The New York City Breakers are an original B-boy (breaking) crew established in the Bronx borough of New York City in the early 1980s, formed by filmmaker and hip-hop promoter Michael Holman. The group originally consisted of members drawn from the Floor Masters (also known as the Floormaster Crew) and Wildstyle.
History
The crew was assembled after Holman organized a battle at the club Negril in Manhattan's East Village between the Rock Steady Crew and the Floor Masters. Impressed by the Floor Masters' speed, power, and athleticism, Holman recruited their strongest dancers and combined them with other talent to form a new crew. The name "New York City Breakers" was coined by legendary graffiti artist Phase II. Chino "Action" Lopez, the leader of the Floor Masters, was placed in charge of recruitment and member selection.
The original members included: "Action" (Chino Lopez), "Kid Nice" (Noel Mangual), "Glide Master" (Matthew Caban), "Lil Lep" (Ray Ramos), "Mr. Wave" (Tony Draughon), "Icey Ice" (Cory Montalvo), "Powerful Pexster" (Tony Lopez), and "Flip Rock" (Bobby Potts). A young dancer known as "Lil Alex" (Alex Roman) later joined and performed with the crew.
The New York City Breakers' first major television appearance was on The Merv Griffin Show in 1983. They subsequently appeared on Soul Train, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, P.M. Magazine, That's Incredible!, and NBC's The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team. They performed live with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in Boston.
In 1984, the crew appeared in the feature film Beat Street, where they battled the Rock Steady Crew. They also appeared in the films Sixteen Candles and Body Rock. They were featured on Graffiti Rock, the first hip-hop television program, created and hosted by Michael Holman.
The New York City Breakers released Break-Master, the first instructional breakdancing video and album, which achieved gold certification. The release included step-by-step breakdowns of moves and instructions on how to hold competitions.
In 1983, the crew performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., for President Ronald Reagan. Frank Sinatra, also an honoree that year, was impressed by the performance and later invited the crew to perform at the 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala in January 1985, which Sinatra chaired. This made the New York City Breakers the first hip-hop group to perform for a sitting U.S. president. The gala was broadcast nationally on CBS.
The crew also performed internationally for Prince Andrew of England and the King and Queen of Norway, and appeared in Gladys Knight and the Pips' music video for "Save the Overtime for Me."
At the height of the crew's fame, Matthew "Glide Master" Caban died in a motorcycle accident.
Legacy
The New York City Breakers are recognized as pioneers of hip-hop culture and breaking. They were among the earliest B-boy crews to achieve mainstream national television exposure and to perform in high-profile political and international settings. Their instructional material helped formalize and disseminate breaking technique beyond live community practice. The crew's work contributed to the trajectory that led to breaking's inclusion as an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
