The Red Bull BC One World Final is set to return to New York City this fall, bringing the breaking competition back to the dance style’s Hip-Hop roots. Set for Saturday, Nov. 12th at the Hammerstein Ballroom, the 19th edition of the showcase will bring top b-boys and b-girls from around the world to face-off for the top spot.
“The energy of New York City is incomparable to any in the world. As the city that’s given us so much—from Hip-Hop to break—its influence has reached new heights as breaking takes on a new global stage with the upcoming Paris Games,” Red Bull BC One All-Star, Neguin shared exclusively with VIBE in an emailed statement. “Being around for nearly 20 years, Red Bull BC One will be the space to watch to get an understanding of break culture and who will compete in the 2024 Games.”
Break dancing or breaking is a style of street dance tied to Hip-Hop music, culture, and subcultures created in the Bronx. The technique and principles were popularized as the entire movement grew beyond the borough with the help of Hip-Hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc.
“It fills my heart with pride to see a ghetto-born dance transcend beyond the basketball courts outside my Bronx River Projects window. What felt exclusive to our community is now a global sensation and I see every b-boy and b-girl as an extension of the culture,” expressed legendary New York City b-boy Alien Ness in a press statement. “Breaking will continue to evolve but will remain rooted in an unexplainable essence that connects us. If we could verbally explain it, we wouldn’t be dancing.”
Break dancing will enter the global arena as an official competitive event between nations debuting at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics according to USA TODAY. The event will feature men’s and women’s competitions with head-to-head matchups in which judges will determine the winners.
Within the Olympic movement, breaking is a discipline of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) with the first WDSF World DanceSport Games held in 2013 in Chinese Taipei according to the Olympic website.
Red Bull BC One is the biggest and most prestigious one-on-one breaking competition in the world with thousands of breakers competing for a chance to represent at the World Final. This year’s program will be available to stream on Red Bull TV and the Red Bull BC One social media channels.
Check out the official trailer for Red Bull BC One World Final 2022 New York below: