Breaking
Find out how Brazilian culture has shaped Neguin’s breaking
Discover how Brazilian life and the rhythms of capoeira have influenced the style and mindset of the Red Bull BC One All-Star.
B-Boy Neguin is one of the most dynamic breakers on the scene. Born and raised in culturally-vibrant Brazil, he has a unique mentality with regards to movement, learning and understanding your body. We met up with the Tsunami All Stars and Red Bull BC One All-Stars member to get his perspective on dance and life.
Neguin does the hollow-back freeze
© Kien Quan/Red Bull Content Pool
Your style of breaking seems to be heavily influenced by capoeira, can you tell us about that connection?
The reason I got into breaking, or any physical activity, was because of capoeira, which I started at four years old. Growing up with that culture, I think that's my main approach to how to respect and energise your body. Martial arts have had a big impact and influence on everything I do today, so I try to always relate as much as I can to that. So dancing, for me, relates to martial arts and martial arts relates to dancing. That's how I really like to live my life, it's all connected.
Brazilian breakers tend to have a high-level of dynamic and acrobatic movement, where would you say this comes from?
I think that a big reason for how dynamic is to do with the mixture of cultures and people all coming together. It's part of our culture to walk around and see people flipping on the grass or doing footwork on the concrete. The culture is always trying to elevate so many different styles of dance, too. It's not just in breaking, you see it in football, you see it in martial arts. Like if you talk about martial arts and the UFC, the Brazilians helped create the UFC, it was the Gracie family. If you're talking about football, Brazilian football and Brazilian footballers are famous all around the world, from Pelé to Ronaldinho, guys who really understood how to shape the way they played football in Brazil and bring the game to their way of playing, which is called 'Ginga'. I think Brazil has the variety and speciality to bring different things that come together with the culture.
What does 'Ginga' mean?
Ginga means 'the way,' your approach into everything that you do. It's making something that's hard, look easy, with flavour, character and charisma. This is something I think also comes from the conditions we grow up in. The Brazilian lifestyle is kind of hard, but people are still happy and are always trying to enjoy themselves no matter the situation.
Find out more about 'Ginga' and the Brazilian way of breaking in episode 2 of Breaking Beyond, below.
46 min
Neguin shows Kastet the city of São Paulo
B-Girl Kastet joins B-Boy Neguin in São Paulo to experience the vibrant blend of the Brazilian breaking style.
What makes Brazilians so comfortable doing flips and moves outside, even on the concrete?
The gyms and facilities that we have nowadays are a new thing for Brazilians. In Brazil, it'll always be about being out on the grass and beach, and even industrial-like places. We're always trying to find a cool outdoor spot and we're lucky enough that the weather is good, so people like to go outdoors with their crew and have fun. This is the way that we always enjoy ourselves. For us it's about more than just going to train some flips, it's a part of our lifestyle. Our mentality is, 'let's go and have fun.' Then you apply that in so many ways because if you're doing flips on the grass and beach, you feel able to do them in the club as well. You have the same approach because it's already in your DNA to show off like that and highlight your skills. You bring the same type of vibration that you had in nature in the afternoon and then you go out at night and still have that vibration with you. That's very powerful.
Neguin behind the decks
© Julian Bajsel/Red Bull Content Pool
What's your mindset regarding practising different art forms and using them to improve yourself and your dance?
I treat everything I do like it's an art. I draw, I do sports, I dance. People say to me, 'You do house dance, you do capoeira, you do Brazilian jiu-jitsu' but that's why my Instagram's called Neguinism, because for me you can't just say that I am 'DJ, B-Boy Neguin,' or 'capoeirista, B-Boy Neguin.' I dropped all the labels and I'm just constantly trying to find everything that makes my art unique and special.
What's your approach to learning a new move? Do you have a process or training method that you use?
I love to learn, I think it's the most beautiful thing to learn and then to be able to share what you learned with the next person. No matter if it's one person, a thousand or a hundred thousand people. And my approach is that I really enjoy every little thing and I am constantly questioning and trying to understand how everything works. When it comes to learning a new technique or a new way of moving in dance I always question myself, asking 'What is this move? What about this? What if that?' So questioning and really understanding how to educate myself.
How would you recommend that people take care of their bodies?
It's about nutrition, what goes into your body and how you energise your body. Also, things like not drinking alcohol or smoking, how you rest your body, are you drinking enough water? Do you have enough oxygen in your body? And what are you lacking?
Neguin demonstrates a flip in his workshop
© Kien Quan/Red Bull Content Pool
Do you have any advice for breakers trying to get a high level of dynamic movement and control like you have?
My advice for them is to study many different disciplines when it comes to body movement, especially martial arts. I think it's very important to understand how martial arts have a big role in this art form of breaking and vice versa.
If breakers had an approach like say a UFC fighter, I think it'd be the greatest thing because people would be like 'Wow, look how this guy is training and look how he's resting.' That's a good mindset for you to start, having the discipline and having all of the opportunities to see so many different sources. Most breakers just focus on breaking and don't look outside of the box. Imagine if you didn't have a box and you saw all the different information out there that can highlight everything that you do, then you can be the greatest at what you do.
Watch the video below to find out more about Neguin:
11 min
RoxRite meets Neguin
B-boy RoxRite visits the 2010 BC One World Champion Neguin at his home in Las Vegas.
