Ahead of Red Bull BC One World Final, we speak to Bengaluru-based dancers who represented the city at the recently concluded Indian leg 

Red Bull BC One Camp India 2023 was a three-day celebration of hip-hop culture — featuring workshops, battles, panels and lots more
Red Bull BC One Cypher India
Red Bull BC One Cypher India

Breaking has long been a prominent part of hip-hop culture and with its inclusion in the Paris Olympics (2024), the dance style is taking a giant leap onto the world stage as a sport. Set to take place at La Concorde on August 9 and 10, 2024, this competition will feature the world’s top 16 B-Boys and B-Girls taking part in one-on-one battles to music selected by a DJ. As a testament to the incredible athleticism, creativity and cultural significance of the dance style, for years now, Red Bull BC One has been championing the world’s best talent through events, workshops and tours held in more than 26 countries around the world for over 21 years. The idea, however, has always been to educate and spread awareness of breaking in India and across the globe.

Red Bull BC One Cypher India has been fishing out the best breakers from the country for them to compete for the title of Red Bull BC One World Champion and the Red Bull BC One Camp India 2023 was a three-day celebration of hip-hop culture — featuring workshops, battles, panels and lots more. The energy and passion of the breakers have been palpable throughout, as they have come together to learn, grow, and compete. It all culminated in the Red Bull BC One Cypher India 2023, where judges Natalia Kiliachikhina (Kastet), Fouad Ambelj (Lil Zoo) and Gibrahimer Beomont (Lil G) declared B-Boy Ginni (Goutam Kaulsee) and B-Girl Glib (Simran Ranga) as champions. Both will now compete in Last Chance Cypher to win the opportunity to represent the country at Red Bull BC One World Final in Paris.

<strong>The judges</strong>
The judges

The energy in the room was palpable as the dancers prepared for the competition, ready to take the stage and showcase their skill and artistry. Before the beats of hip-hop music and sounds of sneakers sliding across the floor filled the air, we made our way to the green room to catch up with Bengaluru-based B girls and B-boys to know what they had to say about breaking, Red Bull BC One Cypher India and the dance form becoming a part of the Paris Olympics.

Johanna Rodrigues

Popularly known as B-girl Jo, Johanna is a prominent name in the Indian breaking scene. Having won the prestigious Red Bull BC One Cypher India twice, she was chosen to represent India at the Breaking for Gold World Series 2023 in Kitakyushu, Japan, which was a crucial Olympic qualifying event for the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Games, where she finished 34 in the audition round. Besides taking part in solo competitions, Johanna is also a member of the Black Ice Crew dance group and she runs a unique project called Break Brahma, where hip-hop meets yoga, both in Bengaluru.

How did you come to know of breaking and why did you choose to pursue it?
After witnessing a popular dance off in 2013, my curiosity for breaking was piqued and I started practising and developing my routine from 2014 onwards. Eight years have passed since then and breaking has become my passion. A year after I began practising, I registered for breaking competitions to compete in a battle round.

What is your training routine and how do you prepare for such competitions?
Competitions are like an exam for the breaking community because it comes around every year when we see everyone’s progress. My normal routine is to constantly train but right before a battle, I take it a notch down and focus more on my mental state, to remain calm alongside my workout. I feel the last few days are really important to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally and relax a bit more to process the stress that comes along with such big competitions.

How important do you think events like Red Bull BC One are for the growth and promotion of hip-hop culture?
Definitely, we should have more events such as this to increase awareness about breaking and then, of course, more competitions and support for the breaking scene becoming a part of the Paris Olympics in 2024, it is opening another avenue for sport.

The ‘others’:

Benson Balajied Ranee Diengdoh (B-Boy BenMan) says, "The most challenging aspect of breaking is to support yourself financially. Outside of dance, everybody has to learn to market themselves within the breaking community as well. I am really glad that Red Bull BC One is helping uplift dancers because it is out there on various media platforms visible to people who do not know about breaking."

Sushma Aithal (B-Girl Sushma) says, "I came across a group of B-Boys dancing in the park and that’s how I discovered breaking and instantly knew this is where I belong. The Olympics will really change the perspective of those who think breaking cannot be pursued as a career option. As a breaker, I feel having more such competitions will encourage me to push my limits as this time I finished at 48 in the Gold World Series and next time would like to go higher. "

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