The art of breakdancing is a very special one. So on a late night at the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, where some of the best breakdancers in the world all come together to battle it out and see who leaves with the championships, thrills and chills were destined to be all over the arena.
After some competitive qualifiers in the early round, things started to heat up even more as the night went on. At just 15 years of age, Lithuania’s B-Girl contestant Dominika Banevic earned the top spot in the B-Girl solo bracket by beating the likes of Stefani, Narumi, and then France’s Carlota in a sensational final! Some of the moves Dominika was able to pull off at such a young age were quite simply mesmerising, and the fact that she’ll only continue to get better in the upcoming years is insane.
In the B-Boy Solo rounds, Canada’s Phil Wizard stole the show, competing in some exceptional knockout battles against the likes of Lorenzo and Tiro, and then faced an immense final against Dany Dann. Phil did a great job of giving the crowd what they wanted as some of his moves drew the loudest responses from the audience all evening. People stood in awe taking in his remarkable B-Boy skills.
When it came time for the crew battles, you could sense the tension in the air. It was almost like it was time for the main event of a heavyweight fight night. After some entertaining early rounds, team SMAC & team GB made it to the highly anticipated finals.
In the end, it was team SMAC that came out on top in spectacular fashion. Although team GB put up a good battle, team SMAC had the audience and judges in a trance from their moves, and their authentic charisma drove everything home and made them the clear undeniable winners.
If the thrilling breakdancing on display wasn’t enough, the incredible beatboxer and one-half of the hosting team on the night Killa Kela also gave the crowd a unique beatboxing performance they will never forget. Some of the beats he was able to make were absolutely ludicrous!
The Ghetto Funk Collective group also made an appearance. Their pop-locking style was smooth and fun to watch. Each dancer added a little bit of their own pizzazz to their moves to keep the crowd engaged throughout.
This was the first time the top International Olympic contenders and the current World and European champions battled it out on one stage! The way the breakdancers showcased their creative talents was a thing of beauty. For some of the contestants, this could be the first step in their glorious journey to competing in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
You can’t learn these kinds of breakdance moves overnight. You have to be gifted and put the work in to execute them to impress the world-class Olympic sanctioned judging panel, and luckily for all in attendance, they succeeded in that.
(Image Credit: Maurice Van der Meijs)