Laura Taylor interviewing Conor O’Kane
Item
Dublin Core
Title
Laura Taylor interviewing Conor O’Kane
Subject
An interview about breakdancing, including its history, events and the experience of interviewee Conor O'Kane.
Description
The interview delves into the history and development of breakdancing, focusing on Conor O’Kane's experiences and contributions to the breakdancing community in Newcastle and Northern Ireland. Key topics include significant events such as the Scottish B-Boy Championships, the UK University Breakdance Championships, and the Just Jam battles. The interview also highlights the cultural exchange between breakdancing communities, the evolution of breakdancing crews like Bad Taste Cru and Newcastle City Kru, and the impact of breakdancing on the local and international dance scenes. The discussion emphasises the growth of breakdancing as an art form and its integration into the broader dance community.
Creator
Dance City
Publisher
Dance City
Date
23 February 2025
Contributor
Dance City
Rights
© Dance City. All rights reserved. Permission required for reuse.
Type
Audio
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Audio
Duration
00:15:18
Bit Rate/Frequency
192kbps
Transcription
Laura Taylor [LT] and Connor O’Kane [CK]
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:25:06
LT: Welcome to Dance City, Connor. Thank you very much for taking the time to come along here today. And you've brought an object with you, and would you like to tell us a little bit about that object and what it means to you, please?
00:00:25:08 - 00:00:52:24
CK - Yes. I've brought a pass for an event that I attended. I think it was around September 2001. As you can see, it says Scottish B-Boy Championships pass. And that was a breakdance event that was held at The Dance Base in Edinburgh. And at the time I was living in Ireland, in Northern Ireland, with my crew, Bad Taste Cru.
We started dancing in 1998, in Omagh, Northern Ireland. And this was three years on, this was our first ever competitive thing. So that was a huge turning point and a milestone for us. So I always kind of credit that day as being like the day that changed everything, you know, because it's the first time you've went from practicing in your own community, in your own youth club, with your friends. And it's very much just, you know, having a bit of fun and, you know, just doing it for pure enjoyment and all that and then going to a competition and meeting people from all around the UK that do the same thing and love it. And, you know, so it was a real experience to go to that event so I always kind of reflect on that and just think about the impact that that day had. We got to the final against the crew from Newcastle called NewCastle City Kru, NCK. And they were a wee bit more mature and had kind of been around a bit longer, but we had a bit of that youthfulness and kind of like youthful energy and kind of cockiness and all of that.
And we were all in the final, and the judges went for Bad Taste. So we took the win that day. But we formed a really strong bond that day with the Newcastle guys. So the following year they invited us to Newcastle for a rematch battle because they wanted to settle the score. And that was held at the [...] there was an event in Newcastle called the UK University Breakdance Championships and that was started around the late 90s, early 2000’s by Davey Ray [sp?] and a few other people.
00:02:49:21 - 00:03:12:01
CK - And, so we came back and battled Newcastle. That was our first trip over here. Battled NCK and it was a great day. They were getting the upper hand on us that day. It was in the basement at the student union. It was a really, really nice venue, but about three quarters of the way through the battle, the fire alarm went off and the whole place had to be evacuated. So the battle never ever finished [laughter]. So we always say to that day, technically, you didn't beat us because the battle never finished. But anyway, that was the start of, like, Bad Taste Cru, you know, connecting with Newcastle and from that point on, our crew then would travel back and forward to Newcastle and exchange with the guys here who were into all elements of hip hop: Graffiti writing, street art and the music. So the DJing element, the music production element, the MCing and rap element as well. And so us coming here helped us to kind of grow and develop our craft as artists and not just as dancers. And then within a few years of that first day, that first meet, all of Bad Taste Cru had relocated to Newcastle, some for work and some for university. So we decided to make Newcastle our home because we had a good connection with the B-Boys here. And since then the journey's been amazing. Twenty years later, we're sitting here talking about dance heritage and talking about, celebrating breaking as a dance form in the northeast, which is amazing. It shows you where we've come in 20 years, but it all started with that one event back in 2001. So that's why I brought that artefact, because I think it's pretty special.
00:04:46:02 - 00:05:07:05
CK – LT: Absolutely. Thank you so much, that's really interesting. I've worked at Dance City for a long time. I've kind of seen you going on that journey a little bit from the sidelines. I know some of you have married and settled and had kids and all that, and kind of you kept up your relationship with Ireland. You’ve kept, you know, really strong ties with Ireland throughout all of that. You've made a big difference to the region and it's been wonderful to see how much breakdancing has flourished. And you kind of pass the baton backwards and forwards between you and Newcastle, the dancers from Newcastle as well, and kind of integrated thoroughly into the region. So yeah, thank you so much for sharing that with us. And wonderful to hear all of your, thoughts and insights and the journey that you've been on. And long may it continue. I know you have other projects. You know, that's it's going to carry on for a long time. You've become a statesman of the genre in the region now?
