Today In Hip Hop History: The B-Boy Flick ‘Breakin” Hit Theaters 40 Years Ago

Breakin movie poster

The film that spawned a sequel and cemented itself in pop culture, turns 40

Breakin’ became an instant hit in the Hip Hop world for putting the dance culture on the map. The film features not only a storyline that captured audiences even outside of the Hip Hop world but some of the greatest music written at the time that was being included in the world of breakdancing.

With a cast made up of Hollywood elite and established Hip Hop players like Ice-T and dance sensation Michael Chambers a.k.a ‘Boogaloo Shrimp’, the film follows Kelly (played by Lucinda Dickey), a young jazz dancer that struggles with her style and takes it to the street with the help of her friend Adam (Phineas Newborn III). Adam introduces Kelly to two street dancers, Ozone (Adolfo Quiñones) and Turbo, who was played by Chambers, who in turn show her their dance crew and ways, and their endless competition they have with rival crew Electro Rock.

The crews in the film struggle with both their rivals, and also acceptance by Kelly’s dance instructor, who disapproves of the hybrid style the dancers perform alongside their street affiliation, but through it all, Kelly soon becomes a sensation with the crowds and finds success.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Cult Classic Hip Hop Film ‘Wild Style’ Debuted in Theaters 41 Years Ago

Wild Style

Wild Style is arguably the very first movie and one of the very few that shows the true essence of what Hip Hop is about. When Hip-Hop was being passed off as a fad that wouldn’t last beyond “Rapper’s Delight,” a vivid reenactment of the introduction of this artistic culture to the world was made. In 1983, film director and cultural artist Charlie Ahearn premiered the flick in Times Square, breaking records by selling out at all screenings for the three weeks it played.

A member of the collective artist group Collaborative Projects, Ahearn was initially exposed to Hip Hop in the late 70s through graffiti when he went to film the youth in the projects in Manhattan’s Lower East Side that studied martial arts. He was soon approached by Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Braithwaite about making a movie encompassing all elements of Hip-Hop (emceeing, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti). Fab 5 Freddy brought legendary graff artist Lee Quinones to meet Ahearn to discuss further the approach of filming graffiti and introducing it as a legitimate art form. Ahearn found out that Lee was the same graf king whose work he admired while filming in LES. With Ahearn as producer and director, the three began embarking on a journey to gather the individuals who would be the faces of this landmark film.

Developing its name from an abstract letter design made famous in the graffiti world by graff king Tracy 168, Wild Style featured some of the most prolific pioneers from all aspects of Hip-Hop. The Cold Crush Brothers, Rock Steady Crew, and Grandmaster Flash were just a few of Hip-Hop’s trailblazers that debuted on Wild Style’s silver screen. The Furious Five could not appear alongside Flash and had to be cut from the film because of prior obligations to another more mainstream motion picture depicting the development of Hip Hop that came out later called Beat Street. This is why Afrika Bambaataa, the New York City Breakers, The Treacherous Three, or female pioneer MC Sha Rock were not seen in the film. Other notable legends included Busy Bee Starski, graff legends Dondi, Zephyr, and Revolt, who designed the Wild Style logo and the Fantastic Freaks.

Lee Quinones played the main character “Zoro,” the anonymous graf phenom introduced to the art world by his pal and fellow graffiti writer “Faze,” played by Fab 5 Freddy. Faze introduces Zoro to Virginia, a journalist portrayed by cultural icon Patti Astor, who later shows Zoro to art’s world stage of galleries and museums. The story is an accurate historical account of how Hip-Hop, in general, was introduced to mainstream America and, later, the rest of the world. It also showed the poverty and despair that existed in the South Bronx, out of which the culture of Hip Hop emerged.

Over 30 years later, Wild Style is still an American pop culture icon. The players that participated and performed in the movie have made themselves legends in their own right. However, most will recognize their appearance in the film as the catapult of their career. The movie has been sampled on various classic Hip Hop albums, including ATCQ’s Midnight Marauders, Common’s Ressurection, and the Five Mic classic, Nas’ Illmatic. Wild Style was voted one of the top ten rock n’ roll movies of all time by the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame, and VH1’s Hip Hop Honors acknowledged the film’s influence in Hip Hop with a tribute in 2007.

