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format 16 x 21 cm, 156 pages
ca. 550 four-color photographs and
illustrations paperback with flaps
english original version
ISBN 978-3-937946-17-7
Price: 25,99 EUR
www.bgirlz.com |
In
1985, B-Boys were all the rage but where were the girls? Fast-forward
twenty years for the answer: We B*Girlz, a lively look at the hot and
happenin world of B-Girlz of the twenty-first century as documented
by photographer Martha Cooper and writer Nika Kramer. Breaking is back
with a new twist as today's stylish fly girls can battle the best of
them.
We B*Girlz, the first handbook for accomplished or aspiring B-Girlz
and the boys who love them, showcases the dynamic style and nonstop
energy of B-Girlz in action, in practice, on stage, and at home. Providing
inspiring insight into a previously little-known subculture that has
swept the world, We B*Girlz includes chapters like Lady Legendz, Girlz
n' Crewz, Floor Warz, Ride the Beat, We B*Family, Work it!, We B*Stylin'
and practical information in the B*Girl Guide on footwork and gear,
as well as source information on websites, events, competitions, and
classes.
Featuring pioneering B-Girlz like Rokafella from the Bronx, who now
dances professionally, and Asia-One from L.A., who organized and promoted
the B-Boy Summit for ten years, We B*Girlz also showcases the gutsy
girls who dare to dance with all-boy crews such as Vendetta from Atlanta's
Burn Unit and Valentine-whose Paris crew, Fantastik Armada, came in
second in the 2004 Battle of the Year, the largest international competition
in Germany. Presenting girls of all ages and walks of life, We B*Girlz
spotlights twelve-year-old Wonder Woman from France, a serious contender
at last year's IBE; Krazee Grandma, a beloved sixty-five-year-old B-Girl
from Sweden who still spins on her head and travels around Europe to
dance competitions; B-Girl Mom Honey Rockwell, whose three-year-old
daughter is known as "The Annialator"; and B-Girl & Boy
couple Chyna and Sake who organize an annual couple's battle called
"Lover's Rock" in San Diego.
The introduction Herstory was written by Ana Rokafella Garcia, a Spanish
Harlem–born Hip Hop dancer and choreographer who has danced with
crews such as The Transformers and The Breeze Team before joining the
Hip Hop dance company GhettOriginal. Rokafella has appeared in music
videos such as Fabolous’ "Youngin’"; is the
cofounder of Full Circle Productions, a Hip Hop artist collective; and
appeared in Soular Power’d, a Hip Hop theater show she co-directed
with her husband, B-Boy Kwikstep. Rokafella has done work for artists
like Will Smith, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Tito Puente, among
others. She lives in New Jersey
Cooper
and Kramer first began documenting this new breed of B-Girlz in a breakdance
competition in Germany in 2004. Following the dancers to the biggest
battles - including Mighty4 in San Francisco, the Spinfactor Finals
in Rhode Island, Breaklanta in Atlanta, IBE in the Netherlands, and
the International Battle of the Year in Germany-they photographed and
interviewed B-Girlz representing everywhere from South Africa to New
Zealand, from New York to California, and from Japan to Germany. Culminating
in the first annual We B*Girlz competition at veteran B-Boy Ken Swift's
studio in Brooklyn, Cooper and Kramer's work will introduce a new generation
to the art of B-Girling.
"Women
have always been right there on the front lines in Hip Hop, adding our
flavor to what the men are doing and making it our own. B-girlz have been
holding it down from jump. It's good to see them finally getting the recognition
they deserve with We B*Girlz."
MISSY ELLIOTT

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