Sunni Brummit - UK's first BC One finalist
As dancers from around the world prepare for the Red Bull BC One championships in Brazil this week, 18-year-old Sunni, is enjoying the razzmatazz of the competition and enjoying the travel perks of his passion.
The competition, based in Rio De Janeiro this year, brings together all styles of breaking - often, but incorrectly, referred to as breakdancing - and pits 16 dancers in one on one battles for that coveted number one spot.
Sunni always had an interest in sports, often climbing and playing football, but after becoming bored, he looked elsewhere for entertainment. He explained once that once he was introduced to B-Boying [breaking] it was the only thing that kept him interested. He said: “As soon as I started, I fell in love with it and it kind of took over my life.
Born in Malaysia, but growing up in Britain, Sunni found the balance between school and dancing quite easy. He said: “It’'s definitely not as hard as everyone thinks. Obviously you’ve got to take time out for competitions but school’s not that hard, it’s not a job; you can catch up.”
Being able to deal with the balance, Sunni has signed up to a BTEC qualification in Physical Theatre, which he will study for two years in London. Sunni admitted to often prioritising dance over school work when he was younger, but feels like Physical Theatre will capture his imagination more.
He said: “I’m excited about it; it seemed so much more relevant than my A Level subjects. At school, I wasn’t motivated and I was just going off to train rather than study so I think Physical Theatre is something I actually want to do and will work for.”
Despite being so young, Sunni has seen much more of the world than most, because of his dancing. Usually funded by competitions, Sunni gets to explore the world by B-Boying. Currently enjoying Rio, he has also travelled parts of Asia and danced in Europe.
However, not always dancing and travelling alone, Sunni is often joined by his crew, Soul Mavericks. He explained: “if the opportunity’s too good to miss, me and my crew, Soul Mavericks, will save up and pay for it but it’s usually funded by the competition who invite you to compete.”
Sunni was first involved in the Red Bull competitions after being invited to a qualifier in Barcelona last year, after passing that stage, he was invited back for the final. He said: “Red Bull competitions are always on a much bigger scale than anything else I’ve ever done; it’s like a different world. Usually you just turn up the night before, go to the jam and you’re done but here you’re treated like a superstar, doing film shoots, getting all the Red Bull gear - it feels like you’re part of a real sport, a respected sport.”
According to Sunni, the final will be a closely fought contest, with nobody really knowing who the winner will likely be. He said: “Everyone here has what it takes to win, that’s why they got invited. For me, I don’t know. It’s all about what happens on the day. There’s going to be almost 3,000 people there and the pressure can get to people, so you just never know.”
Although breaking is Sunni’s biggest passion, he isn’t necessarily looking for a career out if it. Right now he is simply enjoying it as a hobby and isn’t ready to make any big decisions about his career.
As far as B-Boying within the popular domain, Sunni believes it has rapidly developed, particularly in the UK. He believes shows like Britain’s Got Talent and Got to Dance have opened the public’s eyes about the culture and it is more respected as a real talent.
Sunni said: “Things are becoming more integrated and popular - all the dancing films you see; Street Dance 3D, Step Up, etcetera. It’s all blown up in the UK over the last couple of years.”
You can watch Sunni in the Red Bull BC One final on a live stream on the Red Bull BC One website. The stream will take place on Saturday 8 December at 8pm Brazilian time.
Female First
James Mellan @jamesmellan1
Tagged in Dance