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Today in Hip Hop History: Hip-Hop Celebrates Its Birth In The South Bronx 50 Years Ago!

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On this day 50 years ago (August 11, 1973), Kool Herc threw his legendary back-to-school basement party, which would go on to create the foundation for Hip-Hop music through the “breakbeat” DJ technique he used to keep the party rocking. Many aspiring emcees at the time paired ‘the break’ with the rhymes flowing through their minds, jumpstarting a sound and movement now considered the most popular genre in music; Hip Hop.

Many are familiar with the story of the 1520 Sedgewick Avenue Recreation Center and how Jamaican-born Herc attracted the youth from the community and other boroughs that had already made names for themselves in other aspects of the culture (B-Boying, Graffiti, and MCing). The climate in NYC has often been omitted from history, where the city was on the brink of bankruptcy while crime and “white flight” was at an all-time high. These were the circumstances in which the culture of Hip Hop was born and thrived throughout the city for about a decade before it became recognized by the mainstream.

Salute to the pioneers of the era, such as Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Coke La Rock, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Funky Four Plus 1 More, The Magnificent Seven, and a host of others who were there at the foundation. Thank you for giving us what we can document now as Hip Hop history!

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Red Bull Announces Paris As Host City For World’s Largest Breaking Competition

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Today, global one-on-one breaking competition, Red Bull BC One, announces the historic 20th edition of the Red Bull BC One World Final will take place in Paris, France, on October 21 at Roland Garros. Following 60 qualifier events across 30 countries, the Red Bull BC One 2023 Paris World Final will see b-boys and b-girls from around the world battle against the best in breaking for the coveted World Champion title. Tickets are now available HERE

Happening on October 21st, the largest, most prestigious breaking competition will bring together world-class b-girls and b-boys from all corners of the globe to perform their best power moves, top rocks, footwork, and more for a chance at the coveted World Champion title.
Following 60 qualifier events held in 30 countries, the Red Bull BC One 2023 World Final will see country champions battling against the best in break to earn their spot in a final line-up of 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls. These breakers will enter an all-out, bracket-style tournament to be crowned Red Bull BC One World Champion.

Breaking boasts a rich history being an integral element of hip-hop, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. As hip-hop continues to progress, breaking is experiencing its own evolution, becoming a globally recognized sport, and transcending its Bronx origins to reach audiences worldwide. Across generations, thriving break communities have pushed the competitive street dance to new heights, shaping how break looks today while nurturing the culture that underpins it.

Last year’s Red Bull BC One World Final took place in New York, honoring the origins of break and hip-hop, with B-Boy Victor (USA) and B-Girl India (Netherlands) beating out the competition and reigning supreme. Both historic wins, B-Boy Victor took the title for his second time and B-Girl India dethroned 2021 Red Bull BC One World Champion, Logistx, to become the youngest b-girl ever to hold the Red Bull BC One title. Red Bull BC One All Star and Red Bull BC One 2022 World Champion, B-Boy Victor, has built a career as one the best breakers on the international scene over nearly two decades. He shares, “Over the next year, it will be important – now more than ever – to uplift breakers and communities that have transformed
this artform into an official sport. While breaking has come a long way, we must honor the pioneers who started the craft.”

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Los Angeles Announced As Host City For Finals Of Red Bull BC One, World’s Largest Breakdancing Competition

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On September 17, the world’s largest, most esteemed breaking competition, Red Bull BC One, will host the  USA National Finals in Los Angeles. Winners of the regional cyphers held in Philadelphia, Austin, Orlando, Boston, and Seattle will take the stage at Eden Hollywood to battle it out for the National Championship title and to represent the country at the Red Bull BC One World Final in New York this November. 

Shining a light on the thriving breaking communities across the U.S., the nation’s top 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls will compete in a knockout bracket, judged by a panel of respected figures within the breaking and hip-hop community, including b-girl legend Asia 1 and Red Bull BC One All Star Neguin with Rakaa, of Dilated Peoples hosting the evening. Joining the regional finalists are wild-card invites of top US breakers including HijackMaceSnap1Rascal RandiSunny, and more. Only one b-boy and one b-girl will go on to represent the USA at the Last Chance Cypher during the Red Bull BC One World Final in New York on November 11. 

