WHO WE ARE
BreakLA
BreakLA was founded two summers ago by a small group of friends who wanted to do something big - to create a major breakdance competition at UCLA. Coinciding with Hip Hop Appreciation week, we were able to expose an audience that was familiar with choreographed dance, but not necessarily b-boying. The event strives to not only expose people to this often stereotyped genre, but also showcase the immense athleticism and dedication of these dancers.
It was a great success, composed of some of the most talented b-boys on the West Coast, but we really want to expand the event. This year will be a big step forward for us where we will be expanding in all directions: increasing the size of the venue, the expected attendance, and most importantly, the quality of performances. The event will feature a slew of internationally recognized hip hop artists, including world champions and runners-up in breakdancing, hip hop choreography, and beatboxing. Please view and read about our performers on our website.
Having some amazing guests also means a lot of airfare and hotels to pay for! While we’ve been fundraising all year, there are only so many bobas and sandwiches that we can sell. This is where we need your help!
Battle Royale
Battle Royale is one of the biggest events hosted by any student organization on the UCLA campus hosted annually by the gentlemen of Omega Sigma Tau. It showcases the campus' four main dance teams -- ACA Hip Hop, NSU Modern, Samahang Modern, and VSU Modern -- and brings people from all over Southern California to see the competition for the Battle Royale Belt and the title of UCLA's best dance crew. In the past, the event has attracted over 1,400 attendees with celebrity judges such as Yuri Tag of Kaba Modern and Taeko Carroll of Fysh N Chicks.
This year, Battle Royale and BreakLA have combined to expand to a larger venue and audience.
What We Need & What You Get
This event is completely organized by student volunteers and we’ve been working hard to get this event together! Unfortunately, we've just been left in the lurch by two organizations that had promised to help us sell tickets -- to the tune of $7000. We've redoubled our efforts, but without your help, we really aren't sure how we're going to make this dream a reality.
$3,000 for Venue Staff: While we’d love to manage the event ourselves free of charge, we aren’t qualified to work as the security, technicians, or stage builders who will make this event safe and run smoothly! We need to make sure we have the funds to pay for their hard work. Without these funds, our event will not happen!
$2,000 for Transportation & Housing:
-Airfare for b-boys from Korea and around the United States
-Gas for shuttling talent between the airport, hotel, and UCLA
-Hotels for housing our performers
-Parking for dance crews and other talent
Of course, your help will be rewarded with some fantastic perks:
$50+ Swag it Up!
A ticket to the event + BreakLA Tank Top
$100+ The Inside Scoop!
All of the above + a BreakLA Tank with signatures from all our staff
$250+ Starstruck!
All of the above + a BreakLA Tank with signatures from artists of your choosing
$500+ Behind the Scenes!
All of the above + an exclusive invitation to the tech rehearsal of the show and a chance to meet some of the dancers and artists
If we somehow exceed our goal, we’d be, first of all, ecstatic(!), and secondly, promise that every bit of the money we receive from this will go to the event. Some examples are: better stage set-up (we went with the bare minimum to save on costs), gas for our volunteers to shuttle our performers from the airport, to hotels, to the event, and any other surprises/unforeseen costs (they seem to pop up every so often!)
The Impact
Our goal is to spread Hip Hop awareness on the UCLA campus and teach people the stylistic qualities of various aspects of Hip Hop that make it so prevalent today. Instead of reinforcing the negative stereotypes that plague the Hip Hop genre, we want to show the audience our performers’ commitment to their craft and their individuality. In addition, we wish to present Hip Hop as a viable form of expressing oneself through our various performances.
Other Ways You Can Help
We understand that you might not be in a position to contribute financially at this time. But there are many other ways you can help us make BreakLA a success:
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Spread the word to your social network on Facebook, Twitter, your school, work, neighborhood, etc.
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Post flyers around your school campus, neighborhoods, dance schools, and other venues
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Give some support in the comments or through social media below
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Come to the show April 26, 2013
We're on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, if you want to stay up to date on this show:
Thank you for your support!