Urban dance festival breaks down barriers
A dancer displays his skills to a crowd at one of the previous festivals on campus.
The largest international break dancing event in the Midwest, “Breakin’ The Law: International Festival of Urban Movement,” will be held in Madison from Wednesday, April 30 through Sunday, May 4.
The event is an international urban movement festival organized through BTL Glocal in association with the Madtown Breakers and King’s Eye View Productions. The event features international dance competitions in breaking, popping and AllStyles categories.
In addition, the festival will include exhibitions, workshops, panel discussions and a “Physics of Breakin’ Youth Saturday Science Day.” The goal of the event is to cultivate local-to-global community networks through hip-hop culture. All events are open and free to the public.
The festival will be spread out across downtown Madison. The Madtown Breakers will hold a “Breakin’ 101” workshop at the Union South Northwoods Room on Wednesday, April 30. All levels of experience are welcome to learn the basics of breaking.
In the evenings on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3 “Breakin’ The Law: 11 Year Anniversary,” an international dance competition, will be held at The Sett in Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St.
During the day on Saturday, May 3, at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, 330 N. Orchard St., an “Elite 8 Youth Battle” and “Physics of Breakin’ Youth Saturday Science Day” will be followed by master class workshops with world-renowned dancers featuring breaking, popping, house and various other urban styles.
For detailed information on the festival and its schedule, click here.
“Breakin’ The Law” has gained international attention by community building through hip-hop culture in the U.S., China, Macau, Nicaragua, Panama, Cambodia, the Phillippines, Bulgaria and other nations. The festival was also featured in the documentary “Break Borders 2” at the Hong Kong Film Festival.
The event organizers hope to expand public understanding of hip-hop culture as a powerful source for social change and exchange.
Co-directors Katrina Flores and Jarius King say the festival aims to highlight and amplify the power that hip-hop culture has for bringing people together. King was one of the 2014 winners of a Distiguished Alumni Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association.
The festival is co-sponsored by the Associated Students of Madison, Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Music Committee, WUD Late-Night Grant, a Wisconsin Experience Grant, the Willy Street Co-op and Red Bull.
