"Seeking new paths with my body": French women take on breakdance
They enter the arena, it is 6:30 p.m. at the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland. On November 6, the room is already packed when the B-Girls are presented to the public for the finale of the most publicized breakdance event in the world. The Red Bull BC One, for the first time in its existence, offers the same number of dancers as dancers: they are therefore 16 to set off to try to win the title some of them dreamed of as children.
Before they arrive, the boys perform in one-on-one battles, the format of this competition. “It looks easy, but only because they're good at it. Behind this ease hide hours of work, blood, sweat, ”recalls the presenter of the evening. Ami, Carito, Kastet, Luma, Madmax… Few first names here and even fewer surnames, we arrive with a nickname and we play the game of being another (augmented?) version of ourselves for a few minutes.
The choice of outfit, energy, and intention build the image that the judges will have of you; promote the sound love of the audience, and potentially, lead you to victory. From a distance, the energy of the dancers could give them an air of resemblance. In reality, a 20-year gap can separate two B-Girls. Some are 18 years old and out of adolescence, while another, 37, breastfeeds her child backstage just before going on stage. Among the best in the world, there is Fanny, who won the final in France. Andrea who obtained a “wild card” (direct qualification for the final, Ed) to come to Poland, and Sarah, who is judging a competition of this importance for the first time. Meeting with the best French women on the breakdance scene.
Andrea Mondoloni, 25, from Montpellier
San Andrea, of his stage name, has just lost in the first round. At the time of the interview, the finale continues without her. She comments on the results with Fanny, the second and last French eliminated. And evokes her mother supporter who, live from France, saw her daughter lose: “She was very attached to us really doing what we love, without worrying about our choices. We practiced in the living room and when we filmed she came to dance. She believed in us so much that she allowed me to have a self-confidence that never left me”.
Andrea starts the break with her brother at the age of 12. They are the only ones to practice in their village of origin. In Rians, in the Var, you can learn to dance jazz, hip hop, "we even did the figure of the Scorpion, which meant nothing", but there are still no lessons for what is danced. on the family terrace. A cousin shows them moves. Brother and sister fall in love with the station wagon. They watch videos, dance together. She laughs: "It was everything and anything, but my brother had little basics, proof that he had already watched YouTube".
Throughout her college, she danced in the living room going to a few events, but no more. A Bac S later, she followed her brother to Montpellier and quickly became a professional. Arriving in Occitania, Andrea begins by doing six months of circus school, works for one company, then another, until she officially becomes intermittent and returns home less often. “Dancing was a second education, after that of my parents. It is a discipline that makes us grow faster. When I feel good about myself, I feel good about my dance and vice versa”.
Like many, Andrea did not think she could make a living from dancing. She says it sincerely, as when she tells herself, punctuating her stories with a big frank laugh. “When you're 14, you tend to want to do everything like everyone else. 'If she has straight hair, I want it too'. Dance allowed me to find myself. When I started breaking I didn't care what other people thought. A means of expression that turns into a need. Today she alternates the days when she is in residence with companies, and those when she takes time for herself at home; without forgetting the work with her group, with whom she maintains “a common dance philosophy”.
Andrea's daily life within the companies is quite meticulous: between 6 and 8 hours of dancing per day, with a lunch break and fixed hours. Even if it requires real rigor, and the fact of sacrificing her whole life to it, this work brings her more than a life as a high-level sportswoman. "I like to tell myself that I will look for new paths with my body, to reflect with dance". While she admits that she watched this competition with stars in her eyes, she admits to moving towards another, warmer, family approach: "I'm very proud, but more than winning, which matters today to my eyes is to have spent a week with the best B-Girls in the world".
Sarah Bee, 32, hip-hop dancer and judge
Madame Figaro.- How do you become a judge of this competition? Sarah Bee.- It's the organization that offers us to be a judge, we don't apply! But I think it's experience, maturity and background that make the difference. I participated twice, including the first year when women danced in 2018. I have already won the French final, but not the international one. Being a judge is a real commitment over the year, and not just for this event.
