>Manoharmayum Nickson aka BBOY Gojao

Artist profile:

Manoharmayum Nickson Sharma aka BBOY GOJAO started "Bboying" since 2005 during his 11th-12th std at Hyderabad inspired by the movie "Wildstyle", which is one of the first movie about HIP-HOP Culture. He continued his passion even during his engineering period in Bangalore. Presently ,pursuing MBA in International Business at AMITY UNIVERSITY, Noida.

He has organized "RESPECT BBOY CIRCLE" one of the big event bboying event in New Delhi last year . He has travelled around India with his passion and met different bboys from different states and other country (Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, USA, and Mexico etc).

He is now a part of Adidas Originals as "Brand Ambassador" to promote bboying culture in India in large scale. He believes in his art and passion and never quit through many hurdles.

He wants to let the world know that we (Asian oriented looks) are part of India and promote Northeast Bboys and artists around the world. So, he started "Northeast India Breakdance Operation" after meeting Crazy Legs from Rock Steady Crew, USA, one of the pioneers and influencing crew who promoted Bboying around the world.

>Manoharmayum Nickson aka BBOY Gojao

HIPHOP consists of 4 elements:
1. BBOYING
2. Graffiti
3. DJING
4. EMCEEING

BBOYING or breaking is a style of street dance that originated as a part of Hip-hop Culture among African American and Latino youth in New York. A practitioner of this dance is called a BBOY or BGIRL or breaker. And it's spreading all around the world with India as well. BBOY PHYSICX is a world legend from Korea, who has mastered this ART form and spread the Culture around the world.

>Manoharmayum Nickson aka BBOY Gojao

So, NEIBO supports the youth with a Mission: "Through art and culture, to engage youth and promote social responsibility and build leadership skills."

Along with high enthusiastic goals-

1. Bringing people of different religion, ethnics, social background together.
2. Promoting NE India identity to the world.
3. Connecting local and international artists.
4. Promoting NE India tourism with different artists around the world and India.
5. Spreading the ARTs/Culture to the youth in a positive way with social responsibility.
6. To bring PEACE, LOVE, RESPECT and UNITY in the society.
7. A platform to show the hidden talent.
8. Generating employment opportunities.
9. Encouraging young people to be peer mentors and improve leadership skills and self-esteem.
10. Update events happening around each and every corner of India and world

CREATE THE ESCAPE – BREAK FREE’S FUTURE

One of the greatest things we can say about our community is how it inspires and motivates people to give back to it. Many of us may not have had a lot of opportunities growing up and the Hiphop and breaking community may have given us the opportunities of a lifetime. Located in South East Houston is the Break Free Community Center (BFCC), a safe haven for young children and adults to grow and be mentored into a successful and positive lifestyle. BFCC started in August 2011 and has since gained worldwide acknowledgement for its major involvement in the community and through the Moy Rivas’s (Founder & Executive Director) travels where he shares his testimony and skills at workshops across the globe. We had the opportunity to speak with Moy more about BFCC and his experiences since he embarked on his journey, check it out!

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Mex One: Yo what’s up everyone I’m here with the one and only Bboy Moy representing HaviKORO Texas finest and Break Free Community Center. I’m not going to ask Moy to introduce himself because truthfully that would be insulting after all he has done after nearly 20 years in our community. Moy, tell us whats good in Texas with yourself, HaviKORO and Break Free Community Center.

Moy: What up! Well first off, everything is good! We at Break Free are coming to an end of our 2nd year as a community center and are super proud of everything we have done in such little time. Our vision is growing and our mission is impacting. As far as HAVIKORO, we are all still training and building with one another. Our next big show as a crew will be at this year’s BC One USA Finals – We got invited to perform a 15 minute piece. We are truly honored and thankful for the opportunity to get down as a unit, in our own hometown and on a big stage.

Mex One: Lets focus more on Break Free Community Center, It started out as a competition 1st correct? Later on it became the name of the actual center?

Moy: I initially started promoting “Break Free” in 2007 as a mentality for personal reasons – meaning to simply “Create Your Escape” and find a place within your art/craft when you can be you and bug out. In 2008, I did a very small event with BOY from HAVIKORO at a local church, and called it “BREAK FREE.” It wasn’t until 2009, when I partnered up with my boy, Adrian to put on a larger event that aims towards uniting cultures from across the globe.

Break Free Community Center was founded in August of 2011, but had been a vision of mine to do something like this as a kid.

Mex One: What kind of activities are provided for the bboys/bgirls and local youth in Houston?

Moy: With BFCC, we are able to provide a positive platform for local youth, including Bboys & Bgirls, to come express themselves freely in a safe, structured, inspiring environment. The center is open Monday – Friday and is not only a practice/hang out spot, but we also offer classes that educate on Positive Hip Hop Culture. Our main and largest class has been our BREAKIN’ SCHOOL program.

Mex One: Tell us a bit more about the recent kick starter campaign for the center and why its important for our community to show its support.

