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B-boys are Everywhere . . .Shhhh it’s a Secret!!

B-boy Twist

Fun-filled, fantasy-finding revellers were stopped in their tracks - astride their hay stacks - as Leed’s Blood Masterz Crew ripped the fields apart and blew the wellies off 2010’s Secret Gardeners!

Recognising the break-beat call of Masterz’ boom-box at the Secret Garden Party, b-boys from every corner crept out of the woodwork and raided the lino. One such b-boy stole the limelight stunning both Masterz and audience with his raw skills. Dancing for the love and not for the glory, he slipped away as surreptitiously as he had arrived. By the time his identity had been established, Lee (Soul Mavericks) had stolen back into the bustling crowd and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

On the 4^th and final day dance group Swing Patrol challenged Masterz to a dance-off on the aptly titled “Dance Off” stage.

2-on-2 b-boying routines vs swing couples, b-girls vs swing girls. The b-boys answered Swing Patrol’s charleston, balboa, blues, dips, flips, shuffles and slides with top-rock, battle-rock, footwork, freezes, mills, 90’s and halos.

When the Patrol thought they had the Masterz out-mastered, the breakers showed them the door. As the DJ switched between old-school breaks and electro swing, Masterz propositioned and appropriated swing partners. Patrolling the beat . . . the Patrol’s ladies in-tow . . . the audience broke into rapturous applause and standing ovation.

As the sun set on an epic four days the b-boys wandered the campsites and arenas searching for jams. The music, having ended for Sunday, left the Secret Gardeners at a loss for entertainment.

Leading the party, Masterz danced to the beat of the drumming circles and took the chants of the crowd with them wherever they went. Throughout the night they moved discreetly from jam to jam spreading their vibe.

B-girl Battles - A Catch-22?

Established UK b-girls tend not to enter b-girl battles. In their opinion “the standard of competition in the UK battles is consistently poor”.

B-boying is a male dominated dance form - the common misconception in breaking is that b-girls only break for as long as it takes to find a b-boy boyfriend. B-girls want recognition and respect for their skills on the dance floor. They continually feel they have to go to great lengths to prove themselves and respect for b-girls, from both sexes, is notoriously hard won.

Established b-girls, not wanting to be segregated or sidelined by the boys, only throw-down in the B-BOY battles.  Many of the newer b-girls, however, are anxious about competing against boys. They feel more confident battling girls. 

All breakers improve with challenge. To be the best, you have to compete with the best. Is this lack of compromise a catch 22, a no-win situation? After all, no b-girl wants to be a BIG fish in a small pond.

Two possible ways to go:

Good b-girls consistently enter the b-girl battles, upping the stakes and making the competitions worthwhile.

-       or       -

Scrap single sex breaking battles. The b-girls intimidated by the b-boys will just have to stop complaining and start dancing!

We B Kingz

London’s freshest monthly bboying competition King of the Underground kicked off on Friday night at the Trocadero. The competition was an inauguration of the city’s newest training spot.

The location is an underground passage connecting Piccadilly Circus tube station to the Trocadero. It is open 7 days a week. From 10am to midnight, Sunday to Thursday, and till 1am Friday and Saturday. It has numerous working power points located throughout the room and entry is FREE!

With a total of 7 crowns to be awarded in 6 different categories, Kings of the Underground featured Krumpers, Lockers, Poppers, B-girls and B-boys.

Disaster struck the 1^st time event organisers early on when their sound system failed. But with cool heads and quick thinking a new amp was rapidly sourced and the event ran as planned, if somewhat behind schedule.

MCs Stefan and Damien, due to the earlier sound problems, were left without a microphone and their work cut out. Inspiration struck and Stefan used the crowd to holler for the dancers M.I.A and running the risk of being disqualified.

J-Realz, pulling some of the ugliest faces in Hip Hop, stomped his way to becoming this month’s King of the Krumpers.

Diva-J stole the show with her fresh-faced talent in the locking battles. The 10yr old, with a cheeky smile, out-styled seasoned locker Optimus Funk in the final round.

B-boy Spectrum chain-smoked his way through his rival suitors for August’s crown in the b-boy solos.

With only 5 b-girls willing to throw-down, the format of the b-girl competition was changed from a 1-on-1 to a 5-to-smoke. When b-girl Candice and b-girl Shorty met on the dance floor for the 3^rd time, they had clocked-up 4 rounds apiece. Shorty took August’s tiara, 5 rounds to 4.

B-boy Tofu and b-boy Banana of the East London crew Secret Recipe battled it out against b-boy Buzz and b-boy ROFLcopter of Stray Animals (a.k.a Topless Crew – perhaps one male bonding session too far) for the title fight in the 2 on 2s. Matched in energy, style and musicality the crowd vociferously contested the judge’s decision. Buzz and ROFLcopter with their topless no-handed mills were the first breakers to be crowned London's Kingz of the Underground.

King of the Underground was (and the organisers say) will continue to be a FREE event, taking b-boying back to the city streets where it began.

The Breakdance/Breakdancing Misconception

Breakdance and Breakdancing are not the correct terms used to describe the original dance element of Hip Hop. Those who were the first to dance it called this pioneering style of dance BREAKING or B-BOYING.

The crazy kids that dance this funky style throughout the world are referred to as BREAKERS or B-BOYS and B-GIRLS (BREAKs-boys and BREAKs-girls) because they dance on the BREAK of the music. Breaking is a dance form that is continually evolving rapidly incorporating new moves and styles as they are showcased by the breakers.

Breakdance and breakdancing were names were thought-up by outsiders wishing to commercialise the 80’s overnight dance sensation that all the kids, on every street corner in every city, were doing.

Like many other mismanaged affairs, too much coverage and exposure caused public interest to wax and wane and breakdance’s widespread popularity was short lived.

Breakdance and breakdancing are wedded to negative connotations of a hollow, commercialised and exploited former glory. These bogus terms misrepresent what breaking/b-boying means to those who are passionate about it and have dedicated their lives to cultivating it. They undermine what it WAS, IS, and HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME.

B-boys and b-girls are not a fashion trend born overnight. Breakers eat, sleep and breathe B-boying. To be good takes time, effort, skill and dedication. Breaking is more than a dance; for us, it is a way of life.

B-boy SPINning Astray

Competition reigned fierce and emotions ran high on Sunday the 14^th of June at REGIONAL CONFLICT. Poppers, b-boys and the 8 competing crews knew the stakes. Not only would the winners represent the nation at UK B-BOY 2010 in October, victory would boost their international status and potentially earn them much sought after corporate sponsorship.

Energy levels soared in the Carling Academy Islington as round after round and battle-by-battle, the flailing and failing crews fell to the wayside. The final was a London derby. La Familia vs Soul Mavericks.

B-boy Spin (La Familia) spun stylishly through his power set. Hyped by his earlier solo success he advanced ever closer to the edge of the stage. Crews, crowd and b-boys alike held their breath. Would Spin spot the danger?

First on his head, and then on his hands gaining momentum with every rotation Spin transitioned into a blow-up too large for the space. Collectively gasping, rivalry forgotten both crews dashed forward. Jacket, trainers, t-shirt, trousers, arms, feet, ankles . . . friendly hands shot out grasping . . . too late to hold him.

Brought to sense by the commotion Spin acted swiftly. Putting his hands down he pushed-off hard propelling himself into the air. He landed with a thud . . . feet-first . . . amongst the audience, Abdul (Soul Mavericks) still clinging to the collar of his jacket.

Sheepishly smiling first at his rivals-come-rescuers and then at the audience Spin leapt back on stage. He finished his set to rapturous applause.