Hong Kong breakdancers aim to move and spin city’s scene to a global stage, Asian Games

“I just want people to know Hong Kong has its own B-boys and B-girls.”

Contrary to negative stereotypes about the sport, Sze noted that it could be a lifeline for some Hong Kong youth.

“Street dance didn’t lead us astray,” he said. “Breaking gave us focus; it kept us grounded.”

He added: “It channelled our energy into something positive – a sport, a dance, a way to grow. It taught us discipline and life lessons we’d never have learned otherwise.”

For Lai, a 24-year-old B-boy who started breaking at 11, the sport is more than just a performance.

“Breaking also represents my existence; it’s become a defining part of who I am,” he said.

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With intricate footwork, power moves and head spins, more than 100 breakdancers from 20 countries came together for a showdown at Hong Kong’s largest breakdancing event earlier this month.

Organised by Hong Kong-based UTLR852 Breaking Club, the competition featured judges such as Olympic gold medallist Philip Kim, also known as Phil Wizard, as well as Rie Fukushima, Team Japan’s head coach for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Under the Lion’s Rock [UTLR] captures the essence of the breaking scene, highlighting its artistic and cultural side, unlike other events,” said Kim, 28.

The competition, “UTLR2025: The Comeback Kidz”, offered a platform for B-boys and B-girls from around the world to connect and battle, while elevating Hong Kong’s breaking scene to an international level.

Sze noted that the event provided a valuable chance for local breakers to learn from international dancers – without competitions like this one, Hong Kong’s breaking community could feel isolated.

“Sometimes we only see other B-boys and B-girls from different places on YouTube,” he said. “Many of these international dancers – some of them world champions – are on another level. We can absorb so much from them.”

The Paris Games marked the debut of breaking at the Olympics. With its origins in New York’s African-American and Latino-American communities in the 1970s, this competitive dance form has come a long way.

Lai noted how public perception of breaking had changed since the sport had earned global recognition.

“People used to think breakers were troublemakers,” he said. “Now, people see breakers differently, recognising them as teachers and Olympic athletes. There’s more attention, support and respect for what we do.”

Lai said he stumbled upon breaking in junior secondary school. He was playing hide-and-seek in a park in Tuen Mun when he spotted a group of teenagers spinning on their heads.

“Everyone has their own style, and the way you dance says, ‘This is me.’ That’s what makes it so challenging – and why I’m still passionate about it,” he said.

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Sze first got into breaking thanks to an online dance battle game called Audition Online.

“I saw these cartoon characters spinning so impressively, and I thought, ‘There’s no way real people can do that,’” he recalled.

Then, he came across Lollipop, a famous Taiwanese boy band which had breakdancers.

“Seeing them spin just as amazingly made me realise it was possible, and that’s what sparked my interest,” he said.

“We use different parts of our bodies to create movements – things you’d never do in everyday life,” he said, adding, “Creating new moves ... that creativity is what’s kept me breaking ever since.”

Jessica Siu Yue-pui, the organiser and founder of Under the Lion’s Rock, is dedicated to uplifting Hong Kong’s breaking scene. She is also one of six female breakers vying to represent the city at the coming Asian Games.

From a young age, Siu faced a chronic illness, and doctors warned that it could leave her paralysed from the waist down.

“I love breaking, but I feared losing my ability to walk,” she recalled. “I wanted to find another way to contribute to the scene.”

Thus, Under the Lion’s Rock is Siu’s way of giving back to the local breaking scene and helping it thrive. She is also a former vice-president of the Hong Kong DanceSport Association’s breaking division and has organised competitions worldwide.

She acknowledged the limits many aspiring breakers face in the city but said she hoped the public could show more support for this form of culture.

“I hope one day B-boys and B-girls can pursue breaking as full-time dancers,” she said.

“I also want Hongkongers to better understand this culture – it’s helped me grow as a person.”

• Stop and think: What negative ideas might the public have about breakdancing? How are these changing?

• Why this story matters: Amid Hong Kong’s recent Olympic wins in fencing and swimming, other local athletes – such as breakdancers – hope to show their abilities on a global stage while inspiring youth to see the transformative power of these sports.