Breakdancing Archives - New Hip Hop News

World Breaking Championship Won By Victor And Nicka

September 24, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The World Breaking Championship have concluded in Belgium. Both titles, and their Olympic quota spots, were won by challengers to the sport’s elite figures. In the b-boys event, Victor “Victor” Montalvo, the 2021 champion, took down reigning champion Philip “Phil Wizard” Kim to regain his title. That earned the US a spot in next year’s Olympic field. Meanwhile, the b-girls final saw 16-year-old Dominika “Nika” Banevič of Lithuania take down breaking legend and 2021 champion Ayumi “Ayumi” Fukushima. Nika continues a stellar 2023 that saw her win the 2023 European Games. Furthermore, her win at the World Championships means that India “India” Sardjoe of the Netherlands receives the berth from the European Games.

Breaking makes its Olympic debut in Paris next year. The sport has come leaps and bounds from its origins growing alongside hip-hop. 32 of the world’s top b-boys and b-girls will take place in the inaugural Olympic competition. The sport takes the form of a best-of-three dance battle scored by a panel of judges. Champions from the Asian and Pan American Games will earn berths in 2023. The remaining 18 places will be determined through next year’s Olympic Qualifying Series and universality places.

Nika Puts The World On Notice

Speaking before her World Championship win, Nicka spoke on what makes her unique as a breaker. “I’m not trying to be someone else and I want to show everybody my unique style. I’m trying to be an all-around breaker because there are some breakers who have strong moves, but they don’t have musicality and also the opposite, but I’m practising everything and that’s what makes me unique,” she told Olympics.com.

Furthermore, she spoke on her complete dedication to the sport. “[I’m a] B-Girl 24/7, and that says everything about me because that’s who I am. People ask me, ‘What do you like doing besides breaking?’, but breaking is everything that I’m doing.” Nicka will now enter the 16-person Olympic field as both European and World champion. The breaking tournament at Paris 2024 is scheduled for August 9 and 10, making it one of the last sports of the Games to be contested.

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U.S. Breakdancers Set To Represent Country In World’s Largest Break Dancing Competition

August 30, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On Saturday, August 26th, the prestigious global breaking (also known as breakdancing) competition, Red Bull BC One, concluded its 2023 U.S. season with its National Final held in Philadelphia. Legendary breakers and rising talent came together at The Fillmore Philadelphia, where competitors showcased unparalleled footwork, freezes, and power moves to win over a judging panel of respected breakers and claim the coveted national b-boy and b-girl championship titles.

Welcoming more than 1,200 attendees throughout the weekend, the Red Bull BC One Camp and Cypher USA ends a two-month circuit of electrifying battles and community events across the country, including regional qualifiers in Orlando, Minneapolis, and New York City. In Philadelphia, an elite line-up of regional champions and a selection of wild card invitees battled their way through a 16-bracket knockout tournament.

In the b-girl category, Kate came out on top, following a fierce final battle with Team USA’s Pep-C. Kate’s triumphant win comes after years of pursuing a spot on the Red Bull BC One World Final roster. In the b-boy bracket, HiJack emerged as champion. Finalists Mace and HiJack delivered world class performances, but HiJack’s musicality and infusion of personality into his final rounds ultimately stole the show.

Kate and HiJack will go on to represent the United States at the historic 20th edition of the Red Bull BC One World Final in Paris, where breaking will bless the grounds of the iconic Roland-Garros on October 21st, ahead of its sporting debut in 2024.

Leading up to the event, the breaking community came together for Red Bull BC One Camp USA, which featured a weekend of exhibition battles, workshops, and panels. Hosted by iconic figures in breaking, hip-hop and dance, including B-Boy Flea Rock and Buddha Stretch, Red Bull BC One Camp USA was a celebration of breaking’s storied roots and promising future.

Red Bull has a rich legacy within the breaking community which spans over two decades, beginning with the trailblazing 2 vs. 2 event, Lords of the Floor, which gave rise to Red Bull BC One in 2004. Today, Red Bull BC One is the premiere platform for competition, mentorship, cyphers, community jams, and programming in breaking—nurturing the growth of the athletic artform as it continues to reach new milestones.

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Hip Hop 50th Anniversary Countdown: Year 3, 1975

June 10, 2023 by newhiphopnews

1975 marked the third year into the countdown to Hip Hop’s birth. This era was a pivotal one, witnessing the transformation of this burgeoning art form. This year, much like a metaphorical chrysalis, Hip Hop began to develop its identity, while the world around it remained oblivious to its existence.

The Bronx, The Incubator of Hip Hop

1520 Sedgwick Avenue is considered the birthplace of hip-hop in the Bronx. — NEW YORK – AUGUST 16: 1520 Sedgwick Avenue is recognized as official birthplace of Hip Hop on August 16, 2007 in Bronx Borough of New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

In the heart of the Bronx, Hip Hop found its home. The city’s youth, drawn to pulsating rhythms and powerful lyrics, began to shape a new cultural movement. While Hip Hop was still in its formative years, the seeds were sown in the minds of these young innovators. The Bronx’s vibrant energy and diverse mix of cultures proved to be the perfect incubator for this radical art form.

