Red Bull BC One North American 2013 Seoul Break Dance Finals

The very first competition took place in 2004 in Biel, Switzerland, crowning USA’s Omar champion. He will be joined this year by some of the best B-Boys in the world, all of whom have proven their merit on the infamous stage, including two-time winner Lilou of France (2005, Berlin; 2009, NYC), Brazil’s Neguin (2010, Tokyo), and the reigning champion Mounir, also of France (2012, Rio de Janeiro). This year will mark the first time the best B-Boys in the world from Red Bull BC One history will go head-to-head to win the ultimate B-Boy title.

We’re halfway through Cypher season, where 16 B-Boys battle against their country’s best to earn a spot in one of the prestigious Regional Finals. Winners of the Regional Finals will go on to compete against the past World Champions in Seoul. Unlike in previous years, there will be only two wildcard positions open. A panel of experts travels the world to watch the most important B-Boy battles to ensure that the two best B-Boys of the year will receive the spots. They are judged according to their overall skills, choreography, innovation and character. The Regional Finals and World Final will be live-streamed on redbullbcone.com.

Last year, millions of people tuned in worldwide to watch the showdown in Rio de Janeiro, witnessing heroic stories of B-Boys battling their way to the top, as well as superhuman feats of aerial strength, and an all-out celebration of the evolution of hip hop culture today. Don’t miss out on the premier dance event of the year!

Watch the FINAL BATTLE as Mounir takes on Hong 10 one-on-one at the 2013 Red Bull BC One. World Finals in Seoul.

Our Story: Red Bull BC One is the most important one-on-one B-Boy competition in the world. Every year, thousands of dancers across the globe vie for a chance to represent at the World Finals. Sixteen B-Boys will earn the right to enter into in an all-out battle on the Red Bull BC One stage, but only one will be crowned the champion. B-Boying, or breaking, is a style of dance that originated on the streets of NYC in the late 1970s. It’s one of the four pillars of hip hop culture along with DJing, MCing and Graffiti Art. Over the years, B-Boying has grown into a rich and vibrant scene, with active communities stretching across every corner of the globe. Every year, top dancers and crews continue to push the limits of breaking, evolving it into an art form unlike any other.

Red Bull BC One started in 2004 in Biel, Switzerland, and since has travelled to Berlin, Germany (2005), São Paulo, Brazil (2006), Johannesburg, South Africa (2007), Paris, France (2008), New York City, USA (2009), Tokyo, Japan (2010), Moscow, Russia (2011) and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2012).

This year marks the 10-Year Anniversary of Red Bull BC One, where the World Finals will head to Seoul, South Korea, home of some of the most innovative breaking today. In celebration of a decade of first-class breaking, all eight previous World Champions (including two-time winner Lilou) will return to battle in Seoul.

Everyone is welcome to compete in qualifying battles. Last year’s champion, Mounir, proved to be the ultimate Red Bull BC One B-Boy, as he won every step of the process: his country’s Cypher in France, the Western European Finals and, ultimately, the World Finals.

Throughout the year, more than 90 country and city Cyphers are held all over the world to find the best B-Boys dancing today. Winners of Cyphers then compete in six Finals: Western European, Eastern European, North American, Latin American, Middle East & Africa and Asia Pacific.

The six winners of the Finals earn a place to compete on the stage of the World Finals, along with the reigning champion and a selection of Wild Card entries. A panel of experts travels year-round to watch the most important B-Boy battles, ensuring that only the best B-Boys of the year receive Wild Card spots.

B-Boys are judged according to their artistic skills, choreography, innovation and character. The one-on-one battle format lets B-Boys show not only their mastery of the B-Boy essentials– toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes– but also their overall style and individual expression.

It’s no secret that some of the most groundbreaking dancing today can be seen on the stage of the Red Bull BC One, as each year the competition gets tougher and dancers seek new ways of movement to outdo their opponents, all the while influencing the next generation of B-Boys. Ten years strong, the Red Bull BC One belt remains the most coveted prize in B-Boying in the world.

Battle Breakdown: Cyphers are national preliminary events where 16 B-Boys compete for a spot in one of six Finals around the world. The winners of the Finals qualify to battle in the Red Bull BC One World Finals.

How It Works: This year, we will hold more than 90 city and country Cyphers all over the world. Some will be open Cyphers, where everybody can compete, and others will be invitational. Red Bull BC One works closely with key members of local scenes to select the B-Boys who are invited to compete. Dancers who are not selected to battle in their national Red Bull BC One Cypher can still participate by coming out to the event to support local heroes. B-Boys can only compete in their country of citizenship and can only compete in one qualifying Cypher per year. Winners of national Cyphers earn a spot to battle in their region’s Final.

The Finals will be held this year in Jordan (Middle East Africa), Italy (Western European), Ukraine (Eastern European), Colombia (Latin American), Japan (Asia Pacific) and the USA (North American).

In 2013, all previous eight world champions will return to compete for the belt in Seoul, Korea, on November 30th, alongside the winners of the six Finals. This means there will only be two Wild Card spots open. Wild Card selections are chosen by a panel of B-Boy experts who travel to find the best B-Boys of the year.

May the best B-Boy win!