RED BULL BC ONE TAKES OVER TINSELTOWN

Hollywood, Calif., June 9, 2007—Dancing with the stars took on a whole new meaning as the continent’s most talented B-Boys competed at Hollywood’s historic Music Box Theatre as part of the Red Bull BC One. Hundreds of revelers witnessed fierce one-on-one battles as Florida based Spee-D won over the crowd and judges Kwikstep, Gizmo and Easy Roc. The win scored Spee-D a ticket to Johannesburg, South Africa to compete in the Red Bull BC One Finals.

“Anyone that’s gonna battle me is gonna have a hard time,” he warns. “A whole new Spee-D is coming out. People should be scared!”

The event hosted by Grandmaster Caz was one of nine qualifiers being held in cities across the globe. The North American battle brought some of the fiercest B-Boys from California, New York, Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, Utah, and Toronto. The competition began with 16 dancers, but in the final round it all came down to Luigi and Spee-D. Friends on and off the dance floor, the two fed off each other’s energy, elevating the level of competition and making the judges’ job even more difficult.

“B-Boying today is so special because there’s a link between the dancers, the history and the forefathers of the scene,” explains judge and B-Boy legend Easy Roc.

Battle DJ Tony G added more complexity to the competition by spinning custom beats created by producers Jake One, Vitamin D, Bean One, Zulu Gremlin and G Koop. The crowd was amazed at the skills being exhibited by competitors as well as the guest performers. B-Girl Asia One, Pandora, B-Girl Shorty, and D-Lock performed a visual timeline of the sport, showcasing the individual styles of locking, rocking, popping and breaking.

Special guests Ill-Abilities Crew brought fans to their feet with their unique and inspiring show. All three dancers Lazy Legs, Kujo, and Tommy Guns proved that having a physical disability doesn’t have to stop one from doing what one loves.

“B-Boying today is so diverse. In order to evolve, people have to be creative,” explained Lazy Legz. “That’s what B-Boys are doing today—people are defying their bodies.”