Terry scored tickets to the Red Bull One North American Final in the Walt Disney Theater in The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The main floor was full, so we ended up in the nose bleed section. I rather liked the view looking down on all the action. Two B-Boy dancers would face off at a time, gesturing and getting in each others faces. Then each dancer would show off his moves. A TV camera sat on a rail rotating around the circular stage to catch all the action and show M on two big screens above the stage. Photographers snapped shots constantly from the front row, and iPhones caught the action from just about every seat in the theater.
Legendary radio host and MTV star Sway hosted the evening. Phife, of A
Tribe Called Quest, entertained with a set of some of his classics. The
crowd was in for a night of surprises, with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
Grandmaster Flash, Hip Hop pioneer DJ Charlie Chase, and legendary NYC
Hip Hop Photographer Joe Conzo all hitting the stage to show support.
The four elements of Hip Hop were alive and thriving in Orlando.
I could hear how each dancer was doing by the audience reactions. The level of athletics and balance was astonishing. I remember local boy Vicious Victor Montalvo from last year’s competition. He always had that extra spark and insane moves that would get the crowd screaming. It came as no surprise the he won round after round and was the ultimate victor for the day. He successfully defends his title in his hometown of Orlando
in front of a 3,000-person crowd at the Dr. Phillips Center for the
Performing Arts, making history as the only B-Boy to win consecutive
titles.
The one-on-one battle format pitted 16 of the best U.S. and Canadian
breakers against each other. Victor pulled out some of the best moves in
his repertoire, including back flip flares, backspin air babies, and his
completely unique style of form spins. “It feels so good to win this year because Orlando really supported
me, more than I ever could have imagined,” Victor said. “They were
screaming for me like crazy, and that got me hyped. I gave it all I had,
and it means so much to me that I won here.” Vicious said. Several months later, Vicious Victor went on to win the World Championship in Rome.