US cedes status as breakdancing capital to South Korea
| Seoul, South Korea
鈥� A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
If you鈥檙e looking for the world鈥檚 best break dancers you won鈥檛 find them in New York, even though break dancing 鈥� also known as B-boying 鈥� still brings to mind images of kids spinning on cardboard on Bronx sidewalks. The art form鈥檚 current epicenter is on the other side of the world in Seoul, South Korea.
B-boying was introduced here by American soldiers shortly after its genesis in the United States.
But it really took hold in the late 1990s when a Korean-American named John Jay Chon gave a break dancing video to some of Seoul鈥檚 urban dancers.
Korean B-boying鈥檚 breakthrough moment came in 2002 at the Battle of the Year. In the country鈥檚 second appearance at the event, a Korean crew won 鈥� an unheard-of accomplishment.
Break dancing鈥檚 popularity here has spread to the world of theater. A show called 鈥淏allerina Who Loves B-Boy鈥� will complete a two-year run in December, and SJ B-Boys Theater claims to be the world鈥檚 first theater devoted exclusively to break dancing.
