Whether you’re a breaker, a ballerina or hip hopper, Des Moines Breakerz invites every type of dancer. Dance is all about expressing yourself and that’s exactly what this studio has to offer. A space to move, make friends and be a part of a growing and loving dance community.
Written by Giovanna Zavell, DSMG Contributor
Not Your Average Dance Mom
“For three years, my garage was the place to practice before opening our studio,” says Tammra Swartwood, director and owner of Des Moines Breakerz.
A Des Moines native, Tammra grew up dancing at local studios, practicing tap, ballet and jazz. “If you have a background and understanding in one dance style, you can use those skills to learn another. I may not be a break dancer, but having my own dance background has helped me support other dancers and build a space for them.” Tammra says.
When her son, Micah, began showing interest in dance, she signed him up for a breakdancing class. Needless to say, he loved it and continued taking classes and growing his abilities. At the time, there wasn’t a studio dedicated to this type of dance, so classes took place in community spaces. Tammra opened her garage for practices and started becoming more involved in this community. It didn’t take long before her garage felt cramped for the amount of dancers that were showing up. So, she took the leap and rented a space at Mainframe Studios for six months. Again, she saw the breakdance community growing and knew they were in need of a more permanent home.
Tammra and her son, Micah
“The breakdance community in Des Moines is small but mighty,” Tammra says. “The dancers are extremely dedicated to their sport. They work together to better their skills and put themselves on the map. They deserve a space they can call home.”
Des Moines Breakerz officially formed in February 2022. The studio opened to the public later that same year in October, and sits behind Park Fair Mall, just off East Euclid Avenue.
DSM’s Premiere Breakdance Company
Tammra’s previous positions have all been in large companies, like John Deere and Wells Fargo. She has always been involved in the community, sitting on various boards and taking on the role of the planner. Many of the organizations she held board positions for focused on bettering the lives of youths in some way.
“My past experiences gave me the skill set to be able to say ‘I can do this,’” Tammra says. “I am the hub for everything when it comes to running the studio–scheduling classes, organizing workshops, updating the website and socials and partnering with community organizations. But the most important job is giving these kids every opportunity to dance.”
Workshop at Breakerz studio with dancer and choreographer, Crumbs.
Des Moines Breakerz offers classes for all ages and skill levels. Dancers start as young as three years old and currently range into 50 year olds. “I want everyone who walks through our doors to feel welcomed and know that they aren’t going to learn everything in their first lesson,” Tammra says.”Everyone has a starting point. You don’t have to be the best right away. Just keep moving and practicing. We will be here to support you through it.”
If you take a peek at the class schedule, you’ll notice there are classes happening almost every day of the week. And they aren’t all breakdance. Tammra’s team of instructors have a wide variety of dance styles, knowledge and abilities. There’s hip hop, free movement, ballet and contemporary. You can even find boxing, yoga and Kung Fu classes.
“When kids are learning breakdance for the first time, or any dance style, we want to teach foundational moves,” Tammra says. “The top rock, go downs, transitions and power moves are part of those foundational moves. These all come before learning tricks like flips and head spins.”
Breakerz members at Wells Fargo after performing the halftime show for The Globetrotters
All students are invited to take part in local performances. The Breakerz have had a number of exciting opportunities to partner with the community. Last year, they performed at the Dew Tour and 80/35. This year, they welcomed March Madness teams and performed the halftime show for the Harlem Globetrotters. The group also performs at the different festivals that take place across town.
The most exciting opportunities are out of state competitions, where Des Moines Breakerz compete for a spot in the Olympics.
Breaking for Gold
“We follow the Olympic path and travel with a handful of our dancers to competitions across the country,” Tammra says. “We have one teen who continues to place at qualifying competitions.” That teen is Skyler Fongdara, who dances as “Homie Sky” and is a sophomore at North High School. In the past two years, Homie Sky has placed in the Top 8 of National qualifying events three times. In the most recent, he took fourth.
Homie Sky, North High School, who holds three top 8 placements in 2022/2023 so far
Breakdancing will debut at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The dance style originated in the 1970s, taking form in the Bronx. Competitions were first held around the world beginning in the 1990s. Since then, the dance style made up of footwork and acrobatic movements continues to gain popularity.
“I’m excited to see Skyler continue to follow the Olympic path,” Tammra says. “We are so fortunate to have him as a member of our studio, and soon he will be an instructor–supporting younger students in their breakdance journey.”
Making a Positive Impact in the Community
The most important thing about dancing is moving your body confidently. Dance, in any form, is a way to express yourself and have fun. This is a value of the studio, and Tammra and her team of instructors have made strides to bring dance to the community.
After school breakdance club with students at Moulton Elementary School
“We are partners of Des Moines public schools and bring breakdancing lessons to a number of elementary schools within the district,” Tammra says. “It has been a great way to connect with kids and give them an outlet where they can feel fully supported. It’s amazing to see the joy in these kids when they dance and the confidence they have grown.”
The growth of the breakdance community has encouraged Tammra to begin the process of turning her business into a nonprofit. Having this status would open the doors to funding opportunities to bring in well known instructors, host more workshops and create more partnerships within the community.
“I do it all for these kids,” Tammra says. “I want to be able to offer them very cool and unusual experiences. As an established nonprofit, we are able to raise funds to compete more and do more in house. I’m very excited to welcome more dancers into our studio.”
Be sure to check out the latest events and class offerings on the Des Moines Breakerz website. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for behind the scenes looks at workshops and performances.
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