Dapto teen Molly Chapman is gearing up to pop it and lock it on a world stage after becoming one of Australia's leading breakdancers.
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Molly, 17, claimed the top title of Australian B-girl Champion at the Red Bull BC One - a prestigious one-on-one breaking competition.
The Dapto High School student battled it out against seven other leading Australian 'B-girls' in Sydney on Sunday, May 22. Molly will jet to New York in November to compete for the world title.
"I've had my eye on this competition for so long," Molly said.
"When I won I was just speechless ... it's such an honour."
The battle-style format of the comp involved two dancers going head-to-head, performing head stands and power moves in front of hundreds in the crowd.
A nerve-wracking feat for some, seasoned breaker Molly wasn't intimidated.
"Battling is just part of the hip hop culture," Molly said. "That's ultimately what your goal is when you do the style, to compete with it.
"I trained at least a month before the comp and constantly throughout the week, just getting my body to understand the movements and routines."
Molly fell into the unique style when she decided to follow in her sisters footsteps and try out dancing.
She dabbled in classical and ballet - but no style quite compared to the free flowing, high energy feeling of breaking.
"It's so exciting, the way your body moves and allows you to spin," Molly said.
It just feels a bit magical.
- Molly Chapman, Australian B-girl Champion
Molly has been dancing at Wollongong's Street Beatz Hip Hop studio since 2014. Co-owner of the studio and her trainer Don Napalan said it was a special moment seeing Molly claim the title.
"She is the first Australia B-girl champion so it's pretty crazy ... that's something that's going to stick forever," Don said.
"Winning the comp wasn't our plan, we were already celebrating the fact she got pre-selected to be one of the top eight B-girls in the country. So this was just the icing on top.
"We're so proud and more than anything, we're excited for what's to come for her."
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
