Dominican dancers David Durand and Ghandi Robin traveled to Martinique last week to take part in the “Arguments Hip-Hop Week” hosted by the Afro-Caribbean Breaking Federation. Advanced dancers from multiple countries in the Caribbean and Africa were invited to participate in workshops, masterclasses, events, and competitions. As Breaking has recently been announced as an Olympic sport to be included in the 2024 Games, the events hosted by the Afro-Caribbean Breaking Federation serve as qualifiers for the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
Some of the workshops included “Bélé and Hip-Hop: When Traditional Culture Meets Hip-Hop”, exchanges on training methodology, and visual arts exhibitions.
The dancers represented Dominica well in the Championships. Robin, who teaches hip-hop dance locally with the Dominica Institute for the Arts, battled Bboy W from Guadeloupe and Bboy Dizzy from Suriname. Durand battled Bboy Boyka from Cameroon and made it into the semi-finals where he battled Bboy Madak from Martinique, who went on to win the Inter-Caribbean Championship. The dancers have been invited to compete in subsequent battles.
Breaking is an athletic art form that was developed in the Bronx, New York in the 1980s alongside the other elements of hip-hop culture, like rap, graffiti, and fashion. Being both a professional dance style and Olympic sport, Breaking requires a high degree of fitness and creativity to perform, along with significant self-discipline to maintain the necessary training regimen.
If you’d like to learn more about the art form or follow the activities of local dancers, please follow the Dominica Breaking Association’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DominicaBreakingAssociation