How did the women fare this year? It was amazing. I found that there was a lot of level, from different generations, some are 20 years apart! You can see a difference: the younger ones want more, they have less hip-hop culture, they do spectacular things. While the thirties are more into the flow, the touch, the originality, which is the hardest thing to get in the station wagon. In recent years, the youngest women have made a lot of technical progress, but they have to work on their originality. Some have already done six years of gymnastics or capoeira before arriving, they have a better knowledge of their bodies, but not necessarily of dance. We also don't dance for the same reasons: the thirties never started for the competition, but rather to share with their friends, for example. The competition is all the same reduced for the girls who make three passages less than the boys. In terms of cardio and number of movements, it's huge.
What are the judging criteria? We are five judges, with different approaches. Personally, I take everything into account. I like the musicality, I like the people who dance at the moment, their writing, how they present themselves... The idea is also to watch how they invest the stage: do they occupy it or are they what she "eats" them? This place can make many dancers lose their means. For us, it's the biggest breakdance competition in the world. People who go to the final do a lot of research, they have a lot of "weapons", technical moves. They don't just come and recite a passage, they adapt what they know how to do to music that is not known in advance. To win the Red Bull BC One, you have to prepare a lot, have small sequences of your own, and a good muscle memory to let yourself be carried away by the music. Freestyler from start to finish, without knowing your moves well, it's a risk. If, during a battle, you come across someone who has a lot of movement, you should not come only with dessert. When I'm a judge, I don't expect to see anything, I witness a conversation between two dancers. Besides, I never vote against someone, but rather for someone else.
How do you access hip hop culture, is it difficult to approach? The station wagon is accessible to everyone. Where I grew up, classical dance, for example, even if I love it, was not an option for me. Apart from the question of money, if I had been able to take a course, how would they have looked at me at 13, all stiff, without having the codes? In the station wagon, the door is open to everyone: if you want you can come and train with the others. I learned to break by throwing myself on a box, and hurting myself!
Fanny Bouddavong, 23 years old, Rennes
Champion of France, Fanny is a 23-year-old dancer who lives in Rennes. She looks back on her journey and the competition.
Madame Figaro.- How did you learn to dance the break? Fanny.- I always wanted to follow my brothers. After football, karate… My goal was to annoy them all the same! I am finally the only one who has made break her profession. I was lucky to have parents who always supported me. Thanks to the dance, my shyness has receded. I discover the world, I learn a lot from others by revealing myself as I go.
How do you explain your defeat? I think it's very subjective, it depends a lot on the jury that we have in front of us. I know I could have done better, expressed myself more, but I managed to show “my dance” on a stage where competition is very important. When you get this far, you can forget that you're doing this because you love dancing. The most important thing for me was to bring out what I have inside and have fun. My opponent has exceptional technique and she knew exactly what she wanted to do. Personally I prefer to let my body go where it wants, without planning ahead, focusing on music and energy. But it is a risk taking that can be paid dearly.
How do you know that you want to make dance your profession? At the start, I had a lot of doubts, especially during the first refusals, which are weakening. Today I know I don't have a plan B, so my plan A must work. Since the arrival of breakdance at the Olympic Games, there is this choice offered to us: to leave in a dynamic of competition, or to be more in "jam" sessions which reveal the importance of energy, exchange, which is the heart of this dance. I'm still afraid that arriving at the Olympics will make us lose the essence of what we do. How do you feel about being a woman in this environment? Personally, I prefer to dance in battles mixed, than confining myself to women's battles. I don't feel any judgment from men, but it depends on how we position ourselves in relation to it. If you're not sure of yourself, if you only dance in girl fights, it's more difficult to find your place. On the other hand, there is still a lot of progress to be made, such as equality in the “prizes money” (the sums won by the winners, editor’s note) for example.
