that. But whenever our people headed to Brest, they made me sweat a lot in some years. Forgetting your ID at the hotel, queuing at the wrong gate, missing your flight in Paris because you'd rather had to dance at the Eiffel Tower and then driving to the wrong Brest, your suitcases suddenly disappearing ... and so on.
You have written a book about your time with the Chemnitz dancers. Please tell us something about this project.
It contains almost everything that the dancers experienced until 2016, and not just in the house on Kaßberg. And that was no small feat considering that more than 1,200 boys and girls trained together to have fun and be successful.
The remaining printed books or the PDF version on a USB stick can be purchased at Soul Expression. This is definitely worth it!
What are you proud of and what advice would you give our new guests?
I am proud of everyone who has found their way in a positive way over the years, whether in training, as a doer at events or as a companion, friend and helper. That's almost everyone, which makes you proud. I am happy about that. It's important that times like these should never be forgotten, because you can only benefit from experiences like these to shape your life and find new motivation.
So always keep your head up, always think and act positively, don't talk so much, but do it and always have the love of dancing in your soul, because „Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion.“ – Martha Graham
Or take the introduction to our book by Easy One: … There is probably no breakdancer who dances through life unscathed. Bruised thumbs, dislocated shoulders, lacerations and even fractures - if you want to become a champion, you have to put up with a lot. "But that's just part of it if you want to pursue the hottest hobby in the world," smiles Robby, who simply copied his first moves from music videos."I had it in my own hands where the path would take me." – from Stadtstreicher magazine Chemnitz, February 2011.
Many thanks Petra and all the best! We are very happy that you are again leading the organizing team.