If a bboy/bgirl battle’s dopeness is judged by the quality of its judges, then the Battle for Fresno State, Preliminary Round is going to be a dope battle! As organizers of The Battle we are thrilled to have three judges on board who have put their collective stamps on bboying by consistently pushing to innovate while still respecting the culture’s foundational skills and ethics. In addition, we are excited to welcome to Fresno and the Central Valley the various communities, neighborhoods, and crews our judges represent. Shout out to all the crews representing Sacramento, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area!
If you are heading to Arte Americas on February 3rd, welcome to Fresno and good luck! To help get you hype for the battle, read up on our judges and check out their videos to see just how high we are setting the bar for competition!
Ace’s dance career started in 1991 in a Palm Springs living room when he saw a friend freestyle a housing routine. After two weeks of persistent nagging that friend agreed to teach him one move; Ace mastered that move and has not stopped dancing since. Ace moved to the Los Angeles area in the mid 1990s where he eventually joined Master Movements Crew and became an active member of the Los Angeles b-boy community. Known for his passion, discipline, and methodical approach to b-boying, Ace helped establish a distinct west-coast tradition of “walks” and went on to mentor b-boys across California including Fresno’s own Charles “Goku” Montgomery and his Soul Control Crewmate, Jacob “Kujo” Lyons. After three decades in the bboy game Ace has earned the title Master. In 2014 Ace was invited to be an honorary judge for the 20th anniversary of Bboy Summit. Similarly, after years of competing at Freestyle Sessions, Ace was brought in to judge the event in 2015 and 2017. When not dancing, Ace works as a school counselor in Southern California.
What’s that? You want to learn some bboy footwork? Let Ace teach you!
Bboy Morris journey to world-class bboy status started in a Sacramento high school auditorium where 15 year old Morris watched a bboy exhibition. He was hooked. In the two decades since, Morris has traveled the globe battling any bboy brave enough to to step into the cypher all while reppin’ both Sacramento and the internationally known Fallen Kings crew. A combination of charisma, energy, athleticism, and innovative moves, have led to a consistent spot in the top 10 on BBOYRANKINGZ.com including multiple stints at #1. After more than a decade in the game, Morris remains one of the most feared and respected competitors on the competitive bboy circuit, where he has competed at the most elite levels including Red Bull BC One. Some of Morris’ career highlights include back-to-back titles in Evolution 1&2 in 2004 and 2005; two UK B-boy World Championship titles, one in 2009 and one in 2011; and the highly coveted Freestyle Sessions crown he won in 2008 at Freestyle Sessions 11. In addition to his prolific battle career, Morris has been a featured dancer in movies and television shows including Step Up 3 and Nickolodeon’s Teen Choice Awards. As if all that wasn’t enough, Morris and his Fallen Kings crewmates regularly perform at Sacramento Kings home games.
Check out Bboy Morris at World of Dance, 2017.
The best bboy crews blend a variety of styles, flavors, and skills into a cohesive unit. Some crew members might bring innovative power moves and combos to the cyher while another might contribute stylized footwork and toprocking. However, some crew members lay in the cut and are unleashed on rival crews precisely because they don’t fit neatly into any one category. Dee Rock is that crew member. Dee Rock represents the legendary San Francisco Bay Area crew, Renegade Rockers; as a second generation member Dee Rock has helped transition the crew from its foundational days to the current generation of Rockers keeping the crew’s legacy alive in battles across the nation. A combination of precision, rhythm, and athleticism has led some to call Dee Rock, “the best kept secret of Renegade Rockers” while others contend that his unique style is not a secret as much as it is ahead of its time. In addition to his contributions to Renegade Rockers, Dee Rock gives back to the next generation of Bay Area bboys by teaching breakdancing at Acro Sports.
What’s that, you’ve always wanted to learn to do a head freeze? Let Dee Rock teach you Check out Dee Rock’s dope footwork.
This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.