February 2023
K-sports
Photographed by Stidio Kenn
Q. Hello. Would you please introduce yourself?
Hello, I’m Freshbella. I’m a b-girl (“break-girl”) and member of the National (Korean) Breaking Team.
Q. What was your first step on the path to becoming a breaker?
I’ve loved sports ever since I was little. I did figure skating when I was in my first year of middle school, but I felt like I started too late compared to my friends. I talked with my parents, and I ultimately decided to give up on my dream of becoming a figure skater. My parents told me that I could do whatever I wanted, so I started going to vocal and dance academies. That was when I first learned about breaking.
My parents actually weren’t as supportive of me when I first started breaking as they are now. There are a lot of dangerous moves in breaking, so they were worried that I might get hurt. However, I was happy because I really liked dancing. My parents realized how much I loved dancing, so they’ve become very supportive. They also give me a lot of advice.
Q. I heard that each breaker has their own signature move. What’s your signature move?
My one is a modified version of the air freeze. When performing the air freeze, one leg is placed behind the other, and you hold onto that leg with your hand. This has become my signature move. People can recognize me just by looking at my back when I do this move. I’m constantly thinking of ways to create my own lines or angles in basic movements.
Q. It seems like it would take a lot of stamina to pull off such a difficult move. I feel like core strength is very important.
I do strength training on a regular basis. I spend just as much time in the weight room as I do the dance practice room when I train at the Athletes’ Village. I do strength training in the morning.
Q. What’s your day like at the Athletes’ Village?
Training is from Monday to Friday. I usually do high-intensity weight training in the morning. We have a short break after lunch, and then we practice throughout the afternoon.
Q. You move to music, so it seems like studying music would also be important.
That’s right. Our music is selected randomly during competitions. I naturally started studying music. I began studying hip-hop when I was taking an introduction to breaking lecture. Nowadays, I’ll play a song randomly and practice dancing to it.
Q. What is breaking’s status in South Korea these days?
I heard from my seniors that there was a golden age of breaking. Unfortunately, it was before I was born, so I don’t really know what the atmosphere was like at that time. The public has thankfully shown a lot of interest in breaking after it was approved as an official event for the Asian Games and Olympics. The number of people who have come to watch breaking has increased significantly.
Q. There was a channel that recently aired an entertainment program about breaking. I know you appeared on the program. Has anything changed for you after appearing on the program?
The whole atmosphere feels different when I go to a venue now. Fans come to see me, cheer me on, and support me. I appreciate them so much.
Freshbella performs on stage at the 2022 Breaking K Series 2nd Competition. © Korean Federation of DanceSportQ. How are Korean breakers regarded these days on the world stage?
A lot of people say that Korean breaking has declined compared to where it was during the golden age. It’s true when you look at it objectively, such as with international competition results, but I don’t think Korean breaking skills are getting weak. I think the bigger reason is that breakers from other Asian countries such as Japan and China are appearing on the scene at a much faster rate. I think this has served as motivation for Korean breakers. We are working really hard to continue to develop our skills.
Q. What is the selection process like for the National (Korean) Breaking Team?
The National Team is selected through the Breaking K Series hosted by the Korea Federation of DanceSport. Representatives are selected after a fairly extensive selection process. Points are accumulated through several rounds. Only the top-ranked players advance to the finals. The members of the National Breaking Team are selected after the finals.
Q. How did you feel when you were selected for the National Breaking Team?
I think it took a while to really sink in. It started to feel more real when people would congratulate me and offer me words of encouragement. I feel a huge sense of responsibility.
Q. You were selected as a member of the 2021 National Breaking Team, but the Hangzhou Asian Games were postponed for a year due COVID-19. They held the selection process again for the team in 2022.
It actually presented me with the opportunity to refine my skills. I was able to improve my physical abilities while training at the Athletes’ Village. The time I had to hone my skills helped me become a member of the 2022 National Breaking Team. I had a lot of people tell me that my skills had improved in the past year. It felt good to defend the National Team title, but it felt even more valuable to me because it gave me time to grow.
Q. The Hangzhou Asian Games are coming up soon. You’ll be performing on the world stage for the first time wearing the Taegeuk (the flag of Korea). What are your goals?
They put out the call for the National Team selection process in January, so I started training. I plan to continue training at the Athletes Village for two to three weeks every month.
The World Series Breaking starts in Japan at the end of February before the Asian Games. It’s an important competition because it’s related to the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s also the first world competition of the year, so it’s a very meaningful competition. I want to get good marks at the competition so I can feel more confident when I compete in the Asian Games.
Q. What kind of breaker do you want to be in the future?
I want to become a great breaker who is able to put a fresh new take on the same moves that others are doing. Above all, I want to be able to dance happily for a long time without injury.
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