But at Universal Breakin’s Battlezone Championship, it’s not just about the hip-hop “look” – as Ivan “URBAN ACTION FIGURE” Manriquez points out. “Anybody can go to Ross or Wal-Mart and come out looking ‘hip-hop,’ you know what I’m saying, but for those who thought hip-hop was only a dress code, it’s not only that. It’s individuality. It’s who you are, what you’re about. It’s how you urbanize yourself.”

And Ivan should know – he’s been on the scene since the early days and is highly respected by both new and veteran b-boys and b-girls alike. “You ask anybody, in any country, or any state, who is the monster b-boy of the world, and they will say, this crazy guy right here,” says Honey Rockwell, pointing to Ivan. Originally from Mexico, but raised in California, Ivan comes from the movement Universoul B-Boyz, which is not a crew, but a movement of artists based on the West Coast, that incorporates all the urban arts – from writing, to coordinating, to dance, to music.

Today, it is precisely that fusion of individual style and art that characterizes underground hip-hop. It is about constantly re-interpreting the original forms that make up the core of hip-hop culture—known to practicioners as the four elements of hip-hop: b-boying, grafitti, emceeing, and DJ-ing.

The hip-hop element that is the focal point of a battle is, of course, b-boying – most commonly known as “breakdancing” to those outside the fold. But the other three elements are closely linked – without the DJ’s beats, there’s no breaking; while grafitti (which you’ll most likely see at a battle in the form of a t-shirt graphic) both literally and metaphorically marks a b-boy crew’s physical presence and identity.

Upon entering the L. Pac gymnasium, it felt a little like going to a high school pep rally or sports event, except that there was a DJ scratching on turntables on a stage while groups of teenagers gathered in to watch and cheer on the b-boy crews and individual dancers. The b-boy and b-girl scene today is clearly a youthful movement. With its complicated spins, acrobatics and the incredible strength needed to pull off certain moves, this makes sense.

“Average age competing in the mix, about 17. Maybe 17 and on,” says Honey Rockwell, a b-girl innovator since ’93 and one of the first female dancers to gain widespread attention in the b-boying community. The core female member of the infamous Rock Steady Crew, she’s also currently involved with a new magazine for the b-boy and b-girl community, called Break’n Grounds.

Contrary to popular belief, B-boying did not disappear after the ‘80s, the period that most people associate it with. At that time, breakdancing reached its peak in the mainstream consciousness, when b-boys could be found performing on television specials left and right, and it was likely that even your cousin had a piece of cardboard out on the driveway to practice spinning. But since then, breakdancing culture has continued to exist and has been consistently evolving since it’s birth—b-boy historians cite James Brown’s 1969 song “Get on the Good Foot” as the origin.

“It’s evolved to a whole different level now. When we first started, it was a whole different scene. It was new, it was fresh, it was growing. I already knew at that point in time that it was going to be something that was going to continue to evolve,” says Jerry “J7 aka Kamikaze” Castillo, a legendary “popper.” He currently teaches a new generation of b-boys in a New Jersey studio, twice a week.

Popping, also known as “boogie” or “Electric Boogaloo,” and is characterized by its fluid movement from limbs and joints, has produced what are perhaps some of the most famous b-boy moves, such as the Robot, the Snake and the Egyptian. But in a popping battle, it takes more than just mastery of the standard moves to impress your opponent, or a judge, according to Jerry. “You got to take the right move and then bring it to the next level and connect it with another move. It takes a lot of creativity,” he says.

“Locking,” another b-boy dance form, was on display at the L. Pac Center. In this competition, both male and female lockers competed against one another. Locking can be best described as a dancer falling in and out of poses, i.e. “locking” and then collapsing, kind of like a rag doll.

With movements focused primarily on the arms, it’s also heavy on facial expressions, personal style, and improvisation to the beats. “You learn it from the people who make it up, and then you get a lot of interpretations,” says Bam Bam. He has been locking since ’82, when he first caught a glimpse of this b-boy dance form while watching The Lockers perform on “What’s Happening,” and then started imitating the Robot.

For Bam Bam, the music is one of the most crucial parts of breaking. “The music takes you there. The music is gonna take you somewhere. Everybody has a direction. It’s like we’re all doing something, right, we’re popping like we’re writing sentences on the blackboard. What’s makes us different is our handwriting. How we see it, how we write it,” he explains, echoing Jerry’s thoughts about the importance of personal interpretation and style in b-boy culture.

While a competitive atmosphere was definitely present at the battle, so was a spirit of support. During the 3-on-3 breaking competition, crew members shook hands with their opponents or gave a friendly pat on the back almost immediately after a round ended. Positive messages abounded, emphasized frequently by the MC’s. “It’s not about who wins or loses,” says Speedy, Battlezone Championship event organizer, when results were announced after particularly controversial final round in the popping competition.

It was also a very diverse gathering of people – all ages and races were participating in and watching the competitions. There were even some crew members from Utah at this competition, seemingly the furthest place from South Bronx b-boy culture. Tanner, from Orem, Utah, competed in the final round with the Dynamic Gorillaz. In this world, it’s not about where a dancer is from, but rather, what a dancer pushes themselves to do and innovate. “It doesn’t matter what color or race, if you have skills, you can be in my crew. It’s so organic like this, it’s a collective of life,” says URBAN ACTION FIGURE.

Noel Rodriguez, a finalist in the Battlezone locking competition, is a member of choreographer Violeta Galagarza’s dance company, KR3T’s (Keep Rising to the Top Inc). Founded by Galagarza in 1989, the company is a non-profit organization that supports at-risk youth by providing them with the positive outlet of dance. Says Galagarza, “Big, young, old, and I wanted to let them know that anyone can do it. We don’t discriminate in our company, we allow anyone to join. We continue to seek those that are in need, those looking for a love, or to be wanted…the talent comes from within.”

With the upcoming Hollywood breakdancing movie, “You Got Served,” starring members of R+B group B2K, about to hit theaters in January, b-boying no doubt will take center stage once again. However, don’t mistakenly call it a breakdancing “revival.” Far from a new “craze” or fad sweeping urban/suburban America, it’s been going strong in communities since it first started in the early ‘70s.

As Ivan ‘URBAN ACTION FIGURE,’ reminds, “Phenomenon, or whatever they call it, it’s not that. It’s an art. It’s still twenty or thirty years in the making, and linked back into every other art before that, even back to other islands and countries. That’s why you see certain similarities in other dances…It’s soulful, it’s spiritual, it’s physical, it’s intense, it’s…fill in the blank.”

For more information about upcoming events: – www.urbanaction.us - website for Ivan “URBAN ACTION FIGURE” – www.breakngrounds.com - new magazine devoted to b-boy and b-girl culture, supported by Honey Rockwell. – www.universalbreakin.com - b-boy Speedy’s website, host of the Battlezone Competition – www.kr3ts.com - website for choreographer Violeta Galagarza’s dance studio Keep Rising to the Top.