00:05:52:22 - 00:06:24:18
CK: Yeah, we hope so. Yeah. We've got in Newcastle now currently, talking about breaking heritage or breaking tradition. So NewCastle City Kru for us were the crew that were very prevalent during the 90s in Newcastle. Bad Taste Cru met them as they were kind of coming towards the end of their competitive side. And, you know, they were getting to the age where they were, you know, having kids and responsibilities and blah, blah, blah.
So we very much took the baton on from them. And then, Ken Masters and, you know, different members of NCK became much more affiliated with Bad Taste Cru then and went on the next journey, which was then the next decade, you know, where Bad Taste Cru were putting on a lot of stuff in the city and doing a lot of different things.
And then what's great, what's come out of that then, is the next generation. So the Newcastle City Kru, then Bad Taste Cru, and now we have the Battalion's Cru. And then there's new generations coming through again, which is great to see, there's a legacy now. You know, the city's in good hands. We've got young people that came through the grassroots projects that we were delivering alongside Dance City and The Customs House, and different organisations across the northeast. And that work has resulted in a formidable breaking crew now from the northeast called Battalions Cru, who are known nationally, internationally and respected for their craft, which we're really proud of. So this project gives us a great chance to celebrate that heritage and acknowledge it, and also to share that with other people. And then watching out for the next generation.
00:07:43:15 - 00:08:11:05
CK: So Dance City are helping to contribute to that with the likes of Break City, which is now the first youth focused break and group that's about looking at next steps, how to support the development of talent in the region, which is really exciting. And that's one of the few projects that are now looking for the next generation. So, you know, we're looking for the fourth generation now of Northeast dancers, which is amazing.
00:08:11:07 - 00:08:37:15
LT: Can you tell us a little bit about the Just Jam battles and how you've contributed towards bringing breakers from all over the world, essentially, to the region? Because that's made a big impact, I think, on the younger kids.
CK: That was amazing. Right in the, I guess, in the Bad Taste Cru golden era, the mid-2006 up to 2010, we were doing a lot of, work in the city. We were making theatre work. We were touring theatre stuff. We were doing the competitive battle stuff. But then some of us were doing a lot of teaching locally as well, like I was teaching with Dance City and Customs House and Robbie, and different members of the crew were teaching across the Northeast. And that kind of then demanded [...] we had all of these students looking to us and we were going, well, we're not the only people, we look to people for inspiration. They're looking to us! So we wanted to kind of show them the people we looked to for inspiration. So [...] in partnership with Dance City, we set up an event called the Freshest Bairns, and that was a monthly workshop event that led into Just Jam. And Just Jam was an international breaking battle that we launched in 2008, and that was bringing internationals to the city to do workshops and to compete, and just to kind of hang and socialize with. So the kids we were teaching could see it's bigger than us. There's a whole culture out there. There's a whole world out there. And it's been amazing. That whole journey of Just Jam. We've run that event annually since 2008. And currently we did our 12th one in 2023, which had 250 dancers coming from over 20 countries to compete and to exchange and socialize. So Newcastle has got a strong reputation now for one of the best jams that’s come out of the UK, so we're really proud of that. And I'll just say hopefully the next one's coming soon, you know?
LT: It's amazing isn't it. The tentacles that you've kind of interwoven into the region. And that they reach out, you know, across the sea to Ireland, across the world. And you know, there's been breakdancers who've come and been part of your crew who’ve been from other parts of the world, and I think it's the exchange of knowledge, ideas. And like you say, it's very much opening people's eyes that you don't just have to break dance here. You can, you know - you always want to come home and spend time here, it's a wonderful region - but that there are other opportunities around the world, and I guess that's what happened to you. So in a sense it’s nice for you to pass that on to other people.
