FORMULA ARMADA Crew

FORMULA ARMADA CREW _____________________________________________________ Breakdance to unite cultures _____________________________________________________ Pumping hip hop beats are filling a run-down gymnasium in the old centre of Lisbon. We can feel the heat and the smell of sweat in the air when we walk in. A group of guys with muscular bodies are doing “headspins”, “turtles” and “windmills” across the floor – the acrobatic moves of the “Formula Armada” breakdance crew. _____________________________________________________There are 10 people in the group between the ages of 18 and 28 from all over the world: Angola, Brazil, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, who all live in the close suburbs of Portugal’s capital. The “B-Boys”, which the dancers refer themselves as got to know each other through friends and breakdancing events, and now they meet tree times a week for training. _____________________________________________________ One of the founders of the group is Wilson Magalhaes, a 21 year old Angolan, who started dancing at the age of 9, imitating his older brother Osvaldo and his uncle who were also performing. “But my biggest idol is Michael Jackson” he comments. Together with his brother Owaldo he founded the group “Formula Armada” in 2004. The main idea behind the group is to have a positive impact on young people and to find a way to cope with the struggles of life. “We are like a family”, says Wilson and stresses that, “everybody is an equal member”.__________________________________________________ ____ B-girl Maria, 27, is one of the two “B-Girls” of the crew. For seven months she has practiced with “Formula Armada” after she met the crew at a national Breakdance championship. She was adamant that she had no problem keeping up with the boys, even though breakdancing is a very athletic and powerful sport - she keeps the boys in line. ______________________________________________________At the moment the group is developing a unique style and they are becoming more widely known, both in Lisbon and beyond. Since winning some national competitions and even appearing on national Portuguese television now they regularly get booked for events and shows. Wilson tells proudly that they have started to earn some money with dancing and that they also obtained some sponsorship. Right now they are touring across Portugal with a Hip-Hop Formation named “Makongo”. ______________________________________________________ More info: www.myspace.com/formulaarmada. ______________________________________________________ What is Breakdance?_________________________________________________ _____ Breakdance is a dance style which was originally performed in the streets and which is known as a part of the hip hop movement. It was first danced by African American and Puerto Rican youths in Manhattan and the South Bronx of New York City during the early 1970s. Normally it is danced to Pop, Funk and Hip Hop music. ______________________________________________________ It is said that Breakdance or B-Boying was an alternative for the youth apart from the violence of urban street gangs. The Breakdance culture is known to be free of any race, gender or age boundaries and today it is a worldwide practised and accepted dance style.Manuel Rhode _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________NEWS: WINNER OF BATTLE DE FLAMENGA (19.07.2008)FORMULA ARMADA--NEW GENERATION!!!B-BOY SANDRO (6 years old!)WORKSHOP DE HIP-HOP (Newstle e Breakdance) COM OSVALDO DA FORMULA ARMADA! NA ESCOLA DAS 1001 DANÇAS. Mais INFORMAÇÔES: www.1001dancas.com / [email protected] TELEFONE: 964336557(Osvaldo / bboy D-Play)CONTACTO: [email protected] TELEFONE: 964336557(Osvaldo / bboy D-Play)