"I remember the first day I saw it," Juan Matta said. "I was like, 'wow,' I was amazed by it."

"It" is break dancing. Matta and Pete Ditore were introduced to break dancing while they were living in New York. When they both ended up in Raleigh, they brought the dance with them.

Matta's passion has made him a fixture on the local break-dancing scene. He is a member of North Carolina break-dancing crew, "Swoon Unit," and hosts B-boy battles at Loft 135 on Wilmington Street in Raleigh.

Recently, the two danced in Moore Square during SPARKcon, a conference and showcase for the local creative community. Spectators gathered as the men started dancing to the break, performing freezes and spins.

"It is its own form of art," Ditore said. "It's 100 percent expression."