CK: Yeah. And I guess for us breaking wasn't just about battling or competition, it was more about the expression. But then through just doing it because you love it, you attracted people. Like, we got into theatre and did a lot [...] learned a lot through, you know, collaborating with dance choreographers, contemporary dance artists, people from all different disciplines. It just helps you grow as an artist and as a creative. So we were really lucky that Newcastle had that kind of a scene. There wasn't a breaking community. So for us it was the dance community that we managed to connect with. And then that's what really helped springboard us, like other dance artists, you know what I mean? You didn't see yourself just as a B-Boy or a break dancer. You were connecting to the art community, to the dance community, and you were learning how that world works, which was really valuable. And I think that's what is really strong about the North East, too, when you think about dance in general, is that, you know, you've got buildings like Dance City where you can come in and you can see high level ballet one weekend, high level contemporary the next. You can go and see an international breaking battle, or you know, so there's a lot there for people to like access, I guess. I'm going off now.
LT: It's all about it is all relevant, and it is about the region. Maybe I know some people say because Newcastle's a city that doesn't have very many other cities around it, so it has to cater for all tastes and all things.
00:12:46:20 - 00:13:08:09
CK: That's right.
LT: But it, it's quite small and that means that people can mix and there's a lot of fusion between styles.
CK: A lot of crossover, isn't there? Which makes it more exciting I think, like -
LT: A lot of the dancers did go off and also join, for spells, other companies, didn't they?
CK: Yes.
LT: - and experience, you know, like, I know Davey Ray did with Ballet Lorent. I think a couple of the other guys from Bad Taste Cru had spells there too didn’t they?
CK: That's right.
LT: And they, they would again be displaying a fusion of art forms within that-
CK: Yeah, for sure.
LT: - and getting more experiences and it's important to show children that, like you say you're not pigeonholing yourself, by picking to do one style of dance.
00:13:29:12 - 00:13:57:14
CK: Yes.
LT: Actually there are still opportunities to, because you still training, you’re still strong, you’re still flexible. And all of those things are required in all of those disciplines.
CK: Yeah. And I think I'll finish with this, just because, when you asked me about Just Jam I was thinking about heritage. And I think the thing that's strong in the Northeast is that we brought dancers from lots of generations to Newcastle from around the world. We had a Ken Swift from Rock Steady Crew, you know, pioneering breaking crew from New York City. You know, one of the pioneers, he’s noted as the third most influential dancer of the 20th century and, one of the one of the Dancer/Arts Hall of Fame's in America below the likes of, you know, Pina Bausch, or someone like this, you know, so it's pretty amazing. But we've had him in Newcastle sharing and teaching and passing on his knowledge. So I guess when we're thinking about the journey that we've been on from Ireland to Newcastle, and then the people that have come from around the world to Newcastle to share and pass on, you know, history that- like, this culture is only 50 years old, really breaking culture. But in that time a lot's happened and the stories are different depending on who you speak to. But we've got a little taste of that from different people around the world, which is quite nice.
LT: Yeah. That's brilliant. Thank you very much. That's wonderful. Thank you for coming in. Thank you for bringing our object. Lovely to meet you and hope to see you again soon. Thank you, thank you connor
[END]
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:25:06
LT: Welcome to Dance City, Connor. Thank you very much for taking the time to come along here today. And you've brought an object with you, and would you like to tell us a little bit about that object and what it means to you, please?
00:00:25:08 - 00:00:52:24
CK - Yes. I've brought a pass for an event that I attended. I think it was around September 2001. As you can see, it says Scottish B-Boy Championships pass. And that was a breakdance event that was held at The Dance Base in Edinburgh. And at the time I was living in Ireland, in Northern Ireland, with my crew, Bad Taste Cru.
We started dancing in 1998, in Omagh, Northern Ireland. And this was three years on, this was our first ever competitive thing. So that was a huge turning point and a milestone for us. So I always kind of credit that day as being like the day that changed everything, you know, because it's the first time you've went from practicing in your own community, in your own youth club, with your friends. And it's very much just, you know, having a bit of fun and, you know, just doing it for pure enjoyment and all that and then going to a competition and meeting people from all around the UK that do the same thing and love it. And, you know, so it was a real experience to go to that event so I always kind of reflect on that and just think about the impact that that day had. We got to the final against the crew from Newcastle called NewCastle City Kru, NCK. And they were a wee bit more mature and had kind of been around a bit longer, but we had a bit of that youthfulness and kind of like youthful energy and kind of cockiness and all of that.
And we were all in the final, and the judges went for Bad Taste. So we took the win that day. But we formed a really strong bond that day with the Newcastle guys. So the following year they invited us to Newcastle for a rematch battle because they wanted to settle the score. And that was held at the [...] there was an event in Newcastle called the UK University Breakdance Championships and that was started around the late 90s, early 2000’s by Davey Ray [sp?] and a few other people.
