Breakin' Too

SAT 11/19
If break dancers are like greyhounds, then hip-hop is the fake bunny that leads the dogs around the track. Put a needle to bass-heavy wax (try "The Champ" by the Mohawks), and it's like that scene in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? in which Christopher Lloyd tries to coax the cartoon out of hiding. He taps "shave-and-a-haircut," and Roger busts through the wall screaming, "Two bits!" Another thing about break dancers: They're dying to know who's the best. All that frontin' and snapping and posing are fine when dancers are just rolling around on the floor of a bar. But they're yearning for an actual, impartial judge to tell them who's really got it going on. So it's about time someone hosts a break-dancing contest. Let's separate the true breakers from the ones out there just getting their clothes dirty. Saturday's massive Out for Fame contest should do the trick. Head to Finnigan's (503 East 18th Avenue in North Kansas City) from 3 p.m. to midnight. For $15 at the door, watch the stunts of the local Buggin' Out and Dirty Q-Tips crews, plus dancers from exotic locales such as Oakland and Chicago. Winners compete in San Francisco in January at the Out for Fame national championship. Middleground Presents hosts; contact promoter Alfredo Montez at 913-206-9611 for more information. — Nadia Pflaum Heads or Tales?
Animals leave the cage for a day of stories. SAT 11/19
There's something to be said for animated adaptations of traditional tales (except on The Simpsons, because those episodes just aren't as funny). Although the cartoon form can make literature appealing for young viewers, it erases the element of imagination. At the Ernie Miller Nature Center (909 North Kansas Highway 7, 913-764-7759), yarn spinners leave plenty of room for conjuring fantastical images during their weekly readings, but they also use actual animals to illustrate appropriate characters. To mark the International Day of Storytelling Saturday, they're emptying a cage from every category at 10:30 a.m., with mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds all cast in tales that range from ancient myths to environmental-awareness fables.— Andrew Miller