Moy: Our kick starter campaign is focused on building intimate classroom settings for our students. Currently, we work with an open layout floor plan, in which we have to run multiple classes simultaneously at times, which leads to collisions and distractions. This really has become a problem since our classes have grown so much in the past year. It is very important for us to make sure that all of our students are receiving the right teaching without these distractions. The significant messages/teachings we share are very valuable and we at BFCC, need everyone’s support to aid these issues. Creating these learning environments are essential towards reaching our local youth. Hip Hop is our tool and if we can share it to inspire our community, we will do everything in our power to make it happen!

Mex One: For anyone out there that wants to open up their own Hiphop Community Center, what would you suggest?

Moy: The best advice I can give, is to simply LOVE and CARE for your community. Keep the traditions intact and share your story with the youth to hopefully inspire them on a creative and professional level. Operating a community center isn’t easy – we have struggled through our 2 years but the struggle is worth the fight when you are willing to change and impact the lives of youth around you. Don’t jump into something because it seems right. It is a love thing, but it also has to make sense on a business/financial perspective. The finances are what keep the doors open, plain and simple. The community needs to understand this, so that your mission can go forth.

Mex One: Break Free 5 year Anniversary is coming up October 18th in Houston, what to say a few words about the event?

Moy: Break Free 2013 is going to be one of the best yet! We have an amazing line up of judges and are currently working towards building our 7 to Smoke Competitors. The event will be held October 18th-20th, and have so much planned out for the event. All I can say is…MAKE SURE YOU ARE THERE! Last year, we had a legendary moment on our final day with a cypher battle that went over 30 mins with some of the culture’s greatest. These type of things happen at official jams – BREAK FREE 2013 will be another official jam!

Mex One: Last but not least, any shout outs or last minute words?

Moy: I just want to thank GOD for the longevity in my dance and to still remain a top competitor but an honest student. Thanks to my wife Roxanne, for being very supportive throughout my career even with 2 little ones at home. It’s not easy to travel all over the world and to have a significant other to be fully supportive of that. Last but not least – Huge THANKS to my parents, family, HAVIKORO and everyone that commits their time and efforts towards Break Free Community Center. They know who they are – thanks guys!

Much love to everyone supporting their communities and impacting daily! God Bless!

Mex One: There you have it. Major respect to Moy, HaviKORO and EVERYONE at BREAK FREE COMMUNITY CENTER! Lets make sure to show our support and donate, anything help and theres many of us out there that can do something. Opening centers for our youth is truly a great way for our dance and culture to grow.

Power of the Brain  

The first and most important thing you need is the Right Attitude! Remember, this is
supposed to be fun not work. Stop thinking of why you can’t do it, stop sabotaging
yourself,  and focus on how you can do it  and what you need to do to make it happen!
There is no excuse! Where there is a will there is a way. Wishes don’t just come true, you
have to make them happen. Now with that being said lets get to the real secrets.  A
fundamental problem is trying to perform a move with your body that is not clear in your
mind. If your brain is confused on how to do it, then your body will be too! You must
have a very clear and precise mental picture of what you want to do in your hea d first
before you attempt a move. Watching footage over and over again until the move is
embedded in your mind is a great way to obtain that mental picture. Next, you simulate
yourself doing the move in your mind over and over again.  Drawing stick figures of the
move is also beneficial, if you can draw it you show understanding. Remember you must
be 100% competent of how the move is done mentally before attempting it physically.

 Your Dance Space  

This is a low budget endeavor, your requirements are simple and in this priority.
1.   Big, open space you should be able to jump all over the place and not hit
anything.
2.   High ceilings, so you can do handstands and jump around and not bump your
cranium.
3.   A padded floor, beginners need mats when learning new moves. Wrestling,
gymnastic, or workout mats all work.
4.   Music, we are dancing remember?
5.   Mirrors, you need feedback and this is a cheap way to see how you are doing.
6.   A slick surface, once you can do the moves, move up to a real floor such as
hardwood, marble, or  linoleum.
7.   Ballet Bar and a wall. Best way to practice handstand and other poses is to use a
wall and a ballet bar for supporting yourself. You can build up strength and
balance when you grab a ballet bar and then attempt a pose, or put your feet on a
wall  and practice hand stand poses etc…  

Feedback System 

How do you know you are breakdancing properly? Feedback! A mirror will let you see
the results, this is one good way. Having a friend or a coach watching and providing
feedback is another good way. But t he best way is a combination of coaching and
utilizing a video camera so you can see for yourself what you are doing and how you are
doing it.

Breakdancing Gear 

This isn’t a fashion show, people came to see some breakin’ not the latest in trendy
clothing.  So let’s focus on the functional items that will actually help you breakdance and
not just make you look “hip” on the dance floor.
•  Shoes need to be flexible, light, provide good grip and offer good support.
Running shoes are the best. Some bad examples are boots (they aren’t flexible),
wrestling shoes or other thin soled shoes (no support) and socks (no grip and you
can stub toes)
•  Pants/Shorts nothing special here. Excessively baggy pants or shorts mask
movement which makes you look like a moving block instead of fine tuned dance
machine.
•  Shirts  Same as above, excessively baggy shirts mask and hide your movement.
Cotton shirts get soaked in sweat. Shirts with designs on the back may cause
excess friction when spinning.  