00:02:49:21 - 00:03:12:01
CK - And, so we came back and battled Newcastle. That was our first trip over here. Battled NCK and it was a great day. They were getting the upper hand on us that day. It was in the basement at the student union. It was a really, really nice venue, but about three quarters of the way through the battle, the fire alarm went off and the whole place had to be evacuated. So the battle never ever finished [laughter]. So we always say to that day, technically, you didn't beat us because the battle never finished. But anyway, that was the start of, like, Bad Taste Cru, you know, connecting with Newcastle and from that point on, our crew then would travel back and forward to Newcastle and exchange with the guys here who were into all elements of hip hop: Graffiti writing, street art and the music. So the DJing element, the music production element, the MCing and rap element as well. And so us coming here helped us to kind of grow and develop our craft as artists and not just as dancers. And then within a few years of that first day, that first meet, all of Bad Taste Cru had relocated to Newcastle, some for work and some for university. So we decided to make Newcastle our home because we had a good connection with the B-Boys here. And since then the journey's been amazing. Twenty years later, we're sitting here talking about dance heritage and talking about, celebrating breaking as a dance form in the northeast, which is amazing. It shows you where we've come in 20 years, but it all started with that one event back in 2001. So that's why I brought that artefact, because I think it's pretty special.
00:04:46:02 - 00:05:07:05
CK – LT: Absolutely. Thank you so much, that's really interesting. I've worked at Dance City for a long time. I've kind of seen you going on that journey a little bit from the sidelines. I know some of you have married and settled and had kids and all that, and kind of you kept up your relationship with Ireland. You’ve kept, you know, really strong ties with Ireland throughout all of that. You've made a big difference to the region and it's been wonderful to see how much breakdancing has flourished. And you kind of pass the baton backwards and forwards between you and Newcastle, the dancers from Newcastle as well, and kind of integrated thoroughly into the region. So yeah, thank you so much for sharing that with us. And wonderful to hear all of your, thoughts and insights and the journey that you've been on. And long may it continue. I know you have other projects. You know, that's it's going to carry on for a long time. You've become a statesman of the genre in the region now?
00:05:52:22 - 00:06:24:18
CK: Yeah, we hope so. Yeah. We've got in Newcastle now currently, talking about breaking heritage or breaking tradition. So NewCastle City Kru for us were the crew that were very prevalent during the 90s in Newcastle. Bad Taste Cru met them as they were kind of coming towards the end of their competitive side. And, you know, they were getting to the age where they were, you know, having kids and responsibilities and blah, blah, blah.
So we very much took the baton on from them. And then, Ken Masters and, you know, different members of NCK became much more affiliated with Bad Taste Cru then and went on the next journey, which was then the next decade, you know, where Bad Taste Cru were putting on a lot of stuff in the city and doing a lot of different things.
And then what's great, what's come out of that then, is the next generation. So the Newcastle City Kru, then Bad Taste Cru, and now we have the Battalion's Cru. And then there's new generations coming through again, which is great to see, there's a legacy now. You know, the city's in good hands. We've got young people that came through the grassroots projects that we were delivering alongside Dance City and The Customs House, and different organisations across the northeast. And that work has resulted in a formidable breaking crew now from the northeast called Battalions Cru, who are known nationally, internationally and respected for their craft, which we're really proud of. So this project gives us a great chance to celebrate that heritage and acknowledge it, and also to share that with other people. And then watching out for the next generation.
00:07:43:15 - 00:08:11:05
CK: So Dance City are helping to contribute to that with the likes of Break City, which is now the first youth focused break and group that's about looking at next steps, how to support the development of talent in the region, which is really exciting. And that's one of the few projects that are now looking for the next generation. So, you know, we're looking for the fourth generation now of Northeast dancers, which is amazing.
00:08:11:07 - 00:08:37:15
LT: Can you tell us a little bit about the Just Jam battles and how you've contributed towards bringing breakers from all over the world, essentially, to the region? Because that's made a big impact, I think, on the younger kids.
CK: That was amazing. Right in the, I guess, in the Bad Taste Cru golden era, the mid-2006 up to 2010, we were doing a lot of, work in the city. We were making theatre work. We were touring theatre stuff. We were doing the competitive battle stuff. But then some of us were doing a lot of teaching locally as well, like I was teaching with Dance City and Customs House and Robbie, and different members of the crew were teaching across the Northeast. And that kind of then demanded [...] we had all of these students looking to us and we were going, well, we're not the only people, we look to people for inspiration. They're looking to us! So we wanted to kind of show them the people we looked to for inspiration. So [...] in partnership with Dance City, we set up an event called the Freshest Bairns, and that was a monthly workshop event that led into Just Jam. And Just Jam was an international breaking battle that we launched in 2008, and that was bringing internationals to the city to do workshops and to compete, and just to kind of hang and socialize with. So the kids we were teaching could see it's bigger than us. There's a whole culture out there. There's a whole world out there. And it's been amazing. That whole journey of Just Jam. We've run that event annually since 2008. And currently we did our 12th one in 2023, which had 250 dancers coming from over 20 countries to compete and to exchange and socialize. So Newcastle has got a strong reputation now for one of the best jams that’s come out of the UK, so we're really proud of that. And I'll just say hopefully the next one's coming soon, you know?
