Bboy Factory brings the art of breakdancing to another level with its breakdancing and hip hop classes in Denver, elite-level instruction and a supportive community for the city’s youth.
Breakdancing took center stage this year in Paris with its debut as an Olympic sport. And in recent years, Denver has become a thriving scene for breakdancers—hosting the “world’s largest” breakdancing competition, Red Bull BC. One Dnever studio leads the way in not only producing top breakdancers, but also as a welcoming community for young breakers. Founded by Ian Flaws in 2012, Bboy Factory set out on a mission is to promote the history of hip-hop culture while instilling life lessons in students of all ages.
Ian Flaws first became involved in hip-hop culture during high school, where he was introduced to breakdancing on a date at a studio in Boulder called Dance West. From that moment on, breakdancing became a significant part of Ian’s life, leading him and his friends to drive to Denver to practice and connect with other breakdancers.
“It was totally just a hobby, it was just fun. It was a fun way to hang out with my friends. And that was pretty much it. I was into the whole culture of it, the graffiti, the music, and the dance,” Flaws explained.
After Flaws attended college in Canada to play hockey he returned to Colorado and saw how the breakdancing scene in Denver had grown. And after teaching English in Korea, where he spent time dancing with some of the best breakdancers in the world, Flaws decided he wanted to bring that type of elite-level dancing to Denver.
“Seeing the impact of hip-hop, and how it changed lives and helped people overcome a lot of personal struggles and hardships. I’d seen the studios in Korea, that were high elite level and world-class. And then I saw sort of the opposite outside of, grassroots. Just the community service side of it. And with those two things, the light bulb started to go off in my head, I wanted to do something here and come back home,” says Flaws.
Feeling inspired, Flaws returned home to Denver, without a studio background, and created the Bboy Factory. Along with building a profitable business, his goal was to create a space for elite-level dancing by bringing in the best dancers worldwide while still keeping the authenticity of hip-hop culture.
“So a lot of, big, iconic, sort of legendary dancers reached out to me in the early years, and I started forming all these connections and we became, sort of like this epicenter in Colorado for breaking and for hip-hop culture and I believe, like, truly in my heart, even nationally and even internationally, like this space is special,” says Flaws.
While he has enlisted an impressive roster of guest teachers, he has also recruited experienced dancers who regularly teach at Bboy Factory. Joseph “Kid Cuba” Llaneza works with beginner classes, instructing children from age four to teenagers. Cuba first experienced breakdancing at age nine and has been exposed to various dance styles, such as salsa, due to his Cuban heritage.
“It’s going to give more opportunities to people like myself, more opportunities to the Bboy factory, and more opportunities for people that maybe are interested in breaking but never knew how to go about it. It’s going to allow them to see it more. And then they’ll be able to seek out studios like us or whoever else is in the area that appeals to them,” Cuba says.
Flaws’ teaching style of hard work and preparation has impacted the younger generation of dancers with one of his students Marcelo ‘B-Boy Chill’ Portillo winning one of the biggest b-boy competitions in the world:; the Red Bull BC.
“He’s a really important teacher to me and I don’t know if I’ve had the same style if he wasn’t my coach,” Portillo says.
Kid Cuba shares Flaws’ philosophy, emphasizing that breakdancing should focus on uniting people to share hip-hop culture. “It’s bigger than the moves. It’s about learning to love your neighbor, learning to love yourself, learning to accept everyone and their differences, and accept people exactly the way they are,” says Cuba.
Various dance crews from Bboy Factory perform at well-known venues in Denver, including the Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Art Museum and Meow Wolf. Flaws philosophy balances competitive breakdancing with artistic expression. This approach has significantly contributed to the thriving breakdancing scene in Colorado.
“So I think Colorado has a great scene. I think it’s grown tremendously in the last 10 years,” says Cuba. “I think the Bboy Factory has a lot to do with that. I mean, they were sort of at the forefront of bringing studio breaking and in the most authentic way.”
With breakdancing and hip hop classes in Denver have gained new popularity after the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic sport this summer in Paris, the studio expects increased interest. But while first-timers may be intimidated to give breakdancing a shot, Bboy Factory dancer Roman Martinez believes anyone can get started if they are dedicated to improving.
“I’d say I don’t think it doesn’t matter how old you are, what age you are, what gender you are. It doesn’t matter. Breaking is breaking and if you’re breaking good and if you’re working towards it, you will accomplish everything that you want. I think all it takes is work,” Martinez stated.
Flaws has overcome hurdles such as the business challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent inflation to turn the Bboy Factory into a sustainable business. He remains passionate about informing his students that dancing is an extreme sport that requires the highest amount of dedication but he also wants his students to have fun and grow at their own pace.
“This is this is a safe space. My intention with this facility is to provide a platform where people can express themselves safely.”
To learn more or to find Denver hip hop classes, visit their website and follow them on Instagram @bboyfactory.
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