Breakin’ The Law 11-Year Anniversary
Breakin’ The Law is Wisconsin’s first and only international break-dancing competition. Since its first edition in 2004 the competition has grown into a five-day international festival featuring dance competitions with participants from around the world, exhibitions, workshops, panel discussions and a Physics of Breakin’ youth science day. This year’s series of events will be held between April 30 and May 4 at various locations throughout downtown Madison.
The largest international break-dancing event in the Midwest, Breakin’ The Law: International Festival of Urban Movement (BTL), will be held in Madison, Wis., April 30 through May 4.
The five-day event features international dance competitions in Breaking, Popping and AllStyles categories. In addition, the festival will include exhibitions, workshops, panel discussions and a Physics of Breakin’ Youth Science Day. The goal of the event is to cultivate local-to-global (glocal) community networks through Hip-Hop culture. In addition, the event presents a counter narrative to the criminalization of Hip-Hop and the practioners who particiapte in the culture. All events are open and free to the public. 
The festival will be spread out across downtown Madison over five days.
- The Madtown Breakers will hold a Breakin’ 101 workshop at Union South Northwoods Room on Thursday, April 30. All levels of experience are welcome to learn the basics of breaking.
- On the evenings of Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, Breakin’ The Law 11 Year Anniversary, an international dance competition, will be held at The Sett in Union South.
- During the day on Saturday, May 3, at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery an Elite 8 Youth Battle and Physics of Breakin’ Youth Saturday Science Day will be followed by Master Class Workshops with world-renouned dancers featuring Breaking, Popping, House and various other urban styles.
Breakin’ The Law has gained international notoriety by community building through Hip Hop culture across countries such as China, Macau, Nicaragua, Panama, Cambodia, United States, the Phillippines, Bulgaria and others. The festival was also featured in the documentary Break Borders 2 at the Hong Kong Film Festival. The organizers of BTL hope to further impact public understandings of Hip Hop culture as a powerful source for social change and exchange.
Co-Directors Katrina Flores and Jarius King say, “Hip hop culture has often been criminalized and so have those who identify with it. This festival serves to highlight and amplify the power that Hip Hop culture has for bringing people together from all cross-sections of life in a positive way. Through the Hip Hop principles of peace, love, unity, and having fun BTL serves as a model for other events, not necessarily in format, but in objective.”
BTL is an international urban movement festival organized through BTL Glocal in association with the Madtown Breakers and King’s Eye View Productions. The festival is co-sponsored by Associated Students of Madison (ASM), WUD Music Committee, WUD Late Night Grant, WI Experience Grant, Willy Street Coop and Red Bull.
You’ll find full information on the BTL Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/287323577955193/#!/groups/BTLUSA/