Dynamic Japanese breaker Yuasa Ami first grabbed everyone’s attention back in 2018 after becoming the inaugural BC One champion. Now she and sister B-girl Ayu are at the forefront of the dance sport set to revolutionise the Paris 2024 Olympics.
4 minBy Chloe Merrell
Breaking
Yuasa Ami – also known as B-Girl Ami – is a breaker at the top of her game.
Her always smooth foundational work matched with her cleanly executed power moves have not only won the Japanese star legions of followers, but also the dance sport's top prizes, including the highly coveted BC One title and 2019 breaking World Championship title in Nanjing, China.
From her hip-hop origins to the strong family support network that surrounds on, read on to find out the top things you need to know about the B-Girl.
From rhythmic beats of hip-hop to the world of breaking
Born in Saitama, Japan in 1998, Yuasa first discovered hip-hop music at six years old thanks to the influence of her older sister.
Relishing the catchy sounds and rhythmic beats, she began hip-hop dancing.
But when, one day, she laid eyes on breaking the young dancer quickly decided she wanted to pursue the sport later and she took it immediately, eager to conquer tricks and power moves, finding the progression almost infectious.
One of the moves the B-Girl Ami first saw and wanted to try was the windmill.
“The next week, she did it,” explained Katsu One, Yuasa first teacher, to Red Bull. “She’s really strong. She has a really strong mind [and] heart.”
And it wasn’t long before the young Japanese break dancer began hitting up the competition scene.
Her mother was instrumental to her growth in her early years
To progress means to practice and, for a young breaker looking to develop fast and work with the best, that meant certain sacrifices had to be made.
B-Boys would often gather after work at Mizonokuchi train station to practice together, and the B-Girl would be desperate to join them. The only problem was, the train station was some two hours from her home, and with practice often running late into the night, she would miss the last train home.
Cue mom.
“My mom always would be driving to go to that practice place and come back home,” continued B-Girl Ami to Red Bull.
“Then my mom would go to work and come back. So, I think when I was in elementary school and junior help, my mom didn’t sleep much.”
A breaking breakthrough
Years of hard work and practice eventually began to pay off for Yuasa, who began to encounter increasing success across the world in various competitions.
Her breakthrough moment came in 2018 when she became the first-ever B-Girl to win the BC One World Final, an invitation-only event, which brings 16 of the best breakers together for battle.
The Japanese entrant then cemented her status at the top when she crowned world champion at the first WDSF World Championships a year later, propelling her to fame.
Though she wasn’t able to defend her title in 2021, the B-Girl came close – taking the runner’s up position, and it was a podium finish made that bit sweeter by the appearance of her sister, B-Girl Ayu, who finished in third.
Drawing strength from her sport
For B-Girl Ami, breaking is much more than just performing.
In addition to getting to be herself, and express her feelings through her sport using her wide array of power moves and cleanly executed tricks, breaking has also transformed her as a person
“Before, I got nervous really so easy,” continued Yuasa to Red Bull. “So, the most challenging part for me is winning over myself and my nerves and doing my best on the stage.”
And while the wins are always important, Ami insists that it's just one part of why the sport has stolen her heart:
“Winning a battle, of course, is so amazing, but at the same time, meeting people from all over the world has become an inspiration for me," she told Forbes. "These precious encounters and experiences with different dancers means so much to me.”
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