B-girl Pep-C, an Olympic hopeful who will be competing in Los Angeles, took home the win at the Red Bull BC One Cypher East in Philadelphia last month. She shares, “The Red Bull BC One National Final is an exciting opportunity to put my training and skills to the test against the best b-girls across the country. With the Olympics around the corner, this prestigious competition is a stepping stone on the road to Paris..”

The 2022 Red Bull BC One season celebrates the communities that have helped push break forward to reach  new milestones in the sport’s history: Hip-hop’s upcoming golden anniversary in 2023 and the highly anticipated debut of breaking at the 2024 Paris Games. Honoring these pivotal timestamps, the 2022 Red Bull BC One World Final will return to New York, paying tribute to breaking as an intrinsic element of hip-hop culture. 

While breaking has its roots in the Bronx, it was also ubiquitous in the west coast hip-hop mecca of South L.A. and on the city’s east side. West Coast Dancers have shaped breaking’s evolution since the 1970s, fusing California-native dance styles like popping and locking with the ground-level gymnastics of New York B-Boys. The West Coast is also home to legendary breaking crews such as Air Force Crew, Radiotron Wizards, and Shake City Rockers, which trace back to intramural battles in L.A. 

Emerging in the late 2000s, Squadron, a SoCal breaking crew, ignited a  modern west coast breaking revolution. Brought together by breaking icon David “Mex One” Alvarado, Squadron was one of the first independent West Coast Crews made “by and for the scene”, which added a distinct West Coast flavor to the sport by merging it with capoeira moves, house dance, and other techniques. Its members include Red Bull BC One All Stars Omar “RoxRite” Delgado, who was a founding member, and Victor Montalvo.

“Generations of West Coast b-boys and b-girls from San Diego to Seattle have influenced what we know as breaking today. Being a member of Renegade Rockers and to represent the Red Bull BC One All Stars, two crews that are crucial to breaking’s proliferation, I am proud to carry the torch for the breakers who came before me while nurturing the next generation,” shares RoxRite. 

Leading up to the competition, Red Bull BC One will host Breakalicious @ Delicious, a celebration of west coast hip hop and break, on Friday, August 26 from 7-9PM PT at Delicious Pizza, a neighborhood pizzeria and local community hub from the founders of the iconic hip-hop label Delicious Vinyl, which helped launch seminal artists such as Tone Lōc (“Wild Thing”), Young MC (“Bust a Move”), The Pharcyde and more.

Breakalicious @ Delicious will feature an open jam session and the unveiling of a limited edition Squadron pizza box. The event will kick off a four-week photo exhibition exploring the west coast break scene and a limited time offering from Delicious, the Pizza Break special, which includes a 12” pizza and two cans of Red Bull.  

Tickets to the national final are $10. Secure your spot at the Red Bull BC One Cypher USA here

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Los Angeles Announced As Host City For Finals Of Red Bull BC One, World’s Largest Breakdancing Competition

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On September 17, the world’s largest, most esteemed breaking competition, Red Bull BC One, will host the  USA National Finals in Los Angeles. Winners of the regional cyphers held in Philadelphia, Austin, Orlando, Boston, and Seattle will take the stage at Eden Hollywood to battle it out for the National Championship title and to represent the country at the Red Bull BC One World Final in New York this November. 

Shining a light on the thriving breaking communities across the U.S., the nation’s top 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls will compete in a knockout bracket, judged by a panel of respected figures within the breaking and hip-hop community, including b-girl legend Asia 1 and Red Bull BC One All Star Neguin with Rakaa, of Dilated Peoples hosting the evening. Joining the regional finalists are wild-card invites of top US breakers including HijackMaceSnap1Rascal RandiSunny, and more. Only one b-boy and one b-girl will go on to represent the USA at the Last Chance Cypher during the Red Bull BC One World Final in New York on November 11. 

B-girl Pep-C, an Olympic hopeful who will be competing in Los Angeles, took home the win at the Red Bull BC One Cypher East in Philadelphia last month. She shares, “The Red Bull BC One National Final is an exciting opportunity to put my training and skills to the test against the best b-girls across the country. With the Olympics around the corner, this prestigious competition is a stepping stone on the road to Paris..”