Knee Pads

                        For those that think prot ective gear is dorky, I say bruised knees are 

out of style.  Neoprene wrestling knee pads work very well. 

Elbow Pads

                             You want to do elbow spins right? You don’t have to wear elbow 

pads all the time, but it’s a good idea.

Wrist Supports

                                     Are your wrists hurting from dancing? Once your wrist and 

forearm  strength and flexibility are developed you will not need any  support. 

Until then use  gymnastic wrist wraps. 

Gloves

           This is a preference issue, the right type of glove can help or hurt you 

depending o n its padding and slickness. 

Helmet

                Some BBOYs think wearing a helmet is lame when doing headspins, 

that may be true. But there no better piece of gear for practicing headspins than a 

good skateboarding helmet . The helmet provides a flatter surface to sp in on for 

those of us with odd shaped heads. The padding inside the helmet is much more 

comfortable than a beanie. Also, the plastic on helmets is great for spinning on 

most surfaces, even carpet. 

Breakdancing Pillars of Success 

                                    The following chart shows how to achieve that Breakdancing balance in your training. These are the elements that lead to great Breakdancers. 

Discipline (The Foundation) 

                            Anything worth while in life you will have to work hard for it, the good thing with 

Breakdancing is that once you are good at it you get to show off! Not only do you get the 

benefits of being a superhuman from Breakdancing, but you get to be creative, inspire, 

and have the ultimate  bragging rights of being able to boogie down! Constantly remind 

yourself why you chose to Breakdance while you are training as a way to motivate 

yourself to continue. It is worth it, you can join the select few who ha ve the most fun on 

the planet on the dance floor.  

Physical Attributes of Success, Flexibility, Stamina, and Strength  

Flexibility

                   Provides injury prevention, and increases your range of motion making 

power moves like headspin easier to perform. With the freedom to move around, you can 

then do more complicated moves with your body.  

Stamina

               Needed  for your training sessions, and for actually performing. You need to 

be able to dance for at least a half hour when you are performing and competing.

 Strength

         Strength gives you control and precision of your movement. Without it you 

are more likely to flop  around and collide with the floor. Not only does this look ugly and 

un- smooth it is also  a great way to hurt yourself. People compensate for a lack of strength 

with momentum. If you can control your movements, you are in control of your dancing 

which always looks better than throwing your body around.  Good Breakdancers can 

handle their body weight with ease.

Self - Expression and Creativity 

                                 Think of your body as a paint canvas ,  and the physical attributes are your brush and 

paints, without a canvas a brush and paint you cannot express yourself and be creative . 

Likewise, if you do have all the supplies you have nothing holding you back. That is why 

developing those physical attributes are so important, once you have them you can focus 

on dancing and nothing will hold you back because you have all the tools.  

 Putting it All Together,  a  Typical Practice Session  

What is the secret to good Breakdancing training? L ike anything worth while in life, 

HARD WORK! Remember you reap what you sow, training is where champions are 

made.  How you train is up to you, but these elements and principles must be included. 

•  Warm- up 5 - 10 minutes. Legs, shoulders, and forearms are crit ical areas that must 

be properly warmed up.  

•  Stretching 20- 30 minutes. You should be holding each stretch for at least 30 - 60 

seconds, and stretching every muscle that you will be using. Leg, shoulder and 

forearm flexibility are crucial! 

•  Practice your hardest moves first. If you wait till you are tired you are more likely 

to pick up bad form. 

•  When you are tired, it is an excellent time to start being creative. Practicing 

footwork in slow - motion can still be done when tired and a great way to think of 

new  tricks. Plus, the more tired you are the more  relaxed you are. 

•  Stretching at the end of your practice  as well . The best time to stretch is when you 

are warmed up, besides extra flexibility is never a problem.   

History

Many elements of b-boying can be seen in other antecedent cultures prior to the 1970s. B-boy pioneers Richard "Crazy Legs" Colon and Kenneth "Ken Swift" Gabbert, both of Rock Steady Crew, cite JJames Brown and Kung-Fu films as influences to b-boying. Many of b-boying's more acrobatic moves, such as the flare, show clear connections to gymnastics. An Arab street dancer performing acrobatic headspins was recorded by Thomas Edison in 1898.^] However, it was not until the 1970s that b-boying developed as a defined dance style.

Beginning with DJ Kool Herc, Bronx-based DJs would take the rhythmic breakdown sections (also known as the "breaks") of dance records and prolong them by looping them successively. The breakbeat provided a rhythmic base that allowed dancers to display their improvisational skills during the duration of the break. This led to the first battles—turn-based dance competitions between two individuals or dance crews judged with respect to creativity, skill, and musicality. These battles occurred in cyphers—circles of people gathered around the breakers. Though at its inception the earliest b-boys were "close to 90 percent African-American", dance crews such as "SalSoul" and "Rockwell Association" were populated almost entirely by Puerto Rican-Americans.

