B-Boy Ark And B-Girl Blondie Prevail At Red Bull BC One’s First Midwest Cypher
On Saturday, July 29, Red Bull BC One uplifted the beloved art of contemporary breakdance while hosting its first Midwest Cypher in Minneapolis.
Lauded as the world’s largest and most prestigious breaking competition, the dancing melee brought together the best B-boys and B-girls from the region and beyond. In addition to being a premier hosting location, the presentation was an ode to the Midwest and its exorbitant influence on modern-day breaking and hip-hop culture.
Undergoing a competitive bracket of 16 one-on-one B-boy battles and eight B-girl battles, a panel of notable breakers were recruited as judges for the show: Red Bull BC One All-Star B-Boy RoxRite, B-Boy Minnesota Joe and B-Boy Dizzy.
After three hours of fierce competition, two winners ultimately prevailed: B-Boy Ark and B-Girl Blondie. Both regional champion breakers will go on to compete at the Red Bull BC One National Final In Philadelphia on Aug. 26.
“I’m shaking, it’s beyond belief right now,” B-Boy Ark told Blavity right after his win. “I came here just to dance and hopefully get some good music, which I did.”
Hailing from the small, yet mighty region of Kahalu’u, Hawaii, Jeff Wong, better known as, “B-Boy Ark,” entered the competition with a palpable fervor in his heart and a desire to prove to himself that he could still perform at a high level.
“For me, my intention here is not to win, it’s to come back to the reason why I dance,” Ark said. “It’s to reconnect with who I am and with other people around me in a way that I feel is unique, specific to who I am and honest.”
He was also joined by Levi and Mana Breaks, who are two younger members of his multigenerational crew, The 808 Breakers. The group prides itself on empowering the community through mentoring youth and hosting community events that honor the spirit of hip-hop. Above all else, they’re driven by their mission to shine light for the Hawaiian dance community and prove to the world that Hawaii too makes a viable impact on this world.
“This is a really historical event, not just for our crew, but for maybe Hawaii because we have three representatives from the island that won the qualifier and they’re all from the same crew spanning multiple generations,” Ark said.
Prior to the big battle, Blavity U spoke with some of the best competitors about an array of topics, some of which include their passion for the craft, how the culture of breaking has evolved from past to present, their favorite dance movie of all-time and what type of music they enjoy training and performing to.
Coming from Las Vegas, Eric “The Diss” Salazar is a bonafide OG who’s been ripping and rocking the art of break since 1998. With a global presence in competitions over the span of his career, he’s been able to leverage that into cultivating his own successful breaking program, “Zoologic,” which has enabled him to mentor high-level competitors for about 10 years.
Given his longevity, The Diss has seen the evolution of breaking from the onset of the millennium to now. According to him, a lot has changed.
“I think one of the biggest changes is that there is support, not only by major brands and partnerships but the community as a whole, building the next generation,” The Diss told Blavity U. “When I started breaking, there was nobody teaching breaking. There were no schools. There was nowhere where you could go and learn this. You had to either teach yourself from watching it or know someone who did it already.”
Back in the day, the breaking milieu was known for being much more cutthroat and callous. Nowadays, competitors are less about the intensity of the battle and more about pushing the art and culture forward.
“You were going to battle to take people out. You wanted to make people quit breaking. You wanted to beat someone so bad that they were done,” The Diss said. “No one is trying to make anyone quit now. If anything, you’re trying to add to the person. If someone isn’t good at breaking, you’re tryna help them get better at breaking. That’s the biggest shift.”
One essential element that every breaker must be aware of is the type of music they want to accompany their art. More often than not, the premier genre is hip-hop. Out of the many different eras that have come and gone over the years, there’s one that stood out for competitors over the rest: ’90s hip-hop.
“Some people that I can really get loose are kind of like the classic ’90s golden-era artists,” Ark said. “A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Lords of the Underground are typically my go-tos.”
Originating from Gardena, California, Selene “Sel” Almeida started breaking at the age of 7 and eventually joined Culture Shock LA’s after-school D.A.R.E. dance program, where she learned multiple different styles. Now, she’s a renowned hip-hop dance instructor, who performs with Breed Dance Company and two crews: “Soul Control” and “Climax.”
“I love your Tribe Called Quest. From a house standpoint, Crystal Waters is one of my favorites,” Sel told Blavity. “I always like to practice to Nas too.”
Similar to the impactful nature of ’90s hip hop, there are certain movies that have set the tone for contemporary breakers. Some of these films ignited the spark of interest, while others have bolstered dancers’ outlooks and appreciation of the craft as a whole.
“As a high schooler, Step Up 2 invokes a crazy amount of nostalgia for me,” Ark said. “I could see myself in those characters. It was the candid, in-between moments that really did it for me.”
Born in 2006, the Step Up franchise ushered in a new wave of dance films for a new generation at the time. Grossing over $114 million with only a $12 million budget, according to Billboard, it spawned a franchise that includes four sequels and a television series.
“You Got Served is my favorite dance movie of all-time. That was the first one I saw,” Sel said. “I was really young when that movie came out, but for me to see that, I thought it was dope. And I was a huge fan of B2K at the time, so seeing some of the members really hit home for me.”
Undoubtedly, You Got Served is a cult modern dance classic that blazed a trail for dance movies of the future.
The 2023 Red Bull BC One Cypher Season will continue in the home of hip-hop — New York City — before concluding with the Red Bull BC One National Final in Philadelphia. The winner of the National Final will go on to represent the USA at the Red Bull BC One World Final on Oct. 21 in Paris.