DJ Kool Herc, The Pioneer

DJ Kool Herc on stage — DJ Kool Herc during RZA and Old Dirty Perform Live at BB King at BB King Blues Club Grill in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Djamilla Rosa Cochran/WireImage)

One man stood at the forefront of this movement: DJ Kool Herc. He was a visionary, a man ahead of his time, who dared to challenge the status quo. Herc’s innovative “break-beat” technique, where he looped the percussion breaks of popular songs, became a hallmark of Hip Hop. His parties in the Bronx were legendary, drawing crowds of enthusiastic young people who were eager to embrace this fresh sound. Herc’s influence went beyond music, shaping the culture, fashion, and attitude that came to define Hip Hop.

The Birth Of Breakdancing

Breakdancer in a park — A breakdancer wearing a tracksuit, performs a windmill on a section of cardboard in an park, United States. circa 1980. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

1975 also saw the birth of breakdancing, an integral part of Hip Hop culture. Breakdancing, or ‘breaking,’ began as a street dance in the Bronx, performed by crews who competed against each other. The dance was a physical embodiment of the music. Its powerful moves and dynamic rhythms reflect the raw energy of Hip Hop. The dance form, much like the music, was an expression of rebellion, defiance, and the struggle for identity.

A Cultural Revolution in the Making

While mainstream America remained largely unaware, a cultural revolution was brewing in the streets of the Bronx. Hip Hop was a beacon of hope for the marginalized, a voice for the voiceless. It gave the youth a platform to express their frustrations, dreams, and aspirations. The year 1975 was a turning point, setting the stage for Hip Hop’s explosion onto the global stage.

Hip Hop 50th Anniversary: Looking Ahead

As we look back at 1975 in this Hip Hop 50th anniversary countdown, we see the early sparks of a movement that would change the world. Today, as we anticipate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, we honor the pioneers and celebrate the resilience of a genre that continues to evolve, inspire, and challenge societal norms. The journey that began in 1975 is far from over, and Hip Hop continues to write its story, one beat at a time.

This year marked the third milestone in the countdown to Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary. A year where the cultural revolution began in earnest, where the world started to hear the beats of a genre that would shape the next half-century. We look forward to celebrating the remaining years in this countdown, honoring the past and anticipating the exciting future of Hip Hop.

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U.S. Athletes To Represent In World’s Largest Breakdancing Competition

September 21, 2022 by newhiphopnews

Last week at the Red Bull BC One Cypher USA in Los Angeles, the most prestigious, global break dancing competition, crowned Olympic hopeful, Grace “Sunny” Choi, and Francisco “Ali” Acuna Flores as the U.S. National Finalists.

Both Sunny and Ali will be repping for the U.S. in the BC One World Finals, which for the first time in 13 years will be hosted in New York City, the birthplace of hip-hop and break. This year marks the 19th edition of the Red Bull BC One World Final, as athletes all over the world train for this moment and breaking’s Olympic debut. Red Bull BC One All Stars Logan “Logistx” Edra, who won the Red Bull BC One World Championship title in 2021, and Victor Montalvo will join the elite line-up of World Final competitors this November.

Spanning two months of electrifying battles and community events, Red Bull BC One Regional Qualifiers kicked off in Philadelphia before touring the country with battles hosted in Austin, Orlando, Boston, and Seattle.

Following an exhilarating 16-bracket bgirl tournament, the judges crowned bgirl Sunny as the 2022 Red Bull BC One U.S. Bgirl National Champion. Grace Choi began breaking in 2008 and has collected many international wins including the 2015 Outbreak Europe B-Girl solo battle, FISE Hiroshima in Japan, and made it to the finals of the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championships in Nanjing, China. She is currently training for the Paris 2024 Games, where breaking will make its athletic debut.

“I’m super grateful to be here, super grateful to have won this event because it means that I get to represent New York in New York. It has been a really amazing experience – I got to let loose and just be me tonight on the dancefloor and I proved to myself that that works, ” said bgirl Sunny.

In the bboy category, Salt Lake City bboy Ali reigned supreme, dominating his way through the 16-bracket tournament. Francisco Acuna Flores represents the Body Roc crew and has been breaking for 20 years.

Bboy Ali shared, “I feel really excited about winning the Red Bull BC One USA cypher so I can go to the World Finals. I’ve never been to the Red Bull BC One World Finals so this is going to be a first for me and I want to dedicate this to my dad who passed away recently.”

The evening paid tribute to west coast hip-hop and break with a performance by legendary Los Angeles hip-hop collective, The Far Side, as well as a special exhibition battle led by Red Bull BC One All Stars RoxRite and Ronnie–both lauded breaking stars, whose journeys have deep roots in California.

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