Dance
Red Bull BC One UK Cypher is back: meet 5 of the battle-ready breakers
Ahead of this weekend's showdown, three B-Boys and two B-Girls reveal how they plan to win a spot on the world's stage...
The Red Bull BC One UK Cypher is back!
This Saturday (7th August), London hosts the Open Cypher qualifier, while Sunday (8th) hosts the Red Bull BC One UK Cypher final, which will be live on Facebook and YouTube.
Twelve of the UK's top B-Boys and B-Girls will tear apart the dancefloors at Fire in Vauxhall and the Electric in Brixton as they bid to become UK champions. The winners will secure a spot at the world's biggest one-on-one breaking competition: the Red Bull BC One World Final in Gdansk, Poland, this November.
Ahead of the battle, we spoke to five of the finalists: B-Boys Sheku, Infante and AJ the CypherCat, and B-Girls Labyrinth and Stefani.
My style is raw and full of musicality, and I'll make everyone feel the beat. I'm bringing all the smoke this year! Let's go!
All have used the pandemic-enforced time out to perfect their skills, refine their focus, elevate their craft and come out with a new hunger to win.
Catch all the action this Sunday, 8th August, live on Red Bull BC One Facebook and Red Bull BC One YouTube.
Below, they share the most significant obstacles they've overcome in their careers and give us a hint at what fans can expect from them this weekend.
I just want to say to every B-Girl starting out, if you're able to do this, know that you are special.
Stefani
Twenty seven-year-old B-Girl Stefani immersed herself in hip hop culture and graffiti from an early age. She was inspired to start breaking by a video game her father bought her that featured a character who had impressive Capoeira moves. After seeing B-Boys do similar tricks at a breaking event she snuck into, the Ukrainian B-Girl didn't look back and spent hours in the studio mastering an impressive mix of her own power moves. She battled to the top of the scene in the Ukraine, then made the jump to the UK to follow her dream of making a name for herself here.
Now Stefani is stronger and working harder than ever. She's still delivering hugely athletic tricks in her breaking, but she's also integrated her new passion for freezes and top rock. In 2021, she wants to utilise her determination and prowess to become the best in the UK and, she hopes, eventually the world.
What has been the most challenging obstacle for you to overcome?
Stefani: "Not so many girls can do this. When normal people hear that I'm a B-Girl, they can't believe this because it's really physically hard. At 15 and 16, the power moves are tough to learn, but at 27 years old, I have to focus and train that much longer and harder to prevent injuries."
How have you seen the B-Girl scene improve?
Stefani: "Breaking is hard, especially for B-Girls. You have to be in good shape, you have to be unique and stand out, you have to be creative, and lastly, you have to do it all at a really high level because there are so many talented B-Girls out there now. Saying that, I still feel like when it comes to B-Boys, everything is more professional. When I see the competitions, and the prizes and sponsors, there is still more support for the B-Boys. In 2021, it's a lot better for B-Girls than before, but still, there are situations where there isn't a B-Girl category at an event or the prize for the B-Boy winner is $10,000 or more, and $1,000 for the B-Girl winner. That's not motivating us."
What motivates you, and what's your advice for B-Girls just getting started?
Stefani: "The most important thing is to do what you like. If you want to dance, you have to dance. Don't listen to other people's opinions of what you should do. Just listen to yourself and to your soul. What always motivated me the most is that breaking makes me feel special. When I'm training, I know that I could mess up a move and break my arm or my leg or something. I know that what I'm doing isn't easy. I know the hard work I'm putting into it, and I know that it shows when I dance and people can feel it. So I just want to say to every B-Girl starting out, if you're able to do this, know that you are special."
Infante
Infante at 2019's Red Bull BC One UK Cypher
© Eva Berten
London bred B-Boy Gabriel Infante was an athlete from an early age. He became a B-Boy after watching dance films and being impressed at the explosiveness of breaking.
His style is made up of dynamic moves and strength-based holds.
A member of London breaking crew Gully Squad, he's also a signed model. This will be his third time competing in the Red Bull BC One UK Cypher, and he's planning to win.
What's the most important lesson you learnt last year?
Infante: "One thing I feel that I personally improved on the past year is my confidence. I feel like rather than thinking about how to impress the judges or the crowd, I've managed to find a stage where I have impressed myself and can be really happy and appreciative with where I am in my dancing. When it comes to my skill set, I have a lot more in my arsenal now, and hopefully, that can be shown on the stage this weekend. One of my proudest achievements is that I've made it to the Red Bull BC One UK Cypher, because that means I represent the top eight B-Boys in the country. My other achievement is to have my mother's support and know she is proud of me".
What is the key to success as a B-Boy?
Infante: "Success varies from person to person, so it's important to define what that success looks like for you. As you get better at this dance, it's important to know where you want to be with it and where you want to go. You might want to achieve more, you might feel like you've done what you set out to do. But the main thing is to feel happy and content. After that, one of the most important things for me, I would say, is to find a mentor. Find someone to guide you and who you trust that has achieved the things you want to achieve. That way, they can help you align with your goals, correct your mistakes, and you'll progress faster."
