R-16 is back!

On the beautiful west coast of Korea, the city of Incheon will host the premiere B-boy Tournament and Urban Arts Festival on Sept 25-27, 2009.

With an expanded schedule spanning 3 days including 1v1 battles, a Crew Performance Competition, a Crew Battle Competition, a Footwork Competition, a Popping and Locking Comp, Wall Lords graffiti battle and a full blown hiphop show featuring Drunken Tiger, Epik High, Rakka from Dilated Peoples and Roscoe, R-16 2009 is not to be missed!

Here's the skinny:

B-BOY CREW COMPETITIONS
The Crew Competitions are the focal point of R-16. Featuring 16 teams representing 15 countries competing for the title of World Champion while building continual RESPECT amongst their peers in the true spirit of Hip Hop.
The Crew Competition are broken into two categories that test the limits of teamwork, athletic prowess and creativity. Both competitions will determine First, Second and Third place winners.

The B-BOY CREW PERFORMANCE COMPETITION consists of teams performing choreographed pieces to music. The Performance Competition is a score based competition, with a panel of judges determining a winner based on choreography on
performance.

The B-BOY CREW BATTLE COMPETITION is a single elimination tournament with a free form dance battle format deeply rooted in the spirit of classic B-Boy circles. The unbridled creative energy of a freestyle battle set to a live DJ set presents a truly unique
audience experience.

2009 R16 COMPETITORS
CANADA SUPERNATURALZ
CHINA STO CREW
FINLAND STICKY RUCKUS
FRANCE SILENT TRICKS
HOLLAND HUSTLE KIDZ
JAPAN ALL AREA CREW
KOREA GAMBLERZ CREW
KOREA RIVERS CREW
POLAND POLSKEE FLAVOR
PORTUGAL MOMENTUM CREW
RUSSIA TOP 9 CREW
SINGAPORE RADIKAL FORZE
SPAIN ARCOPORN CREW
TAIWAN FORMOSA
UKRAINE EASTSIDE BBOYS
USA RENEGADE ROCKERS

Host MC’s MC Jaz Ivy, MC Make1

DJ’s DJ Skeme Richards (USA), DJ Tee (Japan), DJ
Renegade (UK), DJ Hooch (UK), DJ Wreckx (South
Korea)

Listen up b-boys! We just posted a new series of behind-the-scenes videos from R16.

Check out exclusive interviews with Pioneer Crew, Super Crew, Top 9 Crew, and Immortal Style breaking it down. We’ve also got new videos capturing the crazy battles, including the b-girlz competition, the art and the b-boy culture on the streets of Korea.

Watch videos from the best crews in the world and share them with your friends!

imeem’s gotcha covered.

Forget the Bronx and South Central. If you want to find the best hip-hop dancers in the world look farther east, to South Korea.

By Jeff Chang, author of Can't Stop Won't Stop

This summer, the United States is reaching new heights of dance fever as TV shows like Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" and MTV's "Randy Jackson Presents: America's Top Dance Crew" have returned to the airwaves. MTV's runaway hit is considered especially cutting edge, showcasing hip-hop dance groups from across America. But if MTV really wants the best dance crew, it should be looking in South Korea. . .

Read the rest of Jeff Chang's article about Korean b-boy culture and R16 on Salon.com! http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2008/06/26/korean_hiphop/index.html

Congrats to the Gamblerz from Korea who won the 2008 world B-Boy championships at R16!! The crew includes Bruce Lee, The End, Sick, So Soy, So, Noodle, Top, Zesty, and Rush.

The Gamblerz Crew defeated Russia’s Top 9, the winner of the performance battle on the first day of the championships. The defending champion Rivers Crew from Korea took fourth place this year.

Check out the final battle here

R16, the World Bboy Championships and Urban Arts Festival, is taking place later this week in South Korea. The imeem team will be on the scene, bringing you up close and personal as the best bboy and bgirl crews from around the world battle it out for international "Respect".

We will be filming all of the battles, interviewing crews and posting video blogs live from Korea. We'll be posting video clips of R16 performances here every day, so keep checking back for the latest clips -- and remember your favorites because we may be asking who YOU think should win.

In the meantime, stay awhile and make yourself comfortable. We've got clips from last year's R16 so you can check out the dancers' mad style, playlists of hot beats and breaks to get you in the mood, and photos that will help you prepare for what's in store.

Schedule of happenings:

Art at R16
Urban art gallery exhibition: Wednesday, May 21- Thursday, May 28
Graffiti Fair: Thursday, May 29- Sunday, June 1
Hip hop concert

Main event
Masters Performance Battle: Saturday, May 31
Masters Crew Battle: Sunday, June 1

B-girlz event
Battle of the Year, We b-girlz Battle Korea Elimination: Saturday, May 31

Side events
UK Bboy Championships Locking Battle Korea Elimination: Saturday, May 31
UK Bboy Championships Popping Battle Korea Elimination: Sunday, June 1