Where Do We Stand? Breaking, Evolution, and the Next Chapter of Urban Dance in Uganda & East Africa

By Rique Orenia

A few weeks ago, I was catching up with some friends—old comrades from our most active breaking years. We found ourselves reminiscing about that era when all we wanted was to make it happen: to train hard, show up, and be part of the generation of breakers who would battle at the biggest jams.

Back then, the local jams mattered. We waited for them. We lived for them. And nothing hit harder than Break Fast Jam—the major event that shaped our dreams and tested our limits. You could see it in our eyes: we were trying. We were doing everything that needed to be done, on time, with intention. Everyone was practicing, preparing, and pushing, whether for an upcoming battle or simply for the hope that one day we would stand on the floor of a big event and represent with pride.

But what we didn’t realize then was that we were actually training for very different battles—battles that had nothing to do with the cypher and everything to do with the future versions of ourselves.

Some of us were unknowingly preparing to become DJs, judges, event hosts, producers, cultural organizers—roles we never imagined at the time but somehow grew into. Others remained on the dance floor, sharpening their craft, staying rooted in movement, and pushing the culture forward through their bodies.

Today, the question is no longer just about individual evolution. It’s about the collective.

Where Do We Stand Now, as a Nation and a Region?

Uganda—and East Africa as a whole—is in a fascinating transitional phase between Millennials and Gen Z. We are witnessing a shift in culture, value systems, aesthetics, and the way young artists engage with dance.

This brings forward the crucial question:

Will breaking remain the magnet it has always been, or will it twist, transform, and evolve into something entirely new?

And more importantly:

What unique identity can Uganda and East Africa contribute to the global breaking landscape?

A New Edition of Music, Movement, and Mindset

We already know the cultural fingerprints that different countries have left on breaking. The U.S., South Korea, France, Japan, Brazil—each brought its own flavor, its own contribution, its own philosophy of movement.

But what about Uganda?

What about East Africa?

What are we adding?

Yes—there is a lot happening. In fact, our region has continued to manifest breaking as a powerful cultural force, deeply connected to our communities and our lived realities. We have built events, nurtured dancers, influenced global conversations, and shown that our presence here is more than valid—it is essential.

But we must also ask harder questions:

• What else can we do?

• What new systems can we design?

• What unique interpretation of music and movement can we craft?

• Can we develop an East African breaking aesthetic rooted in our identity, rhythm, and cultural memory?

• Is leapfrogging—jumping ahead by creating entirely new pathways—our best strategy?

The Next Chapter: A Call for Intention

We are living at a time when urban dance in East Africa is no longer just about battles and events. It has become a space of identity-making, storytelling, cultural representation, and social transition. We have an opportunity not only to participate in global culture but to shape it.

And this shaping will require:

• New music rooted in our sonic heritage

• A wider vocabulary of movement inspired by our dances, environment, and histories

• Creative systems of competition designed through our own lens

• Mentorship structures informed by lived East African experience

• Cultural leadership that bridges generations

Because breaking will not die. It will evolve, transform, adapt—and if we’re deliberate, it will evolve with our signature on it.

So What Happens Next?

That depends on us.

If we continue to invest, innovate, question, and create, Uganda and East Africa will not just thrive—they will redefine what breaking can be. We have already planted seeds in the cyphers, in workshops, in festivals, on stages, and in the hearts of the next generation.

Now, all that remains is to build the next chapter—intentionally, boldly, and with cultural honesty.

Because maybe, without even noticing, we have been preparing for this moment all along.