Switzerland

The beginning (1982–1985)

Also in Switzerland, like almost all over the world, Breaking was shown for the first time on TV around '83. Films like “Flashdance”, “Wild Style” and music videos like Malcolm McLarens “Buffalo Gals” featured Breaking (particularly a Breaking crew named Rock Steady Crew) of which everybody was fascinated and excited because it was something totally new and spectacular that has never been seen before.

But actually some kids from Zurich started to dance already about one year before the whole rest of Switzerland saw Breaking for the first time because a dance studio from Zurich named “Jazzeria” organised a “Breakdance – Competition” in New York City in '82. The price for the best 2 dancers of that contest in New York was to come to Zurich and to give some Breaking-lessons in the dance studio. The names of the 2 winners of that contest were X-Tro and Kid Terrific. So they came to Zurich, inspired some kids to Break and showed them how to do it. That's why the very first Swiss B-Boys came from Zurich!

At the time when the media featured Breaking more and more and thus also the whole society got attention to it there existed already several Breaking crews in Zurich – the very first crew was called “Battle Rockers”! – who were all others that have discovered Breaking through the media already some steps ahead. Because of the media-explosion of Breaking it became also here in Switzerland a trend like everywhere else where all these films, videos, shows and commercials were aired. Indeed only a few still kept on doing it also after some months and in '85 the trend has already gone. But those who stuck to it were the base for an active underground-scene that had always up and downs but that was kept alive until nowadays.

The following dancers and crews were the most known, the most active and also the best around '85. Further they were also the ones who built the base for the future of Breaking and who dominated the scene until the end of the 80s:

• “Battle Rockers” from Zurich (first known as “Back Street Crew”): Charly, Duster, Csizee, Spinkie, Steve
• “Fantastic Rockers” from Zurich: Power, Fast5, PrinceCrime, Chase, Sky
• “Jam Power” from Geneva: Pascal Demierre, Punchy, Jose (aka Joe B of the music group Duty Free),..
• “Supreme Rockers” from Lausanne: Speedy & Carlos (music group Sens Unik), Oswaldo, Nino,..
• “Jazzy Rockers” from Biel/Bienne: Seyo, Eduzy, KidRock, Rubber Band (Basso), Dee, Chico Rock, Carlos (Risk), Zed
• “City Rockers” from Bern (existed about 1 year, '83/'84): Zed & Ice (afterwards Jazzy Rockers), Silvano, Mike, J.K., Scholl, Tweety (the latter ones stopped soon after)

The crew “Renegades Of Funk” from Bern which existed between '84 and '88/'89 and which consisted of FrankFreez, Glen, Sarudin and Chris was particularly known for the unbelievable Electric Boogie skills of FrankFreez who also won several international titles in “official” Electric Boogie championships.

The dance-level was particularly in Zurich (because of the head start) but also in Lausanne already at that time very high and consequently above all battles between Battle Rockers (Zurich) and Supreme Rockers (Lausanne) took place between '85 and '87.

At an event in Aarau in '86 another interesting battle took place: The Fantastic Rockers from Zurich competed against dancers from different cities and crews like Frank Freez & Glen (Renegades Of Funk, Bern), Crazy (Crazy Force Crew, Luzern) and others together with a dancer which is nowadays known as “DJ Bobo” (famous Popmusician).

Crews, Coupole and the underground (1986–1991)

'86 was also the founding year of two crews that still exists nowadays: Crazy Force Crew from Luzern and The Spartanic Rockers from Bern.

From the end of '86 Biel-Bienne became more and more the meeting point of the Hip Hop and Breaking scene. On the one hand because Jazzy Rockers from Biel became better and better. In a Breaking contest at the “Farytale” (Basel) in '87 they got the first places: 1. Zed, 2. Eduzy. Other competitors were dancers like Frank, Power, Sky (Zurich), Seyo (Biel), Carlos (Lausanne). Soon the Jazzy Rockers were even also well known outside of Switzerland.

On the other hand Biel became more and more the meeting point because the period of the legendary “Coupole” – jams started.

Around '87/'88 the first German dancers like Zebster (aka ZebRocSki) and Swift joined parties in Switzerland (the first time at the Farytale in Basel which is just beside of Germany). And from '88 not only German but also French and Italian dancers travelled all to way to Biel for having fun and for meeting other B-Boys in the “Coupole”. These “Coupole” – jams became more and more international and not only B-Boys joined them and made them with their skills and creativity unforgettable but also MC's and DJ's from all around Europe. Everybody came there and wanted to experience the special atmosphere of these jams.

Another interesting B-Boy battle took place at the “No Pain No Gain” (Basel) in '88 between Jazzy Rockers and German dancers like Swift and Swipe (aka Storm). People are saying that Jazzy Rockers won this battle.

Later in '88 the worldwide known crew Battle Squad was founded with dancers from Germany and Zurich: Swift & Swipe (aka Storm) (Germany), Frank, Takit, Jay (Zurich). Later they split up again and Battle Squad became a German-Italian crew featuring Emilio and Maurizio.

