KOREAN B-BOYS

Korean Wave (Hallyu) is a phenomenon that kind of started and evolved ever since the FIFA WORLD CUP of 2002 took place here. Korean music, dances, dramas, movies have made vibes across the globe and have captured the hearts and minds of people around the world. Korean entertainment industry is riding high on the Korean Wave and with its numerous stars big and small, lighter and brighter - in their own right...are seen everywhere.

I believe that the main driver of change comes from within irrespective of what one chose to do and particularly, its melange with passion makes it stand out and so is the case of my very favourite group, they brought change in the dance scene in Korea and inspite of hardships remained passionate and persistent - the Korean B-BOYS!

B-BOYs is an abbreviation of "breakdancing boys" says some whereas others argue that it is the "Beat-Boys" - who dance to the beats! This genre of dance mixes traditional breakdancing with modern hip-hop...and Korean B-Boys ranks among the TOP-5 in the world, have won many contests and championships and you can read about their achievements here.

In its early day, back in the 80s, these guys were stigmatized as trouble makers, problems kids and associated with crimes but this was nothing but a myth.

B-Boy dance scene is now a cultural phenomenon in Korea and comprised of about 3,000 strong - young boys and girls - hailing from high schools and universities. A lot of passion, dedication and rigorous practice is evident from their performances. During an interview of the current American Ambassador to Korea, Kathleen Stephens, mentioned how excited her teenage sons were, when she was posted to Korea, a country they associate with B-Boys.

B-Boys have been a continuous source of entertainment and fun for me over the years. I have a chance to meet a few groups and talk to them....they are EXTRAORDINARY! B-Boys have made many memorable performances but if I have to chose one, my answer would be, the teaming of the B-Boys with Gayagum (traditional Korean Harp) students of Sookmyeong Women's University. Besides this, they have performed with Nantha as well.

B-Boys have not been able to make 'big money' compared to others, the strife and struggle has been long, arduous but has started to bear fruit. Now as the official ambassadors of Korea Tourism, Kookmin Bank and some other projects - they have started to gain the rightful place in Korean entertainment industry. Still, for many, the road to success is a hard one - unable to make a niche for themselves in a hyper competative industry. I hope that universities and colleges specializing in Performing Arts must work on projects, where the talented B-Boys must be given a chance to develop courses, classes for those interested, where they can teach, choreograph and lecture on this form of dance.

More on Planet B-Boys can be read here


Another North-South Korean Planet B-boyz performance is here.

The Jakarta Post on B-Boys.

From Street Dancers to Cultural Icons an article by Korea Times