Battle of the Year is the largest breakdancing competition being held. It is held every year. “Every year we try to feature the best and most innovative B-Boy crews from all over the world. One of our goals is to make this event as international as we can. The Battle Of The Year is a platform for B-Boys and Hip Hop culture in general and an opportunity for all participants to express themselves in a peaceful and non-racist environment”. Battle of the Year is also commonly referred to as BOTY.
It is an annual international breakdancing series that began in 1990. It is a crew competition. The battles have judges and they will judge the team’s performances. “Regional qualifying tournaments, also known as preliminaries, are held worldwide culminating in the BOTY International, the world finals event which is held at the Volkswagenhalle in Braunschweig, Germany. Battle of the Year is widely regarded as the premier b-boying tournament in the world, frequently referred to as the "World Cup of B-Boying". Battle of the year creates "spaces for a globalization at the bottom, bringing people together across the barriers of geography, language, and race". "BOTY becomes more and more international and that means more and more popular. So the capacity of the venues grows and every year there are some more key men in the BOTY-team. One of their aims is to integrate young and motivated people. And it's necessary to do it because it is getting harder and harder to fulfill all the claims". At BOTY there is only first and third place. Second place is considered as the runner up. There is also another reward at BOTY. This reward is known as the “Best Show”. Best show is for the crew that performed entertaining with style, grace, and attitude.
After 20 years of Battle of the Year in Germany the organization team decided to move the Battle of the Year to Montpellier-France this year. The date will be November 20, 2010.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
BATTLES
“Crew versus crew battles are common in breaking. Battles are dance competitions between two individuals or two groups of dancers who try to out-dance each other. They can be either formal or informal but both types of battles are head to head confrontations. They can take the form of a cypher battle or an organized battle. A crew is a group of b-boys/b-girls who dance together.”
“Informally b-boying began with the cypher, the name given to a circle of breakers and casual onlookers who take turns dancing in the center. There are no judges, concrete rules, or restrictions in the cypher, only unspoken traditions. Although participants usually freestyle (improvise) within a cypher, battling does take place. This was the origin of b-boy battles and it is often more confrontational and personal. Cypher dancing is more prevalent in communities with an emphasis on what is regarded as authentic and traditional hip-hop culture. Battling "in the cypher" is also a method of settling differences between individual dancers or crews.”
In a cypher battle the dancer would try to out dance the other by performing more stylish moves. The dancer moves would be more sophisticated and more creative then his or her opponent. Their opponents moves has to either be as good or even better.
“Organized battles set a format for competition such as a time limit or a cap on the number of participants. Organized battles also have judges who are usually chosen based on their years of experience, level of cultural knowledge, contribution to the scene, and ability to judge in an unbiased manner. On occasion organizers invite judges from outside the breaking community and these events (jams) are sometimes met with disapproval from b-boys/b-girls. Organized battles are publicized to a much greater extent than informal events. They include famous international level championships such as Battle of the Year, UK B-Boy Championships, Red Bull BC One, Freestyle Session, and R16 Korea. However, the trend in recent years to place excessive emphasis on organized battles may detract from the spontaneous aspect of the culture that is emphasized in cypher dancing.”
“Informally b-boying began with the cypher, the name given to a circle of breakers and casual onlookers who take turns dancing in the center. There are no judges, concrete rules, or restrictions in the cypher, only unspoken traditions. Although participants usually freestyle (improvise) within a cypher, battling does take place. This was the origin of b-boy battles and it is often more confrontational and personal. Cypher dancing is more prevalent in communities with an emphasis on what is regarded as authentic and traditional hip-hop culture. Battling "in the cypher" is also a method of settling differences between individual dancers or crews.”
In a cypher battle the dancer would try to out dance the other by performing more stylish moves. The dancer moves would be more sophisticated and more creative then his or her opponent. Their opponents moves has to either be as good or even better.
