The Life Journey--Avel

To me, breakdance is, first and foremost, an art. I spend hours in the studio, creating unprecedented, unique movements to stand out among other dancers and discover new manifestations of my body and soul. After all these years, people recognize me because of my original style, and when dancers from other cities and countries ask me for advice, I'm happy to share my knowledge, and I'm incredibly grateful to be part of hip-hop culture.

I had the opportunity to use my talent successfully in a lot of different ways. For the most part, I showcased my talent in world and national championships and dance battles, in which I earned more than 50 awards in solo competitions as well as in team competitions, including multiple 1st place awards nationally and regionally.

I grew up in a small town in southern Russia, where people don't always have the

opportunity to achieve their goals.

At eight-years-old, I created my first team called “Super Boys,” and years later, I became a member of one of the best teams in my home country, Russia,
called “Refresh Crew.”
One of the most difficult problems I encountered as Refresh Crew’s leader was to organize and host a breakdance championship-competition. Here, I gained leadership and management experience through holding meetings with local authorities, searching for sponsors, renting the venue, and inviting guests such as judges, DJs, and MCs from across Russia, all at the age of 14.
world championship “Yalta Summer Jam 2014” (Yalta, Russia) and the world championship “Battle of Styles 2014” (Vladimir, Russia).

In Stavropol, my team (Refresh Crew) and I were performing at almost

every event, including in downtown, at restaurants, for holiday celebrations in malls, and much

more, and that’s how we became recognized by public. Because of our experience, we made a

trustful and popular name for ourselves, and even the mayor of our city and neighboring cities

were inviting us to perform at government events and in city hall. I went on to eventually

become a leader of Refresh Crew, and gained valuable experiences and persevered through

struggles.

Personally, I was hired by a local dance studio at 14, where I started teaching people how

to dance and receiving my first real, self-earned money. Often, I was going to orphanages to

present my workshops for kids there, as my father owned a charity called Helping Hand, which I

often volunteered at. I always longed to become a person who my parents would be proud of,

and in 2014, after 6 year of practice, my dream became a reality: I triumphed as the champion in

two world competitions for youth dancers: the

I still

remember the overwhelming support and pride of my family and team, and this moment inspired

me to never stop dancing.

There were also special experiences I had, such as performing at the closing ceremony of the Winter Paralympic Games 2014 in Sochi, Russia with a group of the best dancers from all across Russia. For 5 years, me and my team “Refresh Crew” were sponsored by the largest oil

company in Europe and Turkey - Gazprom. The company sponsored my team, paid for all our expenses to travel around Russia and compete at monumental competitions, and through these experiences, I made some of my most interesting and genuinely fun memories with my team and the new people I met along the way. I felt so honored to be sponsored by the richest company in Russia, and the opportunities they provided my team and I allowed me to grow as a dancer.
I also had the experience of playing the lead character in the play "The Star Child" by Oscar Wilde at the local theatre in my city, Stavropol, in which I mixed my dancing skills with acting skills. In 2016, I decided to move out from my parents’ house to the capital of Russia because of better educational opportunities in Moscow, and there, I opened my very own dance studio with more than 20 students. I found and rented the place, figured out all the legal and financial requirements for opening the studio, and advertised it in a new city that I’d never lived in before. This is one of my most significant achievements, and I created indelible bonds with my students here. Later on, I was honored to be a part of a team of 10 of the best dancers in Russia to represent the southern half of Russia called “South Team” in the main competition between southern and northern Russian dancers called the “V1 battle” in Saint Petersburg. Here, there were no winners or losers, but rather was an exhibition of talent from each half of the country, in which I was called multiple times to showcase my skill. In that same year, I visited the U.S. for the first time with my family, and my younger brother and I took 1st place at a competition in Fresno, California called “Mp Boy Jam 2016.” Also, in 2017, I won one more competition during my second trip to the U.S. known as “Galactic Zone 2017.” After one month in the States, I returned back to Russia and placed 5th place in the national rank for the Youth Olympic Games 2018 for Breakdance for the Russian Federation. I had continued to compete in the Games, but unfortunately had to discontinue because of problems between my parents, which ultimately led to mother’s decision move and start a new life in the U.S., so I could not compete, but I will continue to search for and participate in similar opportunities in the future.

Teenagers nowadays cannot simply be themselves due to the influence of public opinion as a paramount measurement of our lives; social networks force us to imitate imposed ideals. However, I do not let these hindrances staunch my journey of self-expression, and regardless of these encumbrances, I articulate myself through dancing; being a dancer with more than a decade of experience, I cannot imagine my life without a constant attempt to achieve a full disclosure of my creative potential.

Regardless of possible roadblocks and setbacks, I passionately continue to

dance and express myself in every creative way I desire, and I hope to find more opportunities in

college where I can make an even bigger impact!