The 2022 Red Bull BC One season celebrates the communities that have helped push break forward to reach  new milestones in the sport’s history: Hip-hop’s upcoming golden anniversary in 2023 and the highly anticipated debut of breaking at the 2024 Paris Games. Honoring these pivotal timestamps, the 2022 Red Bull BC One World Final will return to New York, paying tribute to breaking as an intrinsic element of hip-hop culture. 

While breaking has its roots in the Bronx, it was also ubiquitous in the west coast hip-hop mecca of South L.A. and on the city’s east side. West Coast Dancers have shaped breaking’s evolution since the 1970s, fusing California-native dance styles like popping and locking with the ground-level gymnastics of New York B-Boys. The West Coast is also home to legendary breaking crews such as Air Force Crew, Radiotron Wizards, and Shake City Rockers, which trace back to intramural battles in L.A. 

Emerging in the late 2000s, Squadron, a SoCal breaking crew, ignited a  modern west coast breaking revolution. Brought together by breaking icon David “Mex One” Alvarado, Squadron was one of the first independent West Coast Crews made “by and for the scene”, which added a distinct West Coast flavor to the sport by merging it with capoeira moves, house dance, and other techniques. Its members include Red Bull BC One All Stars Omar “RoxRite” Delgado, who was a founding member, and Victor Montalvo.

“Generations of West Coast b-boys and b-girls from San Diego to Seattle have influenced what we know as breaking today. Being a member of Renegade Rockers and to represent the Red Bull BC One All Stars, two crews that are crucial to breaking’s proliferation, I am proud to carry the torch for the breakers who came before me while nurturing the next generation,” shares RoxRite. 

Leading up to the competition, Red Bull BC One will host Breakalicious @ Delicious, a celebration of west coast hip hop and break, on Friday, August 26 from 7-9PM PT at Delicious Pizza, a neighborhood pizzeria and local community hub from the founders of the iconic hip-hop label Delicious Vinyl, which helped launch seminal artists such as Tone Lōc (“Wild Thing”), Young MC (“Bust a Move”), The Pharcyde and more.

Breakalicious @ Delicious will feature an open jam session and the unveiling of a limited edition Squadron pizza box. The event will kick off a four-week photo exhibition exploring the west coast break scene and a limited time offering from Delicious, the Pizza Break special, which includes a 12” pizza and two cans of Red Bull.  

Tickets to the national final are $10. Secure your spot at the Red Bull BC One Cypher USA here

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World’s Largest Breaking Competition Announces 2022 USA Regional Schedule And All Star Tour

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Today, prestigious one-on-one breaking competition, Red Bull BC One, reveals the U.S. line-up for its highly-anticipated regional qualifiers and the return of the Red Bull BC One All Star Tour. Regional qualifiers, or cyphers, will take place across the country, summoning the best b-boys and b-girls for battles, community building, and mentorship. 

The competition kicks off on July 23 in Philadelphia followed by regional cyphers in Austin, Orlando, Boston, and Seattle. Regional cyphers bring together 16 of the region’s top b-boys and b-girls to battle 1v1 in a knockout bracket format. A panel of respected breakers from each region determines which competitors will advance to the Red Bull BC One National Final in Los Angeles. 

The 2022 season saw an expansion of the program with the inception of open prequalifying city cyphers, which took place throughout the country this spring and ensured breakers of all levels had an opportunity to secure a spot in the elite competition. Regional qualifiers include invitees chosen for their elite breaking ability as well as champions and runners up from the open city cyphers.

Emerging b-girl Jeyna Ponce took the win at the Las Vegas city cypher before deciding to also participate in San Diego where she claimed runner up. “Since I’m new to battling, the open cypher tested my competition skills. I’m not often around an abundance of female breakers and these events showed me the potential of my own break technique while introducing me to a community of individuals I can learn from.” 

Born and raised in Las Vegas, 21-year old Ponce grew up surrounded by family and peers in prominent dance crews such as Super Cr3w, Jabbawockeez, and Full Force. With a decade of training in everything from jazz to choreo, Ponce found her way to break while studying at Alchemy Breaking Academy in Summer 2020 and never looked back. Ponce is set to compete at the regional qualifier in Austin, TX.  