“Organized battles set a format for competition such as a time limit or a cap on the number of participants. Organized battles also have judges who are usually chosen based on their years of experience, level of cultural knowledge, contribution to the scene, and ability to judge in an unbiased manner. On occasion organizers invite judges from outside the breaking community and these events (jams) are sometimes met with disapproval from b-boys/b-girls. Organized battles are publicized to a much greater extent than informal events. They include famous international level championships such as Battle of the Year, UK B-Boy Championships, Red Bull BC One, Freestyle Session, and R16 Korea. However, the trend in recent years to place excessive emphasis on organized battles may detract from the spontaneous aspect of the culture that is emphasized in cypher dancing.”
Monday, March 8, 2010
Music & Gender Inequality
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 remixing. The original songs that popularized the dance form borrow significantly from progressive genres of jazz, soul, 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 later termed the break beat.
A breakdance website states "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 females in hip-hop culture (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 there being fewer female breakers. Since there are no female divisions in breaking as there are in "official" sports, they have to compete with men on equal terms. In any "b-boy" battle, if it is a one-on-one competition or crew vs. crew, b-girls attend the event as equals to the b-boys. They compete solo against other b-boys and as members of a crew alongside b-boys. All female b-girl crews battle against other breaking crews with no negative discrimination. When referencing women, the term "b-girling" is as acceptable as the term b-boying although not as widely used. Aside from the terminology, both males and females practice this art together."
A breakdance website states "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 females in hip-hop culture (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 there being fewer female breakers. Since there are no female divisions in breaking as there are in "official" sports, they have to compete with men on equal terms. In any "b-boy" battle, if it is a one-on-one competition or crew vs. crew, b-girls attend the event as equals to the b-boys. They compete solo against other b-boys and as members of a crew alongside b-boys. All female b-girl crews battle against other breaking crews with no negative discrimination. When referencing women, the term "b-girling" is as acceptable as the term b-boying although not as widely used. Aside from the terminology, both males and females practice this art together."
Monday, March 1, 2010
Powermoves & Freezes
Power Moves was a term they adopted in the early 80's. In power moves, the breakdancer relies more on upper body strength to dance, using his or her hands to do moves. There are many Power moves and they are all hard to perform. It takes time and practices to achieve them. Some of the more famous power moves that are use to perform are windmill: is a move in which the dancer spins from his upper back to his chest while twirling his legs around his body in a V-shape. There are many variations to this move such as nutcrackers and handcuffs. Many dancers will spend anywhere from two to six months learning how to do a basic windmill, since the motion is quite unorthodox. Flare: is an incredibly difficult move borrowed from gymnastics and resembles the use of a Pommel Horse, but is performed without one. The breaker supports his body with his arms, swings his legs around his stationary torso in continuous circles, and never allows his legs to touch the ground. Headspins: the dancer spins on his head, often while wearing a stocking cap or handkerchief. When the dancer uses his hands to aid in speeding up the spin, it is called 'tapping.' A dancer may tap for a few rotations and then 'glide' for as many as 15 rotations. Jackhammer: is a move performed on the ground having the dancer balancing on one hand and laying his body on the elbow of the same arm. He then bounces up and down with his hand as he spins around. There are also many other power moves such as airtrack, halo, 90s, 2000s, crickets, and many more. Freezes: the parts of the body that touch the ground, holding the rest of the Body in position. In other words, the supports of your freeze. Examples of platforms are: Hand, Elbow, Head, shoulder, back, belly, side, sometimes knee. A freeze could have multiple platforms: The platform of a Tri-pod Headstand would be 2 hands and a head. The platform of a Baby Freeze is also 2 hands and a head, but the body is horizontal rather than vertical as in a Headstand. Freezes are perform after doing a power move or footwork.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Toprock & Downrock
There are four basic elements that form the foundation of Breakdancing. These are toprock, down rock (also known as footwork), freezes, and power moves. The most basic moves are Toprocks and Downrocks. Toprock refers to any string of steps performed from a standing position, relying upon a mixture of coordination, flexibility, style, and rhythm. It is usually the first and foremost opening display of style, and it serves as a warm-up for transitions into more acrobatic maneuvers. This is the entry dance that B-boys and B-girls use to start their set. These steps are done before you do a power set or before you go down to the floor. This is the breaker's chance to show how well he or she can rock the beat and/or make gestures to intimidate their opponent. The object is to make a connection with the song either by gesturing on a horn or rhythm section while your feet usually step on the "snare" of the drum/beat section. Its style is obvious to anyone watching, because it is incredibly unorthodox looking. Breakdancer take pride in having unique toprock that still stays within the definition of what toprock actually is. Downrock includes all footwork performed on the floor as in the 6-step, a six step combination of different, repeating moves. The foundational move of downrock is the 6-step. Downrock is normally performed with the hands and feet on the floor. In downrock, the breakdancer displays his or her proficiency with foot speed and control by performing fairly complex footwork combinations. These combinations then usually transition into more athletic moves known as power moves, which are actions that require momentum and physical power to execute. The rest of the dance is founded around these two elements. Dancers usually begin by toprocking, and then continue by going down to the floor and performing a 6-step or 4-step.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Making Of The Crew
According to "History of Breakdance", 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 crews became very dedicated to their dancing, and since they had nothing better to do, they 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.
