Talk about a way to bring hip hop back to its roots! For the first time, the annual international breakdancing competition Red Bull BC One will take place in the city where it all began: New York City. The highly anticipated battle will feature sixteen of the world’s best dancers, who will compete to be crowned “The One” for the 2009 Red Bull BC One competition.
Although we may not see much of breakdancing in hip hop and rap videos today, the dancing movement is still living worldwide through various battle competitions. Red Bull, the sponsor of the event, broke the style of the normal b-boy battle scenario. As opposed to a traditional crew competition setup, Red Bull BC One’s breakdancing series is designed for individuals, where each dancer can perform their understanding of the art.
After a propitious 2004 debut held in Switzerland, the battle moved to Germany, Brazil and finally France for the 2008 edition. This year’s competition will feature international figures of urban dancing such as Neguin (Brazil), Lil Ceng (Germany), Punisher (France), Morris (USA) and more… In fact this battle is highly anticipated as 2008 Korean champion Wing and 2005 French champion Lilou both return to the competition and are major contenders for the title.
During intermissions, audience members will also get the chance to enjoy a hip hop performance from Eternal Reflection, which is composed of conscious rapper Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. The old school original b-boys Rock Steady Crew and the National Double Dutch League are also an addition to the event lineup.
The Red Bull BC One will take place on November 18th at the Hammerstein Ballroom in the heart of Manhattan. Unfortunately, it is already sold-out… but TRACE will cover it: stay tuned!
Written By Shabazz
