City dancer wins hip hop event

Bengaluru-based Johanna Rodrigues won the fifth edition of Red Bull BC One Cypher India. She is now preparing for the finals in November

Bengaluru-based Johanna Rodrigues, who goes by the stage name B-Girl Jo, won the fifth edition of Red Bull BC One Cypher India 2019, earlier this year. A tight competition against Flowraw at the finals earned Jo a spot at the World Finals, which is to take place in Mumbai on November 9.

She is the first-ever Indian B-girl to have gotten this far. “There are very few platforms in India for breaking. It is a great opportunity for everyone, especially the girls,” she says, when asked about her experience at the tournament.

The Red Bull BC One is an annual international breaking competition organised by the energy drink company, Red Bull. The knockout tournament features 16 B-boys and B-girls fighting for a place at the top. “This is not my first time competing. I participated in the mixed category the previous years. In 2017, I got through the first round. This year, I was determined to make it to the top 16. I came to know that there would be a separate B-girl category much later,” shares Rodrigues.

“There were maybe four or five girls when I started out, but the B-girl community in India is now about 30-40 members strong,” shares Rodrigues. “The men have been very welcoming. Luckily, I have been around b-boys who have been open and supportive. Over the last few years, they have been making space for us.” However, it has been easy. “There are very few women doing what I do. People don’t necessarily understand me. I remind myself that only if I keep on going, will I be able to help people open their minds.”

The 22-year-old started breaking almost five years ago. However, she found her love for yoga at a young age of 12. Over the years she found a way to bring the two things she is passionate about together and started a studio, Break Brahma.

“Yoga helps with any kind of movement. It helps you stay focused. I am doing a lot of yoga on the days leading up to the competition. The studio’s main initiative is to popularise Indian hip-hop. It also helps create a spirit of community, which is really important.”