Breaking
Breaking
Learn B-Girl 671’s secrets for unlocking the breaking puzzle
China’s B-Girl 671 instantly put herself in the ranks of the top breakers in the world with back-to-back championship wins at her first two European competitions. Read up on her story here.
It took B-Girl 671 just a year to firmly place her name among the best b-girls in the world. Having already built a reputation in her home country through winning various championships (like the Bomb Jam), 2022 was the first time she started competing outside of Asia – and her impact was immediately felt.
671’s first European solo b-girl battle was at Outbreak Europe in Slovakia. A competition known for having one of the toughest b-girl line-ups, 671 used her ferocious, power moves based style to win the b-girl solo competition, instantly proving her high-level calibre.
One month later, 671 made back-to-back championship wins when she defeated another tough lineup to take the solo b-girl title at the Porto World Battle in Portugal. She then won a silver medal at the 2022 WDSF World Breaking Championships in South Korea.
671 was a wild card at the Red Bull BC One World Final 2022
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
With this spectacular entry into the international competition circuit, she earned a wild card spot in the top 16 of the Red Bull BC One World Final 2022. Stepping onto the prestigious stage for the first time, she once again fearlessly displayed her elite breaking skills. Making it to the competition's semi-finals, she only lost to the eventual champion, B-Girl India, in one of the highlight battles of the night.
She returned to the Red Bull BC One World Final in 2023 and confirmed her status as one of the top b-girls by making it all the way to the final battle against Ami, who reigned supreme that night. You can watch all of her battle in the replay of the event below.
Red Bull BC One World Final 2023
Watch the world's best b-boys and b-girls battle it out to become the 2023 Red Bull BC One World Champions.
671 is one of China’s young, hungry breaking talents showing that they can compete against the best in the world. But who is the 18-year-old who makes an impact every time she steps onto the dance floor?
01
The beginning
More about Red Bull BC One 2022
Originally from Huixian City, China, Liu Qingyi (671 is pretty much how her name is pronounced in English) was 10 years old when she first saw breaking on the streets. Instantly attracted to the power of seeing the dance on display, she immediately found a studio where she could start learning. This was where she also found her first crew, [Show Off Crew] and her first breaking teacher, B-Boy Bo, who she says: “I really appreciated because he taught me a lot.”
She smiles as she recalls her first meeting with B-Boy Bo: “When I asked him to teach me, he looked at me and thought, ‘She’ll be a good b-girl, let’s start.’”
Breaking also had a big impact on 671’s personality. When she started, she was a shy girl, and the dance helped her come out of her shell. As she recalls: “Before breaking, if I didn’t know someone, my character was shy, and I couldn’t communicate with them.”
Through the community element of breaking, 671 enjoyed practising with people, having a way to express herself and being able to share the dance with everybody around her. She says that breaking “developed me as a person, gave me more confidence, a vision and direction of how to live a good life, and through it, I made new friends.”
Breaking gave 671 confidence on and off the stage
© Carlo Cruz / Red Bull Content Pool
02
Her journey to the national team
More inspiring b-girl stories
After joining her first crew, 671 then became a member of her city team, explaining: “China is a big country with many cities. Our cities have teams, and after I became an athlete, I joined our inner-city team. That’s when I started training more formally.”
It was as a member of her city team that 671 met her second breaking teacher, B-Boy Chao, who was her city team’s coach. She then won the b-girl solo battle at a big breaking competition at the China Games, and from there, was selected for Team China, saying: “You can only join Team China if you have a great, big win.”
Joining Team China took 671’s breaking to the next level, with regular strength and conditioning training that she says has helped the whole team improve. Team China also gives them opportunities to travel to competitions all around the world, which included her victorious trips to Outbreak Europe and Porto World battles.
Her outstanding international performances earned her a spot on Team China
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
03
Finding her style
When 671 started breaking, she fell in love with power moves and the technique behind them, but after three to four years of training, she realised: “I didn’t train much footwork or top rock, and I didn’t know about the culture or the essence of what the dance was really about.”
It was 671’s second teacher, B-Boy Chao, who taught her about the essence of breaking and the culture that the dance came from. She says: “He taught me the foundation and about hip-hop culture, and through learning this knowledge, I was then able to find my own style.”
This was a vital piece of the breaking puzzle for 671, and her style and real character in the dance became what she wanted people to know her for, as she explains: “When I compete, I want people to know my style and who I am as B-Girl 671.”
671 is known for power moves and a high-energy style of breaking
© Little Shao / Red Bull Content Pool
04
The future
More about breaking between sports and arts
With breaking now having worldwide recognition as an official sport, and 671 being part of the new generation of breakers who left their mark at the Olympic Games in Paris (in 671's case, by winning the bronze medal), the future is full of opportunities.
Appreciating the support she gets through Team China, 671 goes on to say: “I feel proud that I'm representing China. Before, maybe some people didn’t know that many b-boys and b-girls from my country, but now people will.”
When it comes to her aims for the future, she has a simple vision, saying: “I want to develop my power and style, enjoy more international competitions, and hope that more people will know me, B-Girl 671, from China.”