Coinciding with the cyphers, the Red Bull BC One All Star Tour returns in 2022 with multi-city stops featuring the world class Red Bull BC One All Stars, an elite breaking crew, including Logistx (USA), Lilou (FR), Ronnie (USA), RoxRite (USA), Phil Wizard (CANADA), Lil Zoo (Austria), Victor (USA), and Neguin (USA/BRAZIL). Commencing August 4th, the Red Bull BC One All Star tour will stop in Austin, New York City, Philadelphia, Orlando, Boston, Chicago, and Seattle. Cultivating a platform for mentorship, while ushering in the next generation of breakers, each stop on the tour will host workshops, community jams, panels, and exhibition battles led by Red Bull BC One All Stars. 

“I’m excited to get back on the road and reconnect with the b-boys and b-girls bringing break to new heights. With breaking making its way to the 2024 Paris Games, mentorship takes on an important role. As the community expands and competition levels rise, this is the moment to inspire the next generation while ensuring the strong foundation of heritage,” says Red Bull BC One All Star Ronnie. 

The 2022 Red Bull BC One cypher season celebrates the art and athleticism of breaking, those who have pioneered the sport, and the communities who shape what it looks like today. With the Red Bull BC One World Final returning to New York, the birthplace of break, for the first time in 13 years, the competition aims to pay tribute to the sport’s heritage and invites the international community to celebrate breaking’s roots while looking to its future. 

RED BULL BC ONE U.S. CYPHER SCHEDULE

  • East Cypher [Philadelphia, PA]: Saturday, July 23, Cherry Street Pier 
  • South Cypher [Austin, TX]:  Saturday, August 6, ACL Live
  • Southeast Cypher [Orlando, FL]: Saturday, August 13, Celine Orlando
  • Northeast Cypher [Boston, MA]: Saturday, August 20, The Sinclair
  • Northwest Cypher [Seattle, WA]: Friday, August 26, Showbox SODO
  • National Final [Los Angeles, CA]: Saturday, September 17, Eden Hollywood
  • Camp [New York, NY]: Wednesday, November 10 – Saturday, November 12, Capitale
  • World Final [New York, NY] November 12, Hammerstein Ballroom

RED BULL BC ONE ALL STAR TOUR SCHEDULE

  • Austin, TX: August 6 – 7 
  • New York City: August 10 – 11
  • Philadelphia, PA August 12 – 13
  • Orlando, FL: August 12 – 13 
  • Northeast/Collegiate All Star Tour Stops: August 18 – 20 
  • Chicago, IL: August 23
  • Seattle, WA s: August 25 -26

For more information about individual cyphers, exhibitions, workshops, and tickets check out the Red Bull BC One website and be sure to follow @RedBullBCOne on InstagramFacebookYoutube, and Twitter.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Cult Classic Hip Hop Film ‘Wild Style’ Debuted in Theaters 39 Years Ago

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During the time when Hip-Hop was being passed off as a fad that wouldn’t last beyond “Rapper’s Delight”, a vivid reenactment of the introduction of this artistic culture to the world was made. Wild Style is arguably the very first movie and definitely one of the very few that shows the true essence of what Hip Hop is about. On this date in 1983, film director and cultural artist Charlie Ahearn premiered the flick in Times Square, breaking records by selling out at all screenings for the three weeks it played.

Ahearn, a member of the artist collective group Collaborative Projects, was originally exposed to Hip Hop in the late 70s through graffiti when he went to film the youth in the projects in Manhattan’s Lower East Side that studied martial arts. He was soon approached by Fred “Fab 5 Freddy” Braithwaite about making a movie encompassing all elements of Hip-Hop (emceeing, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti). Fab 5 Freddy brought legendary graff artist Lee Quinones to meet Ahearn to further discuss the approach of filming graffiti and introducing it as a legitimate art form. Ahearn found out that Lee was the same graf king whose work he admired while filming in LES. With Ahearn as producer and director, the three began embarking on a journey to gather the individuals who would be the faces of this landmark film.

