Photographs by Martha Cooper
Text by Nika Kramer
Introduction by Rokafella
A Miss Rosen Edition


"Women have always been right there on the front lines in Hip Hop, adding our flavor to what the men are doing and making it our own. B-girlz have been holding it down from jump. It's good to see them finally getting the recognition they deserve with We B*Girlz.” —Missy Elliott-

In 1985, B-Boys were all the rage but where were the girls? Fast-forward twenty years for the answer: We B*Girlz,
a lively look at the hot and happenin world of B-Girlz of the twenty-first century as documented by photographer
Martha Cooper
and writer Nika Kramer. Breaking is back with a new twist as today's stylish fly girls can battle the best of them.

We B*Girlz, the first handbook for accomplished or aspiring B-Girlz and the boys who love them, showcases the dynamic style and nonstop energy of B-Girlz in action, in practice, on stage, and at home. Providing inspiring insight into a previously little-known subculture that has swept the world, We B*Girlz includes chapters like Lady Legendz,
Girlz n' Crewz, Floor Warz, Ride the Beat, We B*Family, Work it!,
We B*Stylin' and practical information in the B*Girl Guide on footwork and gear, as well as source information on websites, events, competitions, and classes.

Featuring pioneering B-Girlz like Rokafella from the Bronx, who now dances professionally, and Asia-One from L.A., who organized and promoted the B-Boy Summit for ten years, We B*Girlz also showcases the gutsy girls who dare to dance with all-boy crews such as Vendetta from Atlanta's Burn Unit and Valentine-whose Paris crew, Fantastik Armada, came in second in the 2004 Battle of the Year, the largest international competition in Germany. Presenting girls of all ages and walks of life, We B*Girlz spotlights twelve-year-old Wonder Woman from France, a serious contender at last year's IBE; Krazee Grandma, a beloved sixty-five-year-old B-Girl from Sweden who still spins on her head and travels around Europe to dance competitions; B-Girl Mom Honey Rockwell, whose three-year-old daughter is known as "The Annialator"; and B-Girl & Boy couple Chyna and Sake who organize an annual couple's battle called "Lover's Rock" in San Diego.

Introduction Herstory by Ana Rokafella Garcia, a Spanish Harlem–born hip hop dancer and choreographer who has danced with crews such as The Transformers and The Breeze Team before
joining the hip hop dance company GhettOriginal. Rokafella has appeared in music videos such as Fabolous’ “Youngin’”; is the cofounder of Full Circle Productions, a hip hop artist collective; and appeared in Soular Power’d, a hip hop theater show she codirected with her husband, B-Boy Kwikstep. Rokafella has done work for artists like Will Smith, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Tito Puente, among others. She lives in New Jersey


Cooper and Kramer first began documenting this new breed of B-Girlz in a breakdance competition in Germany in 2004. Following the dancers to the biggest battles - including Mighty4 in San Francisco, the Spinfactor Finals in Rhode Island, Breaklanta in Atlanta, IBE in the Netherlands, and the International Battle of the Year in Germany-they photographed and interviewed B-Girlz representing everywhere from South Africa to New Zealand, from New York to California, and from Japan to Germany. Culminating in the first annual We B*Girlz competition at veteran
B-Boy Ken Swift's studio in Brooklyn, Cooper and Kramer's work will introduce a new generation to the art of
B-Girling.

 


for press inquiries, contact Sara Rosen