7/11 – Music Monday – Chicago: Red Bull BC One United States Qualifier, The Cool Kids, Floyd The Locsmif, Nikki Jean + more…
Saturday 07.23.11
Red Bull BC One United States Qualifier @ Aragon Ballroom | More Event Information
Top U.S. B-boys to Battle at Red Bull BC One QUALIFIER in Chicago Premier B-Boy Competition Will Determine North American Rep at 2011 Red Bull BC One World Finals in Moscow, Russia
On July 23 in Chicago, the nation’s best b-boys will face off during the Red Bull BC One United States qualifier. Throughout four rounds of 1-on-1 battles, the competition will pit city against city and crew against crew. Style will clash with power, toprock with downrock, tight footwork with explosive acrobatics. At the end, only one of the 16 competitors will emerge with the right to call himself the best ONE-ON-ONE b-boy in North America. In addition to bragging rights, the victor will earn the chance to represent the United States at the Red Bull BC One World Finals in Moscow, Russia this November. The national qualifier in Chicago will be held at the Aragon Ballroom on Saturday, July 23 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets for the event are $10.00 for General Admission and $20 for Balcony and can be purchased at the Aragon box office or online at aragon.com. More information on the event can be found at www.redbullbcone.com.
B-boy Ronnie, the Las Vegas breaker who won the 2007 Red Bull BC One Finals in South Africa, knows something about the importance of the United States qualifiers. He will join b-boys Roxrite,Lego, Moy and Wicked to judge the Chicago event. Looking ahead, Ronnie said, “To win something this big in America will mean so much. All the b-boys are training for this like it’s the Red Bull BC One Finals. Whoever wins this, it’s going to be a big deal.”
As one of the four elements of hip-hop—along with MCing, DJing and graffiti—ONE-ON-ONE b-boying has thrived in Chicago, a city with undisputed hip-hop cred. The Aragon Ballroom, one of the Windy City’s most storied cultural landmarks and a legendary dance venue, will serve as the arena for a day of battles that will help shape the future of ONE-ON-ONE b-boying. Music will be provided by Skeme Richards, who serves as the DJ for the legendary Rock Steady Crew.
The 16 participating b-boys who will compete include: ATN (Las Vegas), El Nino (Boston), Evol (Chicago), Frankie (NYC), Gravity (NYC), Kareem (LA), Keebz (Orlando), Kid Glyde (NYC), Mijo (Milwaukee), MN Joe (Minneapolis), Morris (Sacramento), Nasty Ray (San Jose), Palmer (Houston), Puzzles (Toronto), Toyz aRe Us (D.C.), and Vicious Vic (Texas).
About Red Bull BC One
Going back to the 1970s, b-boy competitions centered around 1-on-1 battles. In the last 15 years, however, crew competitions have become more popular. Red Bull BC One takes breaking back to its roots by keeping the focus on 1-on-1 contests.
Since its inception in 2004, Red Bull BC One has become a world renown b-boy competition. Up to now, the competition has been centred on hand-selected dancers. This year, Red Bull BC One is dedicated to bringing fresh blood into the competition. By hosting cyphers (pre-qualifier battles) around the world, previously unknown dancers have been given a chance to win the most prestigious global 1-on-1 battle.Winners from the cyphers will advance to compete against hand-selected dancers in one of this year’s five Red Bull BC One National Qualifiers held in Brazil, Taiwan, Turkey, Spain and the United States. Each national Qualifier will send one winner to the global Finals in November.