Crews were started because of street gangs battling each others and it became formalize. They started the first breakdance crew and breakdance battle’s. There are now many crew all over the world with their own unique style. Many of them practice everyday because they all hope to be the best breakdance crew in the world.
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 crews became very dedicated to their dancing, and since they had nothing better to do, they 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.
Crews were started because of street gangs battling each others and it became formalize. They started the first breakdance crew and breakdance battle’s. There are now many crew all over the world with their own unique style. Many of them practice everyday because they all hope to be the best breakdance crew in the world.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
History of B-Boying
Breakdancing is a street dance style that evolved as part of the hip hop movement. It was also used among gangsters as a way to settle their differences rather than fighting. Whoever performed the most creative moves in a single or routine dance wins the battle. It Replace actual fighting and turf disputes with a breakdancing battle. The theory was sound, often with the best dancer being the best fighter. This way it solved many gang fighting’s. I went and look up were breakdancing originated from and there were many websites on breakdancing and where it originated from. It was not hard to find where breakdancing originated from because most of the websites has the same information where breakdancing originated from. Some sites featured information about where breakdancing originated from before it started in the U.S. 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 U.S Breakdancing started in the late 60’s and exploded into the 70’s and 80’s among a large population especially with the youth. According to research, it was introduced among African American communities in South Bronx of New York. Over the years break dancing has borrowed freely from all types of dances and martial arts. In the case of Breakdancing, the someone is the great superstar, James Brown, and the something is the dance, the Good Foot. James Brown, the godfather of break dancing, was quite influential, he changed breakdancing and made it famous. It was his dance style that helped to shape breakdancing and point it in a new direction. He made a huge success with his smash hit “Get on the Good Foot”. Afrika Bambaataa, the legendary DJ, also influenced breakdancing. He was marked as the man most responsible for the successful growth of breakdancing. He popularized breakdancing with various musical changes.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Introduction
When I was younger, in my Junior High years, I started dancing and the first dance I came into contact with was C-Walking. C-Walking is a dance involving your feet. C-Walking is very creative and I loved it. I later became fascinated in b-boying or breaking when I saw it the first time. In case for people who don't know what b-boying or breaking is, it is commonly refer as breakdancing. When I first saw b-boying it was so powerful and beautiful that it attracted me to it. It was unbelievable when I saw these people performing and executing crazy and dangerous stunts like it was nothing, they had no fear. I saw their passion for this dance and it really came to me. I knew it was calling me, so I started breaking too. In my high school years I practiced b-boying a lot, not just by myself but with friends. Since I came from a small town and had only one high school, not many people know of breakdance or has seen many breakdancings. Me and my friends were in the Multicultural clubs at our high school and we did performance for the school. We also perform for other schools including schools in the small town near us. The problem is, many people don't know what breakdancing is and they don't think it is a dance. So for the next four months I will be talking about b-boying. What is the history of breakdance, where it originated from. I will put some clips of people b-boying, performing unbelievable stunts. For anyone who wants to see more b-boying you can find them on Youtube, it has so many videos of people b-boying or b-girling. I will also be talking about the moves, power moves and footwork. I will be explaining about the battle of the year, a breakdance competition held in Germany once a year. I will also be talking about some of the teams and how the battle's work.
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