If you are into b-boying, it’s time to meet the best in the business. Arif Chaudhary, a.k.a. Flying Machine, billed as the country’s topmost b-boy, will be in the city on December 23 to lead a breaking (b-boying) workshop and judge a b-boying contest.
Arif, who has been travelling across India and holding workshops on the dance, says, “I want to take b-boying to more people through my classes. People have a lot of misconceptions about the style.” A native of Mumbai, the 21-year-old says it was a struggle for him to win his identity as a b-boy. “There was no support from my family and I had to practise on the streets for want of a dance floor. But I somehow managed on my own,” says Arif.
Things changed for the better when he won the first edition of Red Bull BC One India Cypher, the Indian edition of an annual b-boying contest organised by Red Bull, in 2015. He was the winner in 2017 and 2018 as well. He travelled to Zurich for the Red Bull BC One World Finals in September this year.
Arif Chaudhary a.k.a Flying Machine
“Now, I am Red Bull’s official dancer. I do shoots and shows with my crew, Beastmode Crew. Red Bull has arranged for a dance studio and health insurance. They also take me to international dance contests so that I get more exposure and experience. Recently, I won a championship in Austria. Most importantly, I can now give a share of my earnings to my family. They are now very proud of me,” he says.
Mastering the moves
The dance style, which involves fast acrobatic moves, is not easy to master and has many risks as well, says Arif, a huge fan of b-boys Lilou and Hong 10. “When I first saw a b-boying video, I felt that it was quite cool! I think b-boying has made me strong. It has helped me overcome several obstacles in my life. You can’t achieve what you want unless you are willing to take risks. When you get your moves correctly, you are so pleased with yourself that you forget your fear!” he says.
The workshop has been organised by city-based b-boying dance crew, DR Crew. “We have a One-on-One breaking battle that has contestants from across India. Nearly 150 b-boys are expected to register,” says Nita Balakrishnan, manager of the crew.
The event is at Vyloppilly Samskriti Bhavan. The workshop is from 10 am to 1 pm. Fee is ₹750 per head (for a group of five), ₹700 per head (for a group of 10) and ₹1,000 per head.
Registration fee for the contest is ₹500. It is free for participants of the workshop. Top two contestants will get cash prizes. Contact: 8943012506, 9846699042