LT: It's amazing isn't it. The tentacles that you've kind of interwoven into the region. And that they reach out, you know, across the sea to Ireland, across the world. And you know, there's been breakdancers who've come and been part of your crew who’ve been from other parts of the world, and I think it's the exchange of knowledge, ideas. And like you say, it's very much opening people's eyes that you don't just have to break dance here. You can, you know - you always want to come home and spend time here, it's a wonderful region - but that there are other opportunities around the world, and I guess that's what happened to you. So in a sense it’s nice for you to pass that on to other people.
CK: Yeah. And I guess for us breaking wasn't just about battling or competition, it was more about the expression. But then through just doing it because you love it, you attracted people. Like, we got into theatre and did a lot [...] learned a lot through, you know, collaborating with dance choreographers, contemporary dance artists, people from all different disciplines. It just helps you grow as an artist and as a creative. So we were really lucky that Newcastle had that kind of a scene. There wasn't a breaking community. So for us it was the dance community that we managed to connect with. And then that's what really helped springboard us, like other dance artists, you know what I mean? You didn't see yourself just as a B-Boy or a break dancer. You were connecting to the art community, to the dance community, and you were learning how that world works, which was really valuable. And I think that's what is really strong about the North East, too, when you think about dance in general, is that, you know, you've got buildings like Dance City where you can come in and you can see high level ballet one weekend, high level contemporary the next. You can go and see an international breaking battle, or you know, so there's a lot there for people to like access, I guess. I'm going off now.
LT: It's all about it is all relevant, and it is about the region. Maybe I know some people say because Newcastle's a city that doesn't have very many other cities around it, so it has to cater for all tastes and all things.
00:12:46:20 - 00:13:08:09
CK: That's right.
LT: But it, it's quite small and that means that people can mix and there's a lot of fusion between styles.
CK: A lot of crossover, isn't there? Which makes it more exciting I think, like -
LT: A lot of the dancers did go off and also join, for spells, other companies, didn't they?
CK: Yes.
LT: - and experience, you know, like, I know Davey Ray did with Ballet Lorent. I think a couple of the other guys from Bad Taste Cru had spells there too didn’t they?
CK: That's right.
LT: And they, they would again be displaying a fusion of art forms within that-
CK: Yeah, for sure.
LT: - and getting more experiences and it's important to show children that, like you say you're not pigeonholing yourself, by picking to do one style of dance.
00:13:29:12 - 00:13:57:14
CK: Yes.
LT: Actually there are still opportunities to, because you still training, you’re still strong, you’re still flexible. And all of those things are required in all of those disciplines.
CK: Yeah. And I think I'll finish with this, just because, when you asked me about Just Jam I was thinking about heritage. And I think the thing that's strong in the Northeast is that we brought dancers from lots of generations to Newcastle from around the world. We had a Ken Swift from Rock Steady Crew, you know, pioneering breaking crew from New York City. You know, one of the pioneers, he’s noted as the third most influential dancer of the 20th century and, one of the one of the Dancer/Arts Hall of Fame's in America below the likes of, you know, Pina Bausch, or someone like this, you know, so it's pretty amazing. But we've had him in Newcastle sharing and teaching and passing on his knowledge. So I guess when we're thinking about the journey that we've been on from Ireland to Newcastle, and then the people that have come from around the world to Newcastle to share and pass on, you know, history that- like, this culture is only 50 years old, really breaking culture. But in that time a lot's happened and the stories are different depending on who you speak to. But we've got a little taste of that from different people around the world, which is quite nice.
LT: Yeah. That's brilliant. Thank you very much. That's wonderful. Thank you for coming in. Thank you for bringing our object. Lovely to meet you and hope to see you again soon. Thank you, thank you connor
[END]
Collection
Citation
Dance City, “Laura Taylor interviewing Conor O’Kane,” North East Dance Heritage Archive, accessed January 22, 2026, https://nedanceheritagearchive.omeka.net/items/show/117.