I treat every battle like it's my last, so this weekend, expect to see a lot of complex movements
Sheku
Sheku's style has earned him the nickname 'Thready Krueger'.
© Eva Berten
Sheku is a B-Boy and barber from Devon with a lengthy list of titles and battle wins behind him. He's been nicknamed 'Thready Krueger' for using so many threads in his breaking.
He takes the main inspiration for his moves from movies or cartoons and says that if he had to sum up his own style personally, it would be like a doodle book. He likes to show an all-rounded style with detailed information and storytelling.
What is your main goal with your breaking?
Sheku: "I started breaking around 2009 after seeing the first UK B-Boy championships on TV. Immediately, I knew this was what I wanted to do. Once you've learnt the foundations and got to a point where your breaking is good, I would say the biggest challenge is getting your name out there. It only takes one big event for the whole scene to know who you are. Patience is key."
What can fans expect to see at the Red Bull BC One UK Cypher?
Sheku: "So far, my proudest achievement was 100% finding myself and my style. The feeling you get when you know you have that... I might have a bunch of titles, but my main focus in dance is to keep creating, exploring, and leaving a legacy. I treat every battle like it's my last, so this weekend, expect to see a lot of complex movements and a real battle."
Labyrinth
Labyrinth was inspired to dance by Run DMC's iconic 'It's Like That' video.
© Eva Berten
Bradford B-Girl Labyrinth started breaking at the age of nine. She was into breaking from the minute she saw Run DMC's legendary music video for 'It's Like That'. But her mind was totally blown when she saw breaking performed live for the first time, at a school disco. She started training with Dre, aka Bboy Heavy Shock, and the rest is pretty much history.
One of the proudest achievements and high points of her dance career is making the semi-finals in the Red Bull BC One UK Cypher 2020 and being the first breaker from Bradford to qualify and make it on stage.
How did you get your B-Girl name?
Labyrinth: "My breaking style is within my name. I like complexity with my movements and just putting things together like a puzzle. My favourite move, and the one that's become my signature, would have to be a freeze. I remember doing it for the first time when my style was still developing. It just feels good every time I do it. I got my name 'Labyrinth' from Simba, a member of my crew, Clean North, because of how I incorporate threads into my movements.
What's been your greatest personal challenge to overcome?
Labyrinth: "I think the biggest challenge has been the mental side of things. It has been about believing in myself and just having the confidence in my breaking. At this point, I know what to expect with the physicality of things. Injuries are brutal for sure, and they're part of the territory, but it's having the right mentality to get through it that is key. Understanding the mental side to this dance has been a game-changer."
"When I competed in the Red Bull BC One UK Cypher, I went in with the mentality of having fun, being with my crew members [Fox and Simba], showing my style and just dancing. It felt amazing!"
I've been training all year for this. I'm gassed!
AJ the Cypher Cat
AJ the Cypher Cat: "The opponents and audience can expect new heat from me"
© Eva Berten
Nineteen-year-old Wolverhampton breaker Aijion Brown – aka AJ The Cypher Cat – is a prolific battler. In fact, his B-Boy name is a reference to his love for it. In 2019, he flexed his skills not only by being selected as a wildcard for his first Red Bull BC One UK Cypher, but by battling in thunderous rounds all the way to the semi-finals.
AJ's education came from his B-Boy father Pablo's DVDs and his dad's cousins – both were keen breakers during the UK's first wave, back in the '80s. The breaking scene in Wolverhampton is made up of AJ and a couple of others. As a way of paying his respects and elevating the community, AJ offers free breaking classes during the school summer holidays.
What's the most critical tactic or skill to win a battle?
AJ: "If you're going to train, you should always train to win everything. Don't set your goals too low like, 'I just want to be better than my friend,' because there are already hundreds of B-Boys who are already better than him! Have a target in your head to hit and make it HIGH! My goal is to beat the best B-Boys out there like Sunni and Spin because then I'll know I'm at a world-class level."
"As soon as I won my first battle, aged eight, I told my dad that I'd compete at Red Bull BC One one day. In 2019 I made it to the semi-finals in the UK Cypher, but now in 2021, I don't only want to make it to the world finals, but I want to make it to the multiple Red Bull BC Ones and take home multiple titles."
How has your breaking evolved since the last Red Bull BC One UK Cypher, and what can we expect from you at the 2021 event?
AJ: "I train even harder because I'm in two generations; I'm in Sunni's generation as the youngest, and there's also a whole generation under me, trying to take me out. I've been training all year for this. I'm gassed! In terms of my breaking, what I can say is that I've been busy perfecting it. The opponents and audience can expect new heat from me at this Red Bull BC One UK Cypher. My style is raw and full of musicality, and I'll make everyone feel the beat. I'm bringing all the smoke this year! Let's go!"