Developing its name from an abstract letter design made popular in the graffiti world by graff king Tracy 168, Wild Style featured some of the most prolific pioneers from all aspects of Hip-Hop. The Cold Crush Brothers, Rock Steady Crew, and Grandmaster Flash were just a few of Hip-Hop’s trailblazers that made their debut on the silver screen in Wild Style. The Furious Five could not appear alongside Flash and had to be cut from the film because of prior obligations to another more mainstream motion picture depicting the development of Hip Hop that came out later called Beat Street. This is why Afrika Bambaataa, the New York City Breakers, The Treacherous Three, or female pioneer MC Sha Rock were not seen in the film. Other notable legends included Busy Bee Starski, graf legends Dondi, Zephyr, and Revolt, who all designed the Wild Style logo, and the Fantastic Freaks.

Lee Quinones played the main character “Zoro”, the anonymous graf phenom that is introduced to the art world by his pal and fellow graffiti writer “Faze” who is played by Fab 5 Freddy. Faze introduces Zoro to Virginia, a journalist portrayed by cultural icon Patti Astor, who later shows Zoro to art’s world stage of galleries and museums. The story is an accurate historical account of how Hip-Hop, in general, was introduced to mainstream America and later, the rest of the world. It also showed the poverty and despair that existed in the South Bronx out of which the culture of Hip Hop emerged.

Over 30 years later, Wild Style is still an icon of American pop culture. The players that participated and performed in the movie have made themselves legends in their own right, however, most will recognize their appearance in the film as the catapult of their career. The movie has been sampled on various classic Hip Hop albums including ATCQ’s Midnight Marauders, Common’s Ressurection, and the Five Mic classic, Nas’ Illmatic. Wild Style was voted as one of the top ten rock n’ roll movies of all time by the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame and VH1’s Hip Hop Honors acknowledged the film’s influence in Hip Hop with a tribute in 2007.

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Global One-on-One Breaking Competition Returns To The Birthplace Of Hip Hop

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Elite competitive breakers (‘b-boys’ and ‘b-girls’) from all corners of the globe will descend on New York City, where the world’s most highly anticipated annual breaking competition, the Red Bull BC One World Final, will take place on Saturday, November 12 at the Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center. 

With over 60 qualifier events hosted across 30 countries, the competition brings together the best in breaking for an electrifying battle on the largest international stage, with the final event featuring a line-up of 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls. Last year’s Red Bull BC One World Final was hosted in Poland with B-Boy Amir from Kazakhstan and B-Girl Logistx from the USA taking the belt. Both will defend their titles at this year’s World Final. 

Born on the streets of the Bronx, breaking is one of hip-hop’s four foundational elements, as integral to the expansion of the culture as MCing, DJing, and graffiti. Over nearly five decades, the vibrant local art form has broken beyond New York boroughs and become a worldwide phenomenon, evolving into a gravity-defying hybrid of stylized dance and athletic sport now globally recognized, with a sporting debut set for 2024. 

“It fills my heart with pride to see a ghetto born dance transcend beyond the basketball courts outside my Bronx River Projects window. What felt exclusive to our community is now a global sensation and I see every b-boy and b-girl as an extension of the culture,” shares legendary New York City b-boy Alien Ness. “Breaking will continue to evolve, but will remain rooted in an unexplainable essence that connects us. If we could verbally explain it, we wouldn’t be dancing.” 

In celebration of breaking’s progression, breakers from across the world will reunite in the art form’s birthplace at this unique moment in history to battle for their chance to be crowned Red Bull BC One World Champion. 

“There is something special about the Red Bull BC One World Final returning to New York City,” says Logan “Logistx” Edra, winner of the 2021 Red Bull BC One World Final, and the youngest to ever hold the coveted title. “As the next generation of breakers rise, I feel it’s important to honor breaking’s roots while breathing new life into the sport as it continues to amass international and well-due recognition.” 

To further the development of breaking culture, the Red Bull BC One Camp will accompany the competition, gathering breaking legends and rising stars for several days of workshops, panels, and battles for the wider breaking community. 

This year’s program will be available to stream on Red Bull TV and the Red Bull BC One social media channels.

For more information, visit www.redbullbcone.com

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