Uprock[22]

A separate but related dance form which influenced b-boying is uprock also called rocking or Brooklyn rock. Uprock is an aggressive dance that involves two dancers who mimic ways of fighting each other using mimed weaponry in rhythm with the music. Uprock as a dance style of its own never gained the same widespread popularity as b-boying, except for some very specific moves adopted by breakers who use it as a variation for their toprock.^]:138 When used in a b-boy battle, opponents often respond by performing similar uprock moves, supposedly creating a short uprock battle. Some b-boys argue that because uprock was originally a separate dance style it should never be mixed with b-boying and that the uprock moves performed by breakers today are not the original moves but imitations that only show a small part of the original uprock style.

It has been stated that b-boying replaced fighting between street gangs. On the contrary, some believe it a misconception that b-boying ever played a part in mediating gang rivalry. Both viewpoints have some truth. Uprock has its roots in gang.^{:116, 138} Whenever there was an issue over turf, the two warlords of the feuding gangs would uprock. Whoever won this preliminary battle would decide where the real fight would be.^[

Worldwide expansion[2]

Brazil[3]

Ismael Toledo was one of the first b-boys in Brazil. In 1984, he moved to the United States to study dance. While in the U.S. he discovered b-boying and ended up meeting b-boy Crazy Legs who personally mentored him for the four years that followed.After becoming proficient in b-boying, he moved back to São Paulo and started to organize b-boys crews and enter international competitions. He eventually opened a hip-hop dance studio called the Hip-Hop Street College.

South Korea[4]

B-boying was first introduced to South Korea by American soldiers shortly after its surge of popularity in the U.S. during the 1980s, but it was not until the late 1990s that the culture and dance really took hold. 1997 is known as the "Year Zero of Korean breaking". A Korean America hip hop promoter named John Jay Chon was visiting his family in Seoul and while he was there, he met a crew named Expression crew in a club. He gave them a vhs of a Los Angeles b-boying competition called Radiotron. A year later when he returned, Chon found that his video and others like his had been copied and dubbed numerous times, and were feeding an ever-growing b-boy community.

In 2002, Korea's Expression Crew won the prestigious international b-boying competition Battle of the Year, exposing the skill of the country's b-boys to the rest of the world. Since then, the Korean government has capitalized on the popularity of the dance and has promoted it alongside Korean culture. R-16 Korea is the most well-known government-sponsored b-boy event, and is hosted by the Korean Tourism Organization and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Japan[5]

Shortly after the Rock Steady Crew came to Japan, b-boying within Japan began to thrive. Each Sunday b-boys would perform b-boying in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park. One of the first and most influential Japanese breakers was Crazy-A, who is now the leader of the Tokyo chapter of Rock Steady Crew. He also organizes the yearly B-Boy Park which draws upwards of 10,000 fans a year and attempts to expose a wider audience to the culture.

Cambodia[6]

Born in Thailand and raised in the United States, Tuy "KK" Sobil started a community center called Tiny Toones in phanom pehn, Cambodia in 2005 where he uses b-boying, hip-hop music, and art to teach Cambodian youth language skills, computer skills, and life skills (hygiene, sex education, counseling). His orgranization helps roughly 5,000 youth a year. One of these youth include Diamond, who is regarded as Cambodia's first b-girl.

Dance element 

There are four primary elements that form b-boying. These include toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes.

Toprock generally refers to any string of steps performed from a standing position. It is usually the first and foremost opening display of style, though dancers often transition from other aspects of b-boying to toprock and back. Toprock has a variety of steps which can each be varied according to the dancer's expression (ie. aggressive, calm, excited). A great deal of freedom is allowed in the definition of toprock: as long as the dancer maintains cleanliness, form, and the b-boy attitude, theoretically anything can be toprock. Toprock can draw upon many other dance styles such as poping, locking, tap dance, Lindy hope, or house dance. Transitions from toprock to downrock and power moves are called "drops".

Downrock (also known as "footwork" or "floorwork") is used to describe any movement on the floor with the hands supporting the dancer as much as the feet. Downrock includes moves such as the foundational 6 step, and its variants such as the 3-step. The most basic of downrock is done entirely on feet and hands but more complex variations can involve the knees when threading limbs through each other.

Power moves are acrobatic moves that require momentum, speed, endurance, strength, and control to execute. The breaker is generally supported by his upper body while the rest of his body creates circular momentum. Some examples are the windmill, swipe, back spin, and head spin. Some power moves are borrowed from gymnastics and martial arts. An example of a power move taken from gymnastics is the Thomas flare which is shortened and spelled flare in b-boying.

Freezes are stylish poses that require the breaker to suspend himself or herself off the ground using upper body strength in poses such as the oike. They are used to emphasize strong beats in the music and often signal the end of a b-boy set.Freezes can be linked into chains or "stacks" where breakers go from freeze to freeze to freeze in order to hit the beats of the music which displays musicality and physical strength.

B-boy styles[8]

There are many different individual styles used in b-boying. Individual styles often stem from a dancer's region of origin and influences. However, some people such as b-boy Jacob "Kujo" Lyons feel that the Internet inhibits individual style. In an 2012 interview with B-Boy Magazine he expressed his frustration:

B-boys performing on San Francisco's Powell Street in 2008.

