How to Participate in a Breakdancing Battle

The breakdancing battle has been a big part of breakdancing since its beginnings in the South Bronx of New York City in the 1970s. Basically, a breakdance battle is the challenge of putting one person's breakdancing skills up against another person's skills. Breakdancing crews may take each other on in battles and in some cities, breakdancing competitions pit many crews against each other to determine who is the best.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Mad breakdancing skills

Practice Your Breakdancing Skills

1. Add your own style and moves to the basics. You need to be able to express yourself through your dancing.
2. Watch yourself dance in a mirror to see how well you are dancing. You can even videotape yourself to review your skills.
3. Practice battles with your friends to get ready to take on other crews. You will need to be able to have fun and make fun of the other people during practice.
4. Mimic your friend as you practice, but add a funny (and sloppy) rendition of your friend's move to show her moves as being weak.
5. Watch several breakdancing battles before attempting one yourself. You need to see the techniques and moves various breakdancers use in battles.

Participate in a Breakdancing Battle

6. Determine what kind of breakdancing battle you are going to participate in. Decide if you want a battle focused solely on skills or a battle teasing and playing off of another breakdancer.
7. Sign up for a formal breakdancing battle competition by filling out the necessary forms and paying any entrance fees due.
8. Warm up before a competition by stretching, practicing your basic moves and practicing difficult moves without giving your dance away.
9. Call out another breakdancer to participate in an informal one on one breakdance battle.
10. Talk smack and back it up with smooth moves you have learned from many hours of practice.
11. Play to the crowd so they can participate in the breakdance battle. The crowd will determine the winner. If you play to crowd and against your opponent, you will improve your chances of winning.

Tips & Warnings

• Have fun during every breakdancing battle. If you are having fun, it will show to everyone watching the battle.
• When you lose a battle, think about what your opponent did that was better and how you can improve.
• Don't lose your temper if you are losing because you will lose focus and dance worse.