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Back with a bang: B-Girl Bar-B’s road to Red Bull BC One World Final Tokyo
After two years of near misses, Bar-B stormed back to claim the Red Bull BC One Cypher India B-Girl title and has now set her sights on global glory.
B-Girl Bar-B reclaimed her crown at Red Bull BC One Cypher India in 2025.
The trailblazing breaker, who first stunned the Indian scene in 2022, is now set to represent the country at Red Bull BC One World Final once again, this time in Tokyo.
Here she speaks about her big dreams and more.
B-Girl Bar-B celebrates winning Red Bull BC One Cypher India 2025
© Focus Sports
You won this competition in 2022, and after losing for two years, you are champion once again. How do you feel about it?
It’s always been my dream to win Red Bull BC One since I started breaking. When I won the national final in 2022, it was like a dream come true! In 2023 and 2024, I was one step away from victory and representing India internationally, but narrowly missed out.
Red Bull BC One is a huge platform that provides an opportunity to showcase yourself on an international stage, and I just wanted to seize that chance. I was just 18 years old when I got that opportunity for the first time in 2022, and it was just the beginning of my career, so I wasn’t as experienced or prepared. After travelling to New York, the jet lag hit me really hard, and I failed to give my 100 per cent.
After that, I had promised myself that the next time I win the national final, I’ll win the world finals. But I missed the national final wins in both 2023 and 2024. Now, I’ve finally got another chance to go for the world final title because I won the India finals in 2025. So I’m really happy and looking forward to it.
What did it take for you to win this time? Was it the training or a different approach?
I think when I lost in 2023 and 2024, I was mentally prepared but my stamina was not up to the mark. After the first round, I could feel my legs weaken and I suspected that my diet wasn’t right. There were three rounds in the final battle and I could feel that I had the stamina for two rounds but not the third. Even though I believed in my breaking style and had pushed myself as much as possible, I was exhausted. That’s when I realized that I need to focus on my diet. That’s what I worked on for 2025, and I saw the result in my victory.
B-Girl Bar-B at Red Bull BC One Cypher India 2025
© Focus Sports
You've been training with B-Boy Soulsonic, a first-generation Indian breaker. What impact has it had on you?
I first trained under Ashok, who dedicatedly taught me for four-five years. I would leave school and go straight to practice; I would practice till 1 am almost everyday. But eventually our schedules were out of sync; he would be busy so I trained alone for a while. That’s when Sonic started teaching me. In 2023, Sonic had taken us to Japan as Indian representatives at an Olympics qualifier. That trip was like an icebreaker between Sonic and me. Since then, he’s helped me prepare in many ways. He offered insights into his life, sharing experiences and knowledge, and guided me because he saw the potential for me to reach international finals.
You beat B-Girl Glib to become Red Bull BC One Cypher India B-Girl Champion 2025. What kind of equation do you share with her?
We share different equations on and off stage. When we’re on stage, we both are determined to win. But off-stage, we are good friends and are very sweet to each other.
Who was the toughest B-Girl you faced on the way to becoming champion?
I really don’t think in terms of who is the toughest competition when I battle; I just give my best. I don’t think about my opponent; I just follow my strategy. There’s just one focus in my life right now — to be the best breaker not only in India but also internationally.
B-Girl Bar-B at Red Bull BC One Cypher India 2025
© Focus Sports
Do you think the Indian B-Girls’ scene has improved overall?
Of course! There were hardly any B-Girls in India a few years ago, but now there are so many of us. It’s a big thing. As a kid, I’d battle B-Boys. With time, even girls started participating and we got dedicated B-Girl categories in most competitions. The B-Girls community is expanding fast in India, and we want to level up to the international scale.
You started breaking very young. Is street culture still popular among younger people?
I think it has grown and is a lot more competitive now. Breaking has reached bigger platforms and there are jams happening across cities every other day.
What is the ultimate target for your career?
It is difficult to survive with just breaking as a career. You can’t sustain a regular income flow. I had initially wanted to complete my medical studies, but it would be difficult to manage both breaking and medical, so I pursued Botany and graduated this year. I’m looking for jobs in the sector to support my international battles and more.
