Last For One vs Los Angeles Times

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The Los Angeles Times did a short film of Last For One who were made famous in the the documentary Planet B-Boy. The split screen style apes 1960s action film titles.

The crew are impressive in their skills. In their dedication to the sport in spite of everything that Korea does to them. Top performing Korean athletes are exempted from national service. But the B-Boy crews have to do it, and aren’t allowed to train during their spare time in military service. Yet the government uses them to promote Korea to the world.

Case in point is this short film from the Korean government’s ‘Dynamic Korea‘ campaign.

The crew are poor kids from a poor part of Korea. Breakdancing is their release from societal pressure and Korea’s highly competitive job economy. Like breakers from other countries, it is a way of life from them

B-boying is something that I cannot separate myself from. Because I exist, there is b-boy. Being a b-boy is an important existence to me.

Last for One, World Champion b-boy crew

It’s hard to describe in words but if I have to make a comparison its like the engine in a car. I cannot move without dancing

Last for One, World Champion b-boy crew

Once one feels the rhythm that’s when they start dancing. And when they start to follow the simple b-boying moves one-by-one then that’s when someone becomes a b-boy.

Last for One, World Champion b-boy crew

The video is on the YouTube service so may not be able to be watched everywhere. More Last For One footage here.

What I find most interesting about crews like Last For One is that they have taken b-boying out of its original context. It originally came out of the urban decay of 1970s and 1980s New York and elevated it. They have reinterpreted it into something of their own. Yet much of the music they dance to would still sound right at home in a 1970s Bronx block party.

More Korean related posts here.


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