A B-boy or B-girl is a person devoted to hip hop culture, more specifically, bboying/break-dancing. Crazy Legs of Rock Steady Crew explains the origin of the term - “the word b-boy originated from Kool Herc … b-boys and b-girls - break boys, break girls” ^[1]. Although numerous b-boys have suggested that the term refers to the 'breaks' on a record ^[1], Kool Herc says that this is not the case - “b-boy – boys that break, it didn’t come from breaks on the record, it comes from… this man he ‘broke’, he went to a point, a breaking point… we just used that exaggeration of that term to the dancing – the b-boys, break boys” ^[1].

The term "b-boying" is the proper term for what is sometimes referred to as "breakdancing", as the Boston Globe notes:

Lesson one: Don't call it breakdancing. Hip-hop's dance tradition, the kinetic counterpart to the soundscape of rap music and the visuals of graffiti art, is properly known as b-boying.^[2]

The term quickly came to include any followers of hip hop, identifiable by attire, music listening preferences or lifestyle, but in recent years has reverted to its specific usage in connection with dance.

What is popularly known as break-dancing is referred to as “b-boying” and “breaking” by the majority of the art form’s pioneers and most notable practitioners, as well as by many of Hip-Hop’s most prominent figures^[1].

“B-boying” and “breaking” are the terms used throughout QD3 Entertainment’s documentary The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy. KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and DMC of Run-DMC refer to it as “breaking” ^[1], Michael Holman and Fab 5 Freddy refer to it as “b-boying”^[1], and Jo Jo of Rock Steady Crew uses “breaking” and “b-boying” ^[1]. The terms 'b-boys' and 'breakers' are used to describe the actual dancers - B-Boy London of New York City Breakers and Michael Holman refer to “breakers” ^[1], Frosty Freeze of Rock Steady Crew says, “we were known as b-boys” ^[1], Afrika Bambaataa says, “b-boys, what you call break boys… or b-girls, what you call break girls”^[1], and Jo Jo and Mr. Freeze of Rock Steady Crew and Fab 5 Freddy use the term “b-boy”. ^[1]

The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy explains how the term ‘break-dancing’ was a term coined by the media and is not the term used by the actual dancers ^[1] - Crazy Legs of Rock Steady Crew says, “when I first learned about the dance in ’77 it was called b-boying… by the time the media got a hold of it in like ’81, ’82, it became ‘break-dancing’ and I even got caught up calling it break-dancing too” ^[1], and Action of New York City Breakers says, “you know what, that’s our fault kind of… we started dancing and going on tours and all that and people would say, oh you guys are breakdancers - we never corrected them” ^[1]. Jo Jo of Rock Steady Crew adds - “b-boy… that’s what it is, that’s why when the public changed it to ‘break-dancing’ they were just giving a professional name to it, but b-boy was the original name for it and whoever wants to keep it real would keep calling it b-boy” ^[1].

The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy presents two versions of why the ‘b’ stands for ‘break’ ^[1]. The first is that it comes from the ‘breaks’ on the record - Mr. Freeze of Rock Steady Crew says, “the break of the record… ‘b’… break, we are the b-boys” ^[1], and Mr. Wiggles of Rock Steady Crew and Electric Boogaloos says, “the DJs used to cut breaks, and the b-boys would break to what? The breaks. So you know, it’s just common sense” ^[1]. An alternative theory is that it comes from the street slang terms 'break' and 'breaking' – Grand Mixer DXT says, “breaking boys - because people would be breaking at the party, starting trouble… when somebody would get mad - yo he’s breaking, stop breaking man, and when Kool Herc says it, it’s official” ^[1], and DJ Kool Herc himself (billed as ‘The Father Of Hip-Hop’ in the documentary) says, “b-boy – boys that break, it didn’t come from breaks on the record, it comes from… this man he ‘broke’, he went to a point, a breaking point… we just used that exaggeration of that term to the dancing – the b-boys, break boys” ^[1].

There are four basic elements which form the foundation of B-boying. The first is Toprock, a term referring to the upright dancing and shuffles that B-boys do when they enter a circle. The second element is the Downrock or Footwork, refers to dancing performed on the floor. The third element, is known as the Freeze, refers to the poses that B-boys throw into their dance sets to add punctuation to certain beats and end their routines. The fourth and final element of bboying is the Power moves. These are acrobatic moves normally made up of circular motions where the dancer will spin either on the floor, or in the air.

A related dance form which influenced B-boying is Uprocking / Rocking / The Rock Dance, also performed while standing, and a style of dance in which both dancers fabricate ways of beating the opponent using mimed weaponry and embarrassing situations in rhythm with the music ("Burning"). This style involves moves called Yerkes (pron-en| "jerks") which are a set of motions executed to the break of a track and are where most of the battling occurs; outside of the break of a track is where the freestyle element of the dance is executed.

The first B-boy-themed novel, Kid B, was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006. The author, Linden Dalecki, was an amateur B-boy in high school and directed a short documentary film about Texas B-boy culture before writing the novel. The novel was expanded from a B-boy-themed short story The B-Boys of Beaumont, that won the 2004 Austin Chronicle short story contest.

