B-boys from around the world will gather in Paris on November 5th for the Red Bull BC One B-Boy Battle

(from www.redbullbcone.com)

The Red Bull BC One, the world’s most prestigious B-Boy battle, comes to Paris this fall. On November 5th the city on the Seine will see the 16 most respected breakers in the world battle head to head in a 1 on 1 contest.

After an auspicious start in Biel, Switzerland in 2004, the Red Bull BC One moved to Berlin, Germany in 2005 and Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2006. Last year, the Red Bull BC One took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, and this year the best B-Boys of the world coming from 12 nations will battle it out in the French capital!

B-Boying, or breaking, developed on the streets of New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In breaking the kids found a means of artistic expression they could participate in for free. They used dance battles to pit their strength against each other, avoiding fists and knifes. Today, B-Boying has evolved into an art form, with major competitions worldwide.

France has an impressive ranking in the field of Hip Hop dance and has produced some of the best dancers in the world. No other country has so many titles in this discipline including 4 times B-Boy crew world champions at the Battle of the Year 1995, 2001, 2003 and 2006, and 2nd place winners in 1997, 2002, and 2004. The Red Bull BC One, has had 4 editions and with Lilou, from Lyon, a French world champion in 2005 and with Junior a third place for France in 2004.

Hip Hop is everywhere in France and dance is the most popular national sport after football. The “French style” of B-Boying is known worldwide—it’s powerful, competitive and humorous. The French public is very interested in Hip Hop dance and B-Boying. More than 10,000 spectators attended the Juste Debout dance competition in March at the “Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy.” The French Battle Of The Year attracts 7,000 people in Montpellier every year.

Last year’s Red Bull BC One winner, B-Boy Ronnie from Las Vegas, just won the MTV Show “America’s Best Dance Crew” with his crew “Super Cr3w.” Ronnie is the only 5-term competitor at the Red Bull BC One. He says, “The Red Bull BC One is history in the making every year and this year, in France, it’s going to be better than ever. I am honored to be part of it! Paris here I come!”

B-Boy battles have their roots in one-on-one competitions. During the past 15 years, one-on-one battles have been pushed to the background as crew competitions became more popular at the big events. Red Bull’s objective was to go back to the roots and show B-Boying in the most spectacular and powerful way. Dancers are selected for the Red Bull BC One for extraordinary artistic skills, an outstanding character, and a good reputation in the dance community. Sixteen dancers from all continents are ready to set new standards and showcase the art of breaking in Paris this coming November.

The event will be held at Centquatre, a place of artistic creation and production unique in the world. Open to all forms of art, this huge space is an original architectural whole in which art meets the public head-on. It is a place where the artistic dynamic pushes back the boundary between art and the public. At Centquatre, therefore, art and culture are open to visitors as well as to passers-by and onlookers.