... because everybody watches the same videos online, everybody ends up looking very similar. The differences between individual b-boys, between crews, between cities/states/countries/continents, have largely disappeared. It used to be that you could tell what city a b-boy was from by the way he danced. Not anymore. But I've been saying these things for almost a decade, and most people don't listen, but continue watching the same videos and dancing the same way. It's what I call the "international style," or the "Youtube style."

B-boy Luis "Alien Ness" Martinez, the president of Mighty Zulu Kings, expressed a similar frustration in a separate interview three years earlier with "The Super B-Beat Show" about the top five things he hates in b-boying:

Oh yeah, the last thing I hate in breakin'... Yo, all y'all mother f*ckin' Internet b-boys... I'm an Internet b-boy too, but I'm real about my sh*t. Everybody knows who I am, I'm out at every f*cking jam, I'm in a different country every week. I tell my story dancing... I've been all around the world, y'all been all around the world wide web... [my friend] Bebe once said that sh*t, and I co-sign that, Bebe said that. That wasn't me but that's the realist sh*t I ever heard anybody say. I've been all around the world, you've been all around the world wide web.

Although there are some generalities in the styles that exist, many dancers combine elements of different styles with their own ideas and knowledge in order to create a unique style of their own. B-boys can therefore be categorized into a broad style which generally showcases the same types of techniques.

• Power: This style of b-boying is what most members of the general public associate with the term "breakdancing". Power moves comprise full-body spins and rotations that give the illusion of defying gravity. Examples of power moves include head spins, back spins, windmills, flares, air tracks/air flares, 1990s, 2000s, jackhammers, crickets, turtles, hand glides, halos, and elbow spins. Those b-boys who use "power moves" almost exclusively in their sets are referred to as "power heads".
• Abstract: A very broad style of b-boying which may include the incorporation of "threading" footwork, freestyle movement to hit beats, house dance, and "circus" styles (tricks, contortion, etc.).
• Blow-up: A style of b-boying which focuses on the "wow factor" of certain power moves, freezes, and circus styles. Blowups consist of performing a sequence of as many difficult trick combinations in as quick succession as possible in order to "smack" or exceed the virtuosity of the other b-boy's performance. The names of some of these moves are air baby, hollow backs, solar eclipse, and reverse air baby, among others. The main goal in blow-up style is the rapid transition through a sequence of power moves ending in a skillful freeze or "suicide". Like freezes, a suicide is used to emphasize a strong beat in the music and signal the end to a routine. While freezes draw attention to a controlled final position, suicides draw attention to the motion of falling or losing control. B-boys or b-girls will make it appear that they have lost control and fall onto their backs, stomachs, etc. The more painful the suicide appears, the more impressive it is, but breakers execute them in a way to minimize pain.
• Flavor: A style that is based more on elaborate toprock, downrock, and/or freezes. This style is focused more on the beat and musicality of the song than having to rely on power moves only. B-boys who base their dance on "flavor" or style are known as "style heads".

Downrock styles[9]

In addition to the styles listed above, certain footwork styles have been associated with different areas which popularized them.

• Traditional New York Style: The original style of b-boying from the Bronx, based around the Russian TTropak dance. This style of downrock focuses on kicks called "CCs" and foundational moves such as 6-steps and variations of it.
• Euro Style: Created in the early 90s, this style is very circular, focusing not on steps but more on glide-type moves such as the pretzel, deadlegs, undersweeps and fluid sliding moves.
• Canadian Style: Created in the late 90s, also known as the 'Toronto thread' style. Based upon the Euro Style, except characterized by elaborate leg threads.

Power versus style[10]

Multiple stereotypes have emerged in the breaking community over the give-and-take relationship between technical footwork and physical power. Those who focus on dance steps and fundamental sharpness are labeled as "style-heads." Specialists of more gymnastics-oriented technique and form—at the cost of charisma and coordinated footwork—are known as "power-heads." Such terms are used colloquially often to classify one's skill, however, the subject has been known to disrupt competitive events where judges tend to favor a certain technique over the other.

This debate however is somewhat of a misnomer. The classification of dancing as "style" in b-boying is inaccurate because every b-boy or b-girl has their own unique style developed both consciously and subconsciously. Each b-boy or b-girl's style is the certain attitude or method in which they execute their movements. A breaker's unique style does not strictly refer to just toprock or downrock. It is a concept which encompasses how a move is executed rather than what move is done.

Music[11]

The musical selection for breaking is not restricted to hip hop music as long as the tempo and beat pattern conditions are met. Breaking can be readily adapted to different music genres with the aid of remexing. The original songs that popularized the dance form borrow significantly from progressive genres of jazz, soull, funk, electro, and disco. The most common feature of b-boy music exists in musical breaks, or compilations formed from samples taken from different songs which are then looped and chained together by the DJ. The tempo generally ranges between 110 and 135 beats per minute with shuffled sixteenth and quarter beats in the percussive pattern. History credits DJ Kool herc for the invention of this concept^:79 later termed the  break beat.

World championships

• Battle of the year (BOTY) was founded in 1990 by Thomas Hergenröther in Germany.^] It is the first and largest international breaking competition for b-boy crews. BOTY holds regional qualifying tournaments in several countries such as Zimbabwe, Japan, Israel, Algeria, Indonesia, and the Balkans. Crews who win these tournaments go on to compete in the final championship in montpellier, France. BOTY was featured in the independent documentary Planet bboy (2007) that filmed five b-boy crews training for the 2005 championship. A 3D Film Battle of the Year: The Dream Team is scheduled for commercial release in January 2013. It was directed by Benson Lee who also directedPlanet B-Boy.

• B-Boy Summit is an international four-day conference founded in 1994 by b-girl Nancy "Asia One" Yu in San Diego, California. The B-Boy Summit places a lot of emphasis on the history of hip-hop culture and breakers understanding the roots of where it came from. For this reason, the conference includes a breaking competition, a talent showcase for rappers and DJs, and live paintings by graffiti artists so that "each element of Hip-Hop combine[s] together to make the cipher complete." There's also competitions for lockers and poppers as part of the "Soul Fest" portion of the conference.

• The Notrious IBE is a Dutch-based breaking competition founded in 1998. IBE (International Breakdance Event) is not a traditional competition because there are not any stages or judges. Instead, there are timed competitive events that take place in large multitiered ciphers—circular dance spaces surrounded by observers—where the winners are determined by audience approval. There are several kinds of events such as the b-girl crew battle, the Seven 2 Smoke battle (eight top ranked b-boys battle each other to determine the overall winner), the All vs. All continental battle (all the American b-boys vs. all the European b-boys vs. the Asian b-boys vs. Mexican/Brazilian b-boys), and the Circle Prinz IBE. The Circle Prinz IBE is a b-boy knockout tournament that takes place in multiple smaller cipher battles until the last standing b-boy is declared the winner. IBE also hosts the European finals for the UK B-Boy Championships.

• Red Bull Bc One was created in 2004 by Red Bull and is hosted in a different country every year. The competition brings together the top 16 b-boys from around the world. Six spots are earned through six regional qualifying tournaments. The other 10 spots are reserved for last year's winner, wild card selections, and recommendations from an international panel of experts. A past participant of the competition is world record holder Mauro "Cico" (pronounced CHEE-co) Peruzzi. B-boy Cico holds the world record in 1990s. A 1990 is a move in which a breaker spins continuously on one hand—a hand spin rather than a head spin. Cico broke the record by spinning 27 times.A documentary based on the competition called Turn It Loose (2009) profiled six b-boys training for the 2007 championship in Johannesburg. Two of these b-boys were Ali "Lilou" Ramdani from Pockémon Crew and Omar "Roxrite" Delgado from Squadron.

• Floor Wars is a three-on-three breaking competition founded in 2005 in Denmark. Eight top ranked international crews, referred to as the Great 8, are automatically invited to participate in the final. The other eight crews qualify for the final through regional tournaments.

• R16Korea is a South Korean breaking competition founded in 2007 by Asian Americans Charlie Shin and John Jay Chon. Like BOTY and Red Bull BC One put together,Respect16 is a competition for the top 16 ranked b-boy crews in the world. What sets it apart from other competitions is that it is sponsored by the government and broadcast live on Korean television and in several countries in Europe. In 2011, R16 instituted a new judging system that was created to eliminate bias and set a unified and fair standard for the way b-boy battles should be judged. With the new system, b-boys are judged against five criteria: foundation, dynamics (power moves), battle, originality, and execution. There is one judge for each category and the scores are shown on a large screen during battles so that the audience can see who is winning at any given moment.

• World B-Boy Classic is a two-on-two Dutch breaking competition founded in 2009 in Rotterdam. An hour before the competition begins all the participating b-boys are randomly assigned a partner. They may or may not know each other. The purpose of the competition is to judge which duo has the best chemistry when working with someone they have not trained with. World B-Boy Classic takes place during Rotterdam's annual Street Science Festival.

Gender Inequality[13]

Like the other aspects of hip-hop culture, graffiti writing, MCing, and DJing, males are generally the predominant gender within breaking. However, this is being challenged by the rapidly increasing number of b-girls. Critics argue that it is unfair to make a sweeping generalization about these inequalities because women have begun to play a larger role in the breaking scene.

Despite the increasing number of female breakers, another possible barrier is lack of promotion. As Firefly, a full-time b-girl, says "It's getting more popular. There are a lot more girls involved. The problem is that promoters are not putting on enough female-only battles." More people are seeking to change the traditional image of femals hip hop cultre  (and by extension, b-boy culture) to a more positive, empowered role in the modern hip-hop scene. The lower exposure of female dancers is probably caused not by any conscious discrimination, but simply by the fewer number of female breakers compared to the number of male breakers. However, both males and females do practice this art form equally together and are competitively judged only by skill and personal expression, not gender.

In the past 40 years since b-boying's creation, various films have depicted the dance. In the early 1980s several films depicted b-boying including Wildstyle, Flash dance, Breaken',Breakkin': Electrib boogaloo,  Delivery boys, Krush Groove, and beat street. The 1983 PBS documentary Style wars chronicled New York graffiti artists, but also includes some b-boying. In 1985, at the height of b-boying's popularity, Donnie yen starred in a Hong Kong hip-hop film called Mismattached couples.

