Red Bull BC One, first organized in Switzerland in 2004, is one of the most prestigious breakdancing championships in the world. The competition has featured champion boys, men and breakdancers for the past 14 years. The event will be held on March 16-17 in Izmir province this year.
Hip-hop culture emerged from the American back streets of the 1970s and spun off into many subcultures, including breakdancing, rap, and graffiti. The trend later spread to Europe, quickly gaining a foothold in West Germany, where there were large numbers of American soldiers.
Mirroring the US, the first groups to embrace hip-hop in Europe were ethnic minorities. Hip-hop gained popularity in the 90s thanks to megastars such as MC Hammer, Dr. Dre, Tupac and Nas.
The world's best dancers gather for the championship, which takes place in a different country each year. This year, Turkey's representative in the Swiss championship will be chosen during the Red Bull BC One Turkey Cypher. The competition will also offer workshops and DJ performances in addition to the dance shows. Boys hoping to represent Turkey in the finals have until March 13 to apply.
