Breaking in the Future

　　"Breakdancing students often ask me about the future of breakdancing," says Xiao Chuan. "They aren't making any money and no one is asking them to perform. I tell them I really don't know."

　　Over the past several years, as breakdancing has skyrocketed in popularity, its promoters, both practicing breakdancers and their devoted fans, have worked hard to promote hip-hop culture. Yet they've run into some serious setbacks.

　　Xiao Chuan now owns his own hip-hop company, teaching kids breakdancing and other forms of hip-hop dance while recording his own music. But his actions are limited both by censorship and fear.

　　"In China, lyrics are examined very carefully. If there is too much English or the contents of the song are not 'healthy,' the song cannot be released. My group has put out three songs so far, but all of them are 'like sunshine.' What choice do I have?" Xiao asks.

　　While not performing, Xiao and his co-workers travel to schools around China teaching kids about hip-hop music and dance. Everywhere they go, they leave students excited about breakdancing and eager to learn more. Which can be a problem for some.

　　"As you may know, college entrance exams are very important in China," Xiao says. "We go to colleges and give free lessons, but high schools won't let us in. The teachers think that once we perform at the schools, the students' thoughts won't be on studying. There are a lot of teachers who still think breakdancing is bad."

　　Other problems stem from the independent nature of breakdancers themselves. Unlike other forms of dance, breakdancers tend to see themselves as enjoying or challenging themselves, rather than engaged in study or work. "There has never been any top-level control of the breakdancing scene," says Jia. "For example, aerobics has a national aerobics association which organizes annual events and contests, during which everyone can get together and exchange ideas." But breakdancers inherently wish to avoid such large-scale organization, and its promotion suffers as a result.

　　Despite the progress made so far, breakdancing remains an underground phenomenon. While breakdancers do make the occasional appearance on CCTV and though companies such as Northern Gang of Hip Hop allow young dancers to eek out a living doing what they love, the future remains unclear. One this is for certain. With individuals such as Xiao Chuan and Jia Tao committed to bringing real hip-hop culture to the Chinese people, breakdancing, in one form or another, is here to stay.