Breaking
Character and creativity: how B-Boy Amir developed his own unique style
B-Boy Amir is known for being one of the scene's most unpredictable and artistic breakers. We spoke to the Red Bull BC One champion to discover how he developed his style.
When B-Boy Amir steps onto the dance floor one thing that truly stands out about the breaker from Kazakhstan is his unpredictable and unique style. The Red Bull BC One champion has the ability to blend unorthodox movements to create an artistic flow that's all his own. He also expresses everything he does with undeniable musicality.
Amir embodies one of the most fundamental values in breaking, which is being known for creating your very own style.
Having a unique style is essential for lasting success as a breaker
© Victor Magdeyev / Red Bull Content Pool
Finding his flow
Having started breaking when he was 12, Amir admits that he didn’t initially think about creating something unique. But as he began to train he naturally developed a unique style that has continued to develop. “I don’t know when I found my style. It wasn't noticeable to me. But people say that I have grown a lot in the last three years.”
The evidence of Amir’s growth can be seen in the success of his breaking career as he went from being a relative unknown to winning world championships in the space of just two years.
In fact, it was only two years ago that the worldwide breaking scene first saw Amir display his unpredictable style when he came out of nowhere to win the Legits Blast Prague 2020. His performance that night had the whole scene talking and sharing his battle clips. Amir instantly created a buzz as an unknown breaker with a crazy style unlike anything people had seen before.
One year later, Amir triumphed at Unbreakable in Belgium and then became the Red Bull BC One World Champion in Poland. He won both of these titles with a more evolved version of his unorthodox style – proving that he was still constantly developing and improving.
9 min
B-Boys final battle: Amir vs Phil Wizard
Watch B-Boys Amir and Phil Wizard go into final battle to win the Red Bull BC One crown for 2021.
Amir’s inspirations
When it comes to influences, Amir admits that he is often inspired by his fellow crew members as well as in his artistic pursuits. “If we talk about people, I am inspired by my three teams. Predatorz crew, Podval crew and my wife and dog. There are also many friends who’ve surrounded me and given me something.”
Outside of his friends and family, Amir finds inspiration in his work as a filmmaker, animator, performer and all-around artist. He captures and expresses movement not just with his body in dance, but also through visual storytelling. All of this feeds into his style of breaking.
“I am inspired by music and everything visual; cinema, photography, paintings, architecture, nature, etc. I like to watch and listen."
The creative process
In order to develop a unique style, Amir has some tips. He says: “A breaker must have high demands on themselves and be moderately self-critical. They also must love breaking for the creative process itself – not for battles and victories – and dedicate their lives to the art form.”
This mindset has led Amir to be a perfectionist in his craft, and he works to make everything he does in his dance interesting. No matter how long it takes, he's always searching to find something beyond the usual.
“When I’m creating movements, I search very deeply. I will not stop at the usual movement but I will search until I find something special. It's like this with every step and every little detail. I put excessive demands on myself. To calm down, I need to work hard and search for a very long time.”
This demanding process helps Amir satisfy his desire to always be artistic and unpredictable. “It is important to me that my dance is creative, aesthetic and unexpected,” he explains. “For me, breaking is an art form and I want it to look like a painting.”
5 min
Red Bull BC One Top 8: Zoopreme vs. Amir
Se battlen til Red Bull BC One mellem danske Zoopreme og Amir fra Kazakhstan.
Advice to other breakers
Amir chooses to communicate his art to the world through his unique breaking style. It reflects who he is as a person, which is very important to him. “Breaking reflects your character and personality. If your personality is interesting, your breaking will also be interesting.”
To nurture and grow as a breaker, Amir advises: “Develop yourself in a versatile way, whether it is reading books, watching movies or becoming involved in the arts. Practising any kind of art will definitely help with your breaking.”
A continuous journey
Amir’s accomplishments show that his style has become appreciated around the world. However, that does not mean that he will stop evolving and endlessly developing.
“I want to change all the time, I don't want to stop. The style that I see in my head, I haven't reached yet," he says. "I'm just at the beginning of my journey.”
Using dance as a form of self-expression, Amir cannot see a moment where he no longer wants to be involved in breaking. “For me, breaking is art and I don’t want to live without art.”