The 2000s saw a resurgence of films featuring b-boying. The 2002 documentary film The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy provides a comprehensive history of b-boying including its evolution and its place within hip-hop culture. The 2007 documentary Planet bboy follows five crews from around the world in their journey to the international breaking competition Battle of the year. The award-winning (SXSW Film Festival audience award) 2007 documentary "Inside the Circle" goes into the personal stories of three b-boys (Omar Davila, Josh "Milky" Ayers and Romeo Navarro) and their struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives. The 2010 German documentary nekollen united depicts the life of two b-boy brothers in Berlin that try to use their dancing talents to secure a livelihood. B-boying moves are sometimes incorporated into the choreography of films featuring martial arts. This is due to the visually pleasing aspect of the dance, no matter how ridiculous or useless it would be in an actual fight.

Film

• The 2001 comedy film Zoolander depicts Zoolander (ben stiller) and Hansel (owen wilson) performing b-boy moves on a catwalk.
• In the 2003 film shanghai night, donnie yen implements a windmill in a fight against Jackie chan.
• The 2004 anime TV series sumurai champloo features one of the main characters, mugen using a fighting style based on b-boying.
• The 2009 Thai martial arts film raging phoenix incorporates b-boying in its fight scenes, along with coperia.
• The 2010 martial arts film true lagend features a scene where Drunken God, played by jay chou performs windmills, flares, and airflares in a restaurant.
• The 2005-2012 Step Up films are dance movies that focus on the passion and love of dance. B-boying is featured mainly along with isolation, flips, formal dancing and other dances.

Television

In the United States, the dance shows So you think you can dance and America's best dance crew arguably presented b-boying back to the forefront of America's pop culture, similar to the popularity it had in the 80s. B-boying is widely referenced in TV advertising, as well as news, travelogue, and documentary segments, as an indicator of youth/street culture. From a production point of view the style is visually arresting, instantly recognizable and adducible to fast-editing, while the ethos is multi-ethnic, energetic and edgy, but free from the gangster-laden overtones of much rap-culture imagery. Its usability as a visual cliché benefits sponsorship, despite the relatively small following of the genre itself beyond the circle of its practitioners. In 2005, a  commercial featured a partly  version of Gene Kelly popping and b-boying to a remix of "singin in the rain", by mintroyale. The tagline was, "The original, updated."

Since b-boying's popularity surge in South Korea, it has been featured in various TV dramas and commercials. break is a 2006 mini series from Korea about a b-boying competition. Over the rainbow (Drama series 2006) centers on different characters who are brought together by b-boying.

Literature

• In 1997, Kim Soo Yong began serialization of the first b-boying themed comic, Hip Hop. The comic sold over 1.5 million books and it helped to introduce breaking and hip-hop culture to Korean youth.
• The first b-boying themed novel, Kid B, was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006. The author, Linden Dalaci, was an amateur b-boy in high school and directed a short documentary film about Texas b-boy culture before writing the novel. The novel was inspired by Dalecki's b-boy-themed short story The B-Boys of Beaumont, which won the 2004 austine chlorinical short story contest.
• Breakin' the city, a photo book by Nicolaus portrays b-boys from the Bronx and Brooklyn wheeling around on subway cars, in city plazas, and on sidewalks in New York City. Published in 2011, it features six New York based b-boy crews photographed between 2007 and 2009.
• Breakdancing:Mr.Fresh and the supreme rockers Show You How (avon books, 1984) was an introductory reference for newcomers to the "breakin'" style of dance as it evolved in North America in the 1970s and 1980s.

Video gaming

There have been few video games created that focus on b-boying. The main deterrence for attempting to create games like these is the difficulty of translating the dance into something entertaining and fun on a video game console. Most of these attempts have had low to average success.

• Breakdance was an 8-bit computer game by epyxe released in 1984, at the height of breaking's popularity.
• B-boy is a 2006 console game released for ps2 and psp which aims at an unadulterated depiction of breaking.
• Bust a groove is a video game franchise whose character "Heat" specializes in breaking.
• Pump it up is a Korean game that requires physical movement of the feet. The game involves b-boying and people can accomplish this feat by memorizing the steps and creating dance moves to hit the arrows on time.
• Breakdance Champion Red Bull BC One is an ios and android rhythm game that focuses on the actual b-boying competition Red Bull BC One.

History of Breakdance

Breakdancing seems so different from all other kinds of dancing that the first question people ask when they see it is: "Where did these kids learn to dance like that?" To many people, this dance seems to have come out of nowhere. But like everything else, Breakdance did come from somewhere, something and someone. In the case of Breakdancing, the someone is the great superstar, James Brown, and the something is the dance, the Good Foot. In 1969, when James Brown was getting down with his big hit "Get on the Good Foot" the Hustle was the big dance style of the day. If you've ever seen JamesBrown live in concert or on TV, then you know he can really get down. And when he preformed his hit, he did the kind of dance you'd expect James Brown to do. High Energy. This almost acrobatic dance was appropriately enough known as the lot of kids around New York City.