Between '86 and '90 the Swiss Breaking scene received a lot of new B-Boys and crews because the Swiss Hip Hop culture (which was at that time strictly underground!) experienced a boom. In '89 the CH FRESH 89 (in the “Fabrik”, Burgdorf) took place which was until that time the biggest Hip Hop event ever. And only one year later one of the most exciting and important event of the European Hip Hop culture took place: CH FRESH 90 (in the “Dampfzentrale”, Bern). Almost every B-Boy from Europe was present and also the legendary battle between Second 2 None (UK) and Battle Squad took place.

In '91 there were a lot of active dancers and besides of the many events that took place there was one special event: The official Swiss Breaking Championship (a single dancer contest) in Bern (on the “Gurten”) which was even featured in the News on the national TV.

MTV and the split (1992–1995)

In '92 a Swiss crew called Rock't Better with dancers from different cities (Frisk, James, Duster, Zukie, Eloy) got international attention with their participation in the Battle Of The Year 92 Breaking crew contest in Germany. Already before them also other Swiss dancers and crews (Crazy Force Crew, Zed&Frank&Power) took part in this yearly contest which exists since '90.

But in '92 there happened also something else: Until then the Swiss Hip Hop scene was underground and consisted nearly only of active people who (more or less) respected each other. Nearly everybody knew each other and if there was someone new he tried to learn and understand what was going on and what it was all about. But because of more and more so called Hip Hop and Rap music videos that were shown on TV (particularly on MTV that started to be aired nationwide) the underground scene became more and more a youth movement with a lot of nominal members and imitators. The years before the whole Hip Hop culture was one family. Everything was together. Always all elements of Hip Hop were presented and performed together under one roof. But now Hip Hop started to get public attention again (like in the early 80s) and because of the lack of knowledge people separated the elements more and more and started to think that Hip Hop was what all these music videos showed them. And on the contrary to the early 80s this time the music videos had even much more influence and the media changed and presented Hip Hop in a way that they could sell as much fashion and music as possible.

During the same time, in '92 and '93 a lot of B-Boys from back in the days stopped dancing because of their age (?) or because of drugs (!). Only a few from back in the days kept on dancing and with (or also besides of) them a new generation of dancers grew up, but unity was missed. Also within the Hip Hop culture everybody did his own thing and a lot of them didn't even know the real meaning of Hip Hop. There was a lot of violence because they thought it was cool and they have to be like gangstas (just the things they saw in the music videos). But exactly this behavior shows that they had no knowledge about the Hip Hop culture which is against violence and wants to advance creativity. Also the “Coupole” lost his excellent name and the Jams which took place less hadn't the flavour of back in the days.

Around '93/'94 there was no real meeting point left for the Breaking (and Hip Hop) scene of Switzerland but from time to time some national and also international Breaking contests (particularly in the “Rote Fabrik” in Zurich) took place. Some of the crews that represented in these contests and also on other events during that time were crews like Crazy Force Crew (Luzern), Basel City Attack (Basel), Prince Swift Rockers (Zurich), Dynamic Squalle (Lausanne), Spartanic Rockers (Bern), Bern City Breakers (Bern) and others. Also a new generation of dancers grew up with crews like Scrambling Feet (Lausanne), Good For Nothing (Biel-Bienne), .. And besides of all these crews and dancers there were many others in the beginning/middle of the 90s that started to dance, kept it going on and/or unfortunately stopped again. But besides of some meetings at events or contests from time to time every city did also more or less his own thing…

The second boom (1995–1998)

In '95/'96 Breaking experienced again a boom also in Switzerland like all over the world (because of different reasons) which reached its top in '97/'98.

In '96 a Swiss crew called Toys'n Effect (consisted of members from 2 cities – Lausanne & Bern – and 2 crews – Scrambling Feet & Limited Edition) could again get attention by taking part in the international Battle Of The Year contest which they even totally unexpected won!

During '96/'97 more and more crews turned up. Particular also dancers from Geneva showed up again in other parts of Switzerland (they were “disappeared” for a long time) and their scene experienced again a boom, particularly also because of the “Da True School” movement which started around 96 and which had the aim to preserve and support the Hip Hop culture and its elements. Also in Basel a movement with the name “Bee4Real” started to organise events and workshops and thus supported the culture. Also the crew Basel City Attack (with some old and some new dancers) got more and more the number 1 Breaking crew in Switzerland.

In '97 the Urban Skillz Hip Hop event which lasted almost a week and which featured a lot of international artists of all 4 elements ended with an european wide Breaking crew contest that many European top crews entered and that had a remarkable level. The battle for 3. and 4. place was between Basel City Attack and Scrambling Feet and the battle for first and second place was between the German crews South Side Rockers and Unique Wizzards.

In '98 Battle Of The Year Switzerland took place for the first time as an elimination contest for the international Battle Of The Year contest. Basel City Attack won the final battle against Unik Version (Neuchatel).

Battle of the Year Switzerland

From 1998 on, Battle of the Year Switzerland was the national elimination for the international Battle of the Year. The Spartanic Rockers organized the event in 2002, 2003 and 2004, with regional eliminations in Lucerne, Lausanne and Zurich and finals in the Dampfzentrale and the Hotel National in Bern and the Rote Fabrik in Zurich. All results from 1987 to 2008 are collected on the Swiss contest results page.

These cities have always had a Breaking scene: Basel, Bern, Biel/Bienne, Geneva, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel and Zurich.