Cap City Breaking Jam offers $3,000 at Lansing Shuffle

The fifth annual Cap City Breaking Jam lands at Lansing Shuffle on Saturday, Aug. 15, with $3,000 in prize money, judges who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and free admission for spectators.

All of the Above Hip Hop Academy, the Lansing nonprofit that mentors youth through hip-hop culture, hosts the tournament-style competition alongside local breaking crew 99 Stylez. Executive director Ozay Moore will emcee.

Admission is free.

"Breaking is one of those elements of hip-hop that kind of brings all the pieces together," Moore told Lansing City Pulse in an interview published Tuesday, Aug. 11. "It brings the MC, brings the DJ, it brings the dancer, it brings the visual art."

The day opens at 11 a.m. with an all-ages workshop led by Bboy Orb, a Red Bull-sponsored dancer from Seattle's Circle of Fire crew. A youth 1v1 preliminary round follows, with the winner taking home $500 and a handmade trophy welded by local artist Andrew Sandstedt. Youth judges include Bgirl Shade of Creative Genius Academy in Ontario, Bboy Rama of Chicago's Brickheadz crew and Bboy TV Breaks of Michigan's 99 Stylez.

Between rounds, Bgirl Shade leads an art therapy session open to all ages.

The adult 2v2 competition closes the day, with $2,500 on the line and another Sandstedt trophy for the winners. Adult judges include Bboy Orb, Bgirl Baby Girl of Houston and Bboy Seoul of Indianapolis. Some of this year's judges competed in breaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the discipline made its Summer Games debut.

DJs Ohmega Watts, Yz and Foojin will spin on the Lansing Shuffle patio, where the main competition floor is set up. Additional floors will be scattered around the venue for ciphers, the informal circles where dancers take turns trading moves.

Moore said the jam draws youth competitors from across the country who travel to Lansing specifically for the event, calling it one of the highest displays of athleticism and artistry in the heart of downtown. Competitors pay a $10 registration fee at alloftheabovehiphop.org/capcity. Lansing Shuffle, at 325 Riverfront Drive, offers food, beverages and outdoor covered shuffleboard.

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