By the time the Good Foot became the new dance style, the tradition of dance battle was well established. Dancers would gather at places like Harlem World on 116th Street in Harlem and Battle-dancewise. Battles are covered in more detail in the section on battles, challanges, and contests, but the important thing as fas as the history of Breakdancing is concerned is that Breakdancing was particularly well-suited for competition. And not only was the Good Foot well- suited for dance battles, it appealed to certain young men who were very athletic.

The Good Foot, which was soon to be called B-Boy and shortly after that Breakdancing, or Breaking, was very different from the Breaking we see today. In some ways it was simpler. There were no Headspind. No Windmill. No Handglides or Backspins. It was what is now called old-style Breaking. Old-Style Breaking consisted only of floor work, or Floor Rock, and in a way it was more complex than modern Breaking. There may be some small variations on the Headspin and a Backspin, but basically, a Headspin is a head spin and a Backspin is a back spin. But Floor Rock can involve som extremely complicated leg moves, and it is done very fast. And it did not take long before where were a lot of Breakdancing battles happening.

Among those for whom old-style Breaking was especially popular were many of the youths and street gangs that roamed the South Bronx. And it was in those streets that Breakdancing really started. Often, the best Breakers in opposing gangs would battle dancewise instead of fighting. They would battle over turf. Or because someone stepped on someone else's shoes. They might battle prove that their gang was better than the other gang. Sometimes they would make a contract that the loser would not go around to the winner's neighborhood anymore. Sometimes they battled just to gain each other's respect. Unfortunately, these Breaking battles did not always stop fight. In fact, they often would cause a fight, since dancers would sometimes get physical when they couldn't win dancewise.No one likes to lose. But today Breaking battles have, to a large extent, replaced fighting in the Bronx.

In this way Breakdancing crews-groups of dancers who practice and preform together-were formed. And soon formal crews organized, who not only practiced and preformed together, but who also developed their own dance routines. Some of these crewws became very dedicated to their dancing, and since they had nothing better to do, would spend hours a day praticing, developing more and more complex moves, improving their form, and increasing their speed. And then Afrika bambaataa came along. Bambaataa is the legendary grand master D.J. who is the individual most responsible for the successful growth of Breakdancing. He is a record producer and member of the Soul Sonic Force, whose "Looking For The Perfect Beat" was chosen as the No.4 best single in the 1983 Jazz and pop Critics' Poll. Afrika Bambaataa is also the leader of the Zulu Nation in the Bronx.

In 1969, Afrika Bambaataa saw Breakdancing as more than just dancing. He saw it as a way to achieve something. He saw the potential of Breakdancing, and encouraged the dancers to keep at it. To work hard, and to believe that if they stuck with it, something good would come of it. Bambaataa then started one of the first Breakdance crews, the Zulu Kings. The Zulu Kings won a lot of battles and talent shows and preformed in various clubs in New York. At the same time they won a lot of adherents for the Zulu Nation.

Old-style Breaking remained popular untill about 1977, when the Freak took over, based on the hit record "Freak Out" by the Shieks. Then around 1979 and early 1980 a new Breakdance crew was organized-Rock Steady Crew. Even though Rock Steady Crew was especially talented, a lot of people put them down being old-fashioned. But Bambataa encouraged them. He told them that if they stuck with it, something good would happen. He took them on, and soon they were performing at the Mudd Club, the Ritz, and other Punk rock clubs around New York. When Rock Steady performed for Malcom McLaren and Bow Wow Wow at the Ritz people started taking them seriously. Breakdancing Was In Again.

But the new-style Breaking was different from the old. Rock Steady added a lot of acrobatic moves. Breaking now included not only Floor Rock but Headspins, Backspins, Handglides, and Windmills. In 1981, Charles Ahearn made his Hip-Hop movie, Wild Style, a raw vision of rap singing, graffiti, scratching, and Breakdancing in the Bronx. Ahearn called on Rock Steady to do the Breaking and Rock Steady became the preeminent Breakdance crew and new-style Breaking became even more popular. When the spring of 1982 rolled around the Roxy was a well-established New York roller-skating rink. But the popularity of roller skating quickly began to fade, and in June of '82, Pat Fuji turned the Roxy into a dance club on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. The Roxy quickly became the Hip Hop center. It was here that rappers, D.J.'s, and Breakdancers would perform and hang out.

If you wanted to discover a Breakdancer for your show or video, you would come to the Roxy. Or if you just wanted to watch or learn some new moves, you would come to the Roxy. And the Roxy started to sponsor Breakdance contests, which would help the winners get more recognition. In June, 1983, Pat Fuji hired professional Jazz dancer Rosanne Hoare to run the Street Arts Consortium, whish was a house Breakdancing, rapping, and graffiti art. Rosy was going to officially establish a home for Hip Hop Culture. While the Street Art Consorium never really happened as envisioned, Rosy did provide a home for Breakdancers. She not only provided a place where they could feel at home, but she worked with them as a choreographer, helping to extend their dance possibilities. She also helped many dancer find commercial and performing dance work. Most importanly, Rosy was-and is-always there as a friend whom they can count on. She herself has taken up Breakdancing.