Chinese breakdancer takes win on way to defending world title

Cui Shengyu dances during the Radikal Forze Jam World Street Dance Championship last month in Da Nang, Vietnam. (CHINA DAILY)

A 15-year-old from Jilin province won a breakdancing event in Vietnam last month, on his way to defending his world title.

Cui Shengyu, a student from Huigu School in Changchun, capital of Jilin, won the Radikal Forze Jam World Street Dance Championship held last month in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Without taking a rest after returning, Cui immediately began preparations for the third ISF U-15 Gymnasiade, which will be held in Serbia this month.

Cui started breakdancing at the age of 6.

"He was often ill when he was young, so I took him to attend a street dance course on the recommendation of a relative," said Cui's mother Song Chunxiu. "I just wanted to improve his physical strength."

At first, as Cui was too young and "naughty", he often failed to concentrate in the class and couldn't keep up with the rhythm of the teacher, said Song. "However, he persevered and demonstrated his talent and interest in breakdancing," the mother said.

Under the guidance of Bao Bo, a member of the Jilin Dance Association's Street Dance Committee, Cui made great progress.

After practicing breakdancing for about two years, Cui began to participate in domestic competitions, usually finishing in the top eight or top four.

"The coach told me that my son performed even better at competitions than in regular practices," said Song. "He has strong control over the rhythm of the live performance and excellent adaptability. I also find that he gets excited and exudes a strong presence onstage."

Cui attends school in the morning and practices in the dance studio from afternoon until evening.

"Thanks to his teachers, who also used their spare time to help Cui keep up with school courses, he can focus more on dancing," Song said.

However, just practicing hard is not enough for Cui. The key to success is improving efficiency.

"During practice, I never think about anything else, but only focus on solving the issues pointed out by the coach," said Cui. "After explaining a concept, my coach asks me to consider how to better demonstrate a new difficult point or technique.

"Good dancers need to have their own ideas and creativity," Cui added.

In August 2023, Cui won the breakdancing championship at the second ISF U-15 Gymnasiade, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It marked the first time a Chinese dancer had won an international gold medal for breakdancing.

In the past two years, Cui has won several championships at international competitions.

Breakdancing is the earliest form of street dance popular in North America, which originated in New York in the 1970s. It focuses on dancers' individual styles.

Last year, breakdancing made its debut at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Wang Senda, director of the Jilin Dance Association's Street Dance Committee, said that Cui's achievements reflect the professional development of street dance education in China.

"With breakdancing becoming an official Olympic event, a complete system from youth training to national team selection has been established domestically," he said. "More young talent like Cui is stepping onto the international stage through systematic training."

Cui said that his goal is to step onto the Olympic stage and win an Olympic gold medal.

"I hope I can showcase the power of Chinese street dancers to the world," said Cui. "And I also hope to see the Chinese flag raised in more competitions."