On June 30, 2013, a lively crowd kept the energy up all evening at the Red Bull BC One Cypher Orlando at Full Sail Live, the university’s state-of-the-art performance venue located on the campus of Full Sail University.
Terry and I got in as press to cover the event. We staked out a spot sitting at a corner of the Masonite mat on the floor.
Red Bull BC One is the only event of its kind. Sixteen B-Boys are paired
into eight, one-on-one battles and are then judged by three B-Boy
veterans. From those eight battles, the winners go on to face each other
in four new battles, and so forth, until it comes down to two
finalists.
The Red Bull BC One Cypher Orlando is one of 50 local qualification
events that are being hosted in the U.S. and around the globe. Even before the competition began, people gathered in groups performing incredible dance moves, at times spinning on their heads. The competition was fierce with plenty of mocking street swagger. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I must say, it was a blast. It was very much like gladiators facing off and the crowd stoked the energy levels.
It was of course a major battle to try and sketch dancers as they went through gravity defying moves.
MC Supernatural kept the crowd fired up. He gave a rap performance where he had everyone hold up items which he would grab in turn and work into the rap. He said he’s been doing this fast paced rap act since 1980. Beads of sweat dripped from MC’s brow as the rap flowed and the crowd cheered and laughed. Fists and peace signs waved in the air as everyone bobbed to the beat. At one point a white guy held up a credit card and MC Supernatural snapped it up, I don’t recall the rhyme, but he said, “This is the only place where you’d see a white guy hand his credit card to a black guy!” He gave the credit card back and moved on to the next item as everyone laughed and whooped.