Zeng Yingying performs the break dancing. [Photo/news.66wz.com]
B-boying dancer Zeng Yingying, born in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, was selected into the Chinese National Break Dancing Team in a trail run that ended on Jan 8 along with seven other dancers.
This newly-formed national team will represent China at the 2023 World Breaking Championships in Belgium this September and at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2023. Champions of the two events will get tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"It was my dream to dance for China, and I'm happy that I made it," said Zeng, who is looking forward to the upcoming competitions and is hoping to win the championship for the country.
Break dancing originated in New York City in the 1970s among young Latinos and African Americans. Such dancers are also known as B-boys or B-girls.
The activity is now considered one of the four pillars of hip hop culture, along with rap, DJing and graffiti. In 2018, it was announced as an Olympic activity.
Zeng, majoring in physical education at Ningbo University, started learning break dancing in 2012 when she first learned about it from her university friend and immediately fell in love with it for its free and vigorous style.
She has been practicing six days a week over the past decade. And her hard work has paid off. Since 2019, Zeng has won a series of street dance competitions, including fourth place at the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championships. She believes that break dancing will eventually come of age in China and be accepted by more people.
