Break dancing pioneer Frost dead at 44

NEW YORK, April 5 (UPI) -- Wayne Frost, who earned global renown for his break-dancing skills in the 1980s, has died in New York at the age of 44, a colleague said.

Jorge Pabon, who performed alongside Frost in the Rock Steady Crew, said Frost died at Mount Sinai Medical Center of a unspecified illness, The New York Times reported Saturday.

"He was not only an amazing dancer but a daredevil," Pabon said of Frost. "The moves he did were really super high-risk. He had these signature moves and swagger, this really classy b-boy swagger, that made him extremely unique."

In addition to appearances in feature movies such as "Flashdance" and "Wild Style," Frost's abilities were featured in documentaries "Style Wars," "The Freshest Kids" and "5 Sides of a Coin."

Frost also was on hand in July when the Rock Steady Crew reunited to celebrate the group's 30th anniversary.

The Times said Frost, who died Thursday, is survived by two sisters and a brother.