USA Dance Breakin’ & NGB Task Forces Created
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Delaware – On January 27th, USA Dance Board of Directors approved the formation of the USA Dance Breakin’ Task Force to represent USA Dance with respect to implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with USA Breakin’ and to help build credibility in the Breakin’ community as a whole as we move toward Birmingham 2022, Paris 2024, and Los Angeles 2028. Following the formation of the Task Force, President Ken Richards nominated, and the Board unanimously ratified, the appointment of Moises ‘Moy’ Rivas and JohnJay Chon as Co-Chairs of the Task Force.
Moises ‘Moy’ Rivas – Houston, Texas. Raised on Houston’s Southeast side, Moy was introduced to Breakin’ at a talent show held at his middle school. Although he outwardly appeared unmoved by most of it, at the very end of the show, a group of his friends came out gliding, spinning, and rocking beats. It was that moment that ignited an interest in wanting to know more and to experience it for himself. He began practicing with these friends – it became an obsession – practicing from the moment he arrived home from school into the late night.
In 2000, Moy won his first international event by winning Out for Fame in Los Angeles, CA. He began traveling all around the globe with Tribal Brand, an international Hip Hop brand headquartered in San Diego. In 2004, he began serving as a cultural ambassador for the US State Department, spreading the message of Hip Hop internationally. In 2010, Moy received the Spy Award from Rich “Crazy Legs” Colon of The Legendary Rock Steady Crew, the most prestigious award that can be received by a B-boy or B-girl. He has been featured in numerous films, commercials, national/international award shows, and national talk shows.
Amassing World Titles in over 60 countries, Moy used his track record, experience, and reputation to fortify his vision of Break Free. In 2011, Moy founded Break Free Worldwide, LLC. and has grown it into a successful, global corporation offering a cultural education module highlighting a standardized curriculum focused on the teachings of the four elements of Hip Hop (Breakin’, MC’ing, DJ’ing, and Visual Art). With the start of the Monster Energy Breakers program in 2013, this program has forged career paths for numerous artists, and the program has effectively executed performances, competitions and initiatives on a global level.
With the establishment of Breaking as an Olympic Sport in the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympic games, Moy was appointed as one of the head judges and athlete role models of the competitions. He currently serves as the Breakin’ Representative on the Athletes Commission for the World DanceSport Federation, the organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the International Governing Body for DanceSport.
Moy has worked to become one of the most influential figures in B-boy culture. His mastering of this dance form has catapulted him into becoming a pioneer in the community. His talent and perseverance has allowed him to break free from the chains that bound him to his seemingly pre-destined path. He created his own escape. Moy can be reached via email at breakinchair-moy@usadance.org
JohnJay Chon – San Diego, California. JohnJay, a native of South Korea, is credited with introducing Breakin’ to South Korea and, according to the New York Times, spawning the B-boy explosion in Seoul. In the late 1990s, then a hip-hop promoter, JohnJay “met a local group of urban dancers at a club and gave them a VHS tape of a Los Angeles break-dancing competition. He’d later find out that the tape was duplicated hundreds of times.”
In 2001, he founded Cartel Creative, Inc. in Seoul. Korea and transformed a single-room five-person urban lifestyle and youth culture agency operation into a full-service 360-degree agency creating world-famous events and productions that have spanned over a decade and reached hundreds of millions of viewers and participants worldwide. This includes producing award-winning documentaries (“Planet B-boy”, “Bad Rap”) that remain available worldwide on Netflix and iTunes.
Partnering with globally renowned brands that define the cutting edge in tech, media and entertainment, including Red Bull, Vice Media Group, Supercell, Blizzard Entertainment, Adidas, and the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, he has successfully produced over 200 large-scale, international, multi-site events in 27 countries including events with budgets of over 2 million USD.
His dance milestones include annual strategic consulting for the Red Bull BC One World Finals since its inception in 2004 and overseeing marketing and production for the Red Bull BC One World Finals 10 year anniversary in Seoul, Korea. Additionally, he has produced world-class Breakin’ events with millions in viewership, including Red Bull Lords of the Floor (2001-2002), Freestyle Session Korea, Battle of the Year Korea, and UK B-boy Championships Korea (2003-2010). He created and managed Asia’s then-largest dance and hip-hop festival, R16, in conjunction with the Korean Tourism Organization and Ministry of Sports and Culture (2007-2015). Additionally, he has produced innovative media projects, including 48 episodes of Urban Dance & Educational TV (“Soul City,” 2006-2007), the first LIVE TV production Breakin’ event (“Armory Cup,” 2006) and the first-ever 3D dance content for Samsung Electronics (2008-2009).
He serves as the Director and Tour Manager of the Urban Dance Educational Foundation (UDEF) and Pro Breaking Tour and is the founding member of the legendary dance crew, Circle of Fire, from Seattle, Washington. JohnJay can be reached via email at breakinchair-johnjay@usadance.
In addition to the Breakin’ Task Force, the Board of Directors created and ratified appointments to the NGB Task Force, which will work toward to ensuring that USA Dance is meeting the requirements of gaining National Governing Body status for DanceSport with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. This designation is important as it allows Breakin’ athletes from the United States to take part in the 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Paris, France. Appointed to the task force were Ken Richards (President, USA Dance), Lydia Scardina (past President, USA Dance), Jill Smith (USA Dance member and retired attorney), Ellen Zavian (experienced sports management attorney and law professor at George Washington University whose son is a B-boy) and Michael Murphy (USA Dance DanceSport Athlete Delegate and practicing attorney). They, along with Moy and JohnJay, will represent USA Dance in all matters related to the USOPC.
For more information about USA Dance and these appointments, please contact President Ken Richards at president@usadance.org and Marketing & Communications Chair Ruslan Wilder at marketingcommunications-chair@
About the organization: USA Dance, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as a Recognized Sports Organization and is the national member body of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized International Governing Body for Dance with the mission to improve the quality and quantity of dance in the United States.
Learn more about USA Dance at www.usadance.org