Red Bull BC One U.S. Qualifier at the Aragon | Photo gallery

Photos by Max Herman

Red Bull BC One U.S. Qualifier | Slideshow

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The Red Bull BC One U.S. Qualifier

A sizeable line along Lawrence Avenue filed into a very toasty Aragon Ballroom on July 23, for the North American preliminaries of the BC One breaking competition this November in Moscow, Russia. Qualifiers in Barcelona and Istanbul were held earlier this month; Salvador da Bahia, Brazil and Taipei, Taiwan host the remaining semifinals on July 30.

Sixteen B-boys battled while Skeme Richards deejayed, bracketing out until El Niño (Boston) and Vicious Victor (Orlando) went toe-to-toe. Anticipating any of the eliminations was difficult, especially among the top eight, who repeatedly yanked gasps of disbelief from the crowd. El Niño emerged victorious, as he did with Dutch dancer Hurricane Ray the weekend before, at the World Bboy Classic in Rotterdam, Holland. Exhibition performances included a killer turn by Chicago crew FootworKINGz.

The judges seemed to reward fearlessness and pure skill over creativity and personality. El Niño was undoubtedly polished, and one of the most effortlessly powerful human bodies I’ve ever seen in motion, but Vic had the edge as a performer. (He’s also just 17 years old.) Toyz aRe Us, from Washington, D.C., was a crowd favorite, with hands-down the most wit and surprise to his routines. Brickheadz crew member Evol did fine work representing Chicago on the stage.

Before the show began, which included appearances by Crazy Legs from the Rock Steady Crew, at least 30 B-boys and B-girls showed off in multiple dance circles around the venue. It was an impressively staged and often unbelievable night of great dancing.