Last For One

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Last For One is a Korean break dancing crew that formed in 1997. With their win in the 2005 Battle of the Year, they have been recognized as a worldwide known name and a contributor to the Hanryu wave, their fans respectively calling them the 'Dancing Taeguk Warriors.'

1 Beginning
2 Members
3 History and awards
4 Contribution to the Hanryu wave
5 External links

[edit] Beginning

Their love for dancing started 7 to 8 years ago when they saw Seotaiji and Boys dancing on television or, like fate, came across a video featuring break dancing. Amongst the members, there is not one person that started dancing admist praises and encouragement, which is precisely one of the reasons that makes them shine all the more. Many of their families had to endure poverty which drove their parents to strongly disagree with their passion for dancing. They danced while others looked on with pity and anger, only keeping one dream in mind: to become a b-boy.

In order to see a more clear and wider range of b-boying styles, they all came to Seoul and spent their days unfortunately eating ramen. In the day, they were busy running around doing any kind of job they could find, and by night, they met together to dance. Living in a small one room apartment did not bother them for they had an outlet called dance. One member said that "All of this was nothing to us because it was happiness in itself that we were able to dance."

If there was one thing that they could not outright ignore, it was that they were dancing when their parents needed them the most.

B-Boy Taiyou claimed that not many b-boys are out there that start b-boying with their parent's acceptance and encouragement. "It isn't traditional dance, it is a dance that is looked on by others as a form of dance danced by gangsters and others socially unacceptable." B-boy Taiyou, who's father is a junior high school teacher, was able to force his father to understand his passion. B-boy Finger, unfortunately, was once caught dancing at a studio and was then named the family's problem child. To the neighborhood, he was a social misfit. Even so, his dancing continued, even after he was forced to live with a relative. Finger says "I was so sorry to my family. I have two younger siblings so I was in a situation where I had to work but I was crazed with dance. " B-boy Baebaeng says "As long as we can dance, we don't care if we don't have a girlfriend or if we can't get into a good college. We most definitely don't care about how society views us. What we are truly afraid of is not being able to dance." Baebaeng lost his father at a young age, and to him, dancing was a way of forgetting his grief. "Dancing was my father."

Now, they are up to their heads in CF calls and other endorsements. "Of course we are happy. There are less eyes that view us as delinquents, and although it isn't much, we can make some money now. Maybe in the future, b-boying can be accepted as a career." In addition, Bboy Zero-Nine has a special role in the new Korean drama series, Over the Rainbow, which includes many high profile stars like Fly to the Sky's Hwanhee.

[edit] Members

B-boy Joe (Cho Sung Gook) (1983)

"Until the day street dancing is recognized as a true art, I want to be a person that spreads the word."

B-boy Taiyou (Suh Ju Hyun) (1983)

"I always remember and cherish the moment of the win in Infinity Battle Master."

B-boy Style-m (Lee Yong Joo) (1983)

"The final win is not the leap you took from the starting point. It is all the effort and patience it took to reach it."

B-boy Fresh (Park Kyung Hoon) (1983)

"I want to be a person that always smiles and becomes a source of strength for someone."

A.k.a Min (Jun Hyo Min) (1985)

"I wish people of the whole world would know what b-boying is."

B-boy Stone (Choi Min Suk) (1984)

B-boy Baebaeng (Bae Byung Yup) (1985)

"I want to be able to hold will in one hand and be able to look up at the sky and smile."

B-boy Zero-Nine (Shin Young Suk) (1985)

"I want to be able to make people be happy with one body movement."

B-boy Finger (Yoo Dae Hyuk) (1986)

"Instead of the best b-boy, I want to be a b-boy that anyone can remember."

[edit] History and awards

1998 - Seoul Maroni Performance Battle Competition 1st Place
1998 - National Dance Competition 2nd Place
1999 - Junju Dance Competition 1st Place (Three consecutive wins from 1999 - 2001)
2000 - Junju Battle Competition 1st Place
2001 - Seoul Hip Hop Festival 1st Place
2001 - jTV Dance Dance Program 3 Wins
2001 - Snickers CF
2001 - Junju Street Dance Party 2:2 1st Place
2002 - Junju Dance Festival Grand Award
2002 - Chungju 3:3 B-boy Battle 1st Place
2002 - Chunnam Dance Battle 1st Place
2002 - Seoul Streetmaster Championship - Performance 1st place, Battle 2nd place
2002 - Seoul Underground B-boy Master 1st Place
2002 - Chunnam Dance Festival 1st Place
2003 - Seoul Street Jam Vol. 2 Top of the Top 1st Place
2003 - Seoul B-boy Unit Vol. 5 3rd Place
2003 - Daejun 2:2 B-boy Dance Battle 1st Place
2003 - Nambu reprensentative of Seoul High Festival
2003 - Seoul Infinity Battle Master Competition 1st Place
2003 - Chunnam Kwangju 3:3 B-boy Battle Competition 1st Place
2003 - Seoul Battle of the Year Korea 03 Semifinals
2003 - Seoul Levi's Battle Master 1st Place
2003 - Osaka, Japan Battle of Hirapa 1st Place
2004 - Levi's Endorsement Performance
2004 - Seoul B-boy Party 2:2 Battle Semifinals
2004 - Seoul B-boy Challenge Vol. 4 Semifinals
2004 - Fukuoka, Japan B-boy Break Title Solo Battle Vol. 6 1st Place
2004 - Seoul's 2nd Levi's B-boy Master 1st Place
2004 - MTV CF Endorsement
2004 - Chinese College Hip Hop Competition JUDGE
2005 - Seoul Match One's Skill 1:1 Battle Showcase
2005 - Spain 3:3 B-boy Battle Competition JUDGE
2005 - "Spain Underground Republic 3" Europe B-boy Battle 3:3 1st Place
2005 - Battle of the Year Korea 1st Place
2005 - Battle of the Year WIN
2005 - Chocoba CF
2005 - e. Comfortable Life CF
2006 - Battle of the Year 2nd Place

[edit] Contribution to the Hanryu wave

With their awarding win in the 2005 Battle of the Year, the audience was filled with people of all ethnicities proudly waving the Korean flag. Interest in Korean b-boys have also significantly rised after Korean b-boy crews took the win in 2002, 2004, and 2005. European b-boys have also shown an interest in learning Korean because of their love for Korean b-boys.