‘Hong Kong has its own B-boys and B-girls’: what local breakdancers want people to know

Sze, who is known as B-boy Sosze, has been breaking for nearly 18 years. He is one of six male breakers on the Hong Kong team hoping for a spot in the 2026 Asian Games.

He said that the sport 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 ... It taught us discipline and life lessons we’d never have learned otherwise.”

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Early this month, more than 100 breakers from 20 countries came to Hong Kong’s largest breakdancing competition.

“UTLR2025: The Comeback Kidz” was organised by UTLR852 Breaking Club, which is based in Hong Kong. The competition’s judges included Olympic gold medalist Philip Kim, also known as Phil Wizard, and Narumi, Team Japan’s head coach for the Paris Olympics.

“Under The Lion’s Rock [UTLR] captures the essence of the breaking scene, highlighting its artistic and cultural side,” said Kim, the 28-year-old star breaker.

The event was a place for B-boys and B-girls from around the world to connect and battle.

The competition was a valuable chance for local breakers to learn from international dancers. Without events like this, Hong Kong’s breaking community could feel isolated, Sze said.

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

The 2024 Paris Games was the first time that breaking was an official Olympic event. This competitive dance sport combines artistry, rhythm and acrobatic moves. It began in the US city of New York in the 1970s. Now, breaking has come a long way.

“With the Olympics and more TV exposure, more people understand breaking now, and more kids are getting into it,” said B-boy Lai Tsz-kin. “There’s more attention, support and respect for what we do.”

Also known as B-boy Child Kin, Lai is a 24-year-old who started breaking at 11. He learned about the sport by accident when he saw a group of teens spinning on their heads on a basketball court.

“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,” Lai said.

Sze started 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 added: “Creating new moves ... is what’s kept me breaking ever since.”

• Reflect: What type of dance do you admire, and why?

• Why this story matters: Hong Kong breakdancers want to show that this sport can give youth a positive outlet. They are creating events for the city’s B-boys and B-girls to learn from international breakdancers. This helps them improve and grow the city’s local talent.