If Luca Patuelli was supposed to let life pass him by, someone better clue him in, in a hurry. Born with a physical disability that could have negatively impacted his life, the 22-year-old international break-dance star instead chose to confront it head-on by developing the very appendages that might otherwise have been considered limitations.
Luca was diagnosed with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC), a rare congenital disorder that is characterized by reduced mobility of many joints in the body including the arms and legs. While the cause of AMC is unknown, the disorder is neither genetic nor degenerative.
Fortunately for Luca, AMC affects the mobility in his legs exclusively. While he is able to walk with the aid of crutches, he dreams of a time when he will no longer need them.
"In 1995, I vowed that one day I would walk without crutches," he says. "For now, I can't really walk without them. As for wheelchairs, I only use them after surgeries. I don't like getting pushed around – wheelchairs are not only physically uncomfortable, I also value my independence and being able to move around on my own."
Yet beyond just "moving around" in terms of walking, Luca has carved a niche out of "moving around" as a world-renowned break-dancer. He became interested in it at the age of 15, after numerous surgeries relating to AMC left him unable to continue skateboarding.
"A friend of mine who was a break-dancer introduced me to the art. I fell in love with it right away. I honed my skills by practicing during lunch at school and watching break-dancing videos."
Today, Luca, who goes by the stage name Lazylegz (loosely-based on a famous 80s break-dancer named Crazylegs), frequently competes in worldwide break-dance competitions as part of an eight-man Montreal dance group called Illmatic Styles. With the help of his crutches, he has been known to perform some pretty draw-dropping moves.
"We've done pretty well," says Luca, who is the only member of the crew with a physical disability. "Illmatic Styles finished fourth among 16 teams from around the world at the World Finals in Los Angeles last summer."
A native Montrealer, Luca is in his third year in Marketing at Concordia University and hopes to incorporate his studies into a future break-dancing career.
"I like to organize events. I recently assembled a Montreal group for a [break-dancing] competition in Chicago, where we finished in the top eight out of 14 cities from around the U.S and Canada. I enjoy dealing with event (Team Montreal) sponsors."
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