This week (June 20th), Andscape, the Black content studio from Disney and ESPN, debuted the trailer for their new documentary Breakin’ On The One. Click inside to check it out!
On August 15th, 1981 a large, excited crowd gathered at the plaza of Lincoln Center in Manhattan for the Out-of-Doors Festival. The highlight of the event was a breaking battle between the Rocksteady Crew and the Dynamic Rockers. What unfolded would prove to be a seminal moment in American culture, a showdown that has reverberated for decades across hip hop, dance, race and politics. Utilizing a trove of archival material from the 1980s and interviews with those who were there, Breakin’ On The One chronicles how breaking transformed itself from a niche urban activity to an Olympic sport performed worldwide. It’s the tale of how a handful of innovators from often neglected corners of a struggling city helped create a cornerstone event for a movement that grew from its devastated borough origins to influence the highest ranks of sports and entertainment.
“Ahead of its Olympic debut this summer, we are thrilled to bring the story of break dancing to our audiences, ” said Jason Aidoo, VP and head of Andscape. “This documentary is a testament to the impact breakin’, The Rocksteady Crew and Dynamic Rockers have had on our culture.”
Said Directors JamsBash (Pause with Sam Jay, The Day Ones): “We are incredibly stoked to help tell the story of these amazing dancers. Kids from Black and brown communities in New York created a unique art form that’s now an Olympic Sport. We love that a small part of that origin is now being celebrated on film. Collaborating with Andscape to bring this documentary to audiences was a no brainer, we can’t wait to share this little bit of the culture with the world’.”
“‘Breakin’ On the One’ is a celebration of the community that revolutionized dance, and brought people from across the world together. We are thrilled for this story to finally be recognized, and to bring it to audiences across the globe,” said Vice President of ESPN Films, Marsha Cooke.
The documentary was executive produced by Jason Aidoo, Dwayne Bray, Heather Anderson, Marsha Cooke, Brian Lockhart and Burke Magnus. ESPN Films, Marquis Daisy, Gus Navarro, Catherine Sankey and Ashley Bembry-Kaintuck served as producers on the project. Breakin’ On The One will debut on Hulu on Monday, June 24th. Before then, check out the official trailer below and share your thoughts in the comment section.