The documentary film "The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy" (2002) [1] provides a comprehensive history of b-boying, its evolution and its place within hip-hop culture and beyond. "Planet B-Boy" (2007) [2] is a documentary that follows crews around the world in their quest for a world championship at Battle of the Year 2005. "BreakBoy" (1985) is a view of the determination of one individual to become one of the best. The award-winning (SXSW Film Festival audience award) documentary "Inside the Circle" (2007) [3] goes into the personal stories of three b-boys (Omar Davila, Josh "Milky" Ayers and Romeo Navarro) and their struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives.

A crew is a group or troupe of two or more who dance together for whatever purpose, either simultaneously or in succession. Professional and amateur crews exist worldwide. A few well-known crews are: Jinjo Crew, New York City Breakers, Rock Steady Crew, Last For One, Super Cr3w,Gamblerz, Ichigeki, LA Breakers, Style Elements, Rivers, Flying Steps, and most recently Quest Crew and All Area Crew

Battles are an integral part of the b-boying culture. They can take the form of a cypher battle and an organized battle. Both types of battles are head to head confrontations between individuals or groups of dancers who try to out-dance each other.

The cypher (or the circle) is the name given to a circle of b-boys and/or b-girls who take turns dancing in the center. There are no judges, (other than the participants of the cypher itself), concrete rules, or restrictions in the cypher, only unspoken traditions. Although participants don't always compete with each other in the cypher, on many occasions this does take place. B-boying began in the cypher and organized competition only developed later. This was the origin of b-boying battles and it is often more confrontational and personal. The battle continues until it ends for one of many possible reasons, such as one dancer admitting defeat. Cypher dancing is more prevalent in communities with an emphasis on what is regarded as authentic and traditional hip hop culture. Battling "in the cypher" is also a method of settling differences between dancers, whether between individuals or crews.

Organized battles set a format for the competition such as a time limit, or specify a limit to the number of dancers that can represent each side. Organized battles usually choose judges based on their years of experience, level of cultural knowledge, contribution to the scene and ability to judge in an unbiased manner. On occasion, organizers invite judges from outside the b-dancing community, and these events (jams) sometimes meet with disapproval from the b-boying community. Organized battles are publicized to a much greater extent than informal events and are known to the mainstream community. They include famous international-level competitions such as Battle of the Year, UK B-Boy Championships, Redbull BC One, Freestyle Session and R16 Korea. However, the trend in recent years to place excessive emphasis on organized battles, may detract from the spontaneous aspect of the culture that is the emphasis in cypher dancing. ^[3].

There are many different styles used in breaking. Individual styles often stem from a dancer's region of origin and dancing influences. Although there are some generalities in the styles that exist, many dancers combine elements of different styles with their own ideas and knowledge in order to create a unique style of their own.

This style of breaking is what most members of the general public associate with the term "break-dancing". Power moves comprise full-body spins and rotations that give the illusion of defying gravity. Headspins, backspins, windmills, flares, airtracks/airflares, 1990s, 2000s, jackhammers, crickets, turtles, hand glide, halos, elbow spins, among others. Those b-boys who use "power moves" almost exclusively are referred to as "powerheads".

A very broad style of breaking which may include the incorporation of threading footwork, freestyle movement to hit beats, house dancing, broken link styles and "circus" styles (balance, tricks, contortionism, etc.)

A style of breaking which focuses on the "wow factor" of certain powers, freezes, tricks, and circus styles. Blowup-style consists of performing a sequence of as many difficult trick combinations in quick succession as possible in order to "smack" or exceed the virtuosity of the other b-boy's performance. This is usually attempted only after becoming proficient in other styles due to the degree of control and practice required in this type of dancing. The names of some of the moves are: airbaby, airchair, hollow backs, solar eclipse, reverse airbaby, among others. The main goal in blowup-style is the rapid transition through a sequence or back and forth between several moves.

A style that is based more on eleborate toprocks, footwork and/or poses. This style is focused more on the beat of the song than having to rely on "power" moves only. B-boys who base their dance on "flavor/style" are known as "styleheads". Most styleheads have their own distinctive flavor or style.

A type of move intended to embarrass the opponent by creating obscene or comical moves during battles or cyphers.

The University of East London's Institute for Performing Arts (IPAD) has the only urban dance Bachelor degree in the world specialising in urban and global dance forms. BA Dance: Urban Practice

• David Toop (1991). Rap Attack 2: African Rap To Global Hip Hop, p.113-115. New York. New York: Serpent's Tail. ISBN 1-85242-243-2.

• bboybunker.com - International B-boy Community.
• bboyworld.com - B-boy community with lots of resources including free video tutorials.
• bboy.org - A B-boy community with helpful tutorials and categorized forums.
• Red Bull BC One - The foremost one-on-one B-boying contest in the world.
• Bboy Videos - Collection of B-boy releated videos
• B-Boys Battle Site
• B-boys R Us - A social networking site dedicated to the art of breakin'.
• ChicagoBboy.com - A Chicago based forum dedicated for the midwest B-boy scene.