International Federation
Hip Hop International
The global authority for competitive hip-hop dance
Best For
Hip-hop dance crews competing at the world championship level
Overview
Founded in 2002 by Howard and Karen Schwartz, Hip Hop International runs the annual World Hip Hop Dance Championship — the largest and most prestigious hip-hop dance competition in the world. Covering breaking, popping, locking, whacking, and all-styles, HHI is the closest equivalent to WDSF for street dance styles.
History
Founded in 2002 by Howard and Karen Schwartz in Los Angeles.
Created the World Hip Hop Dance Championship as a crew-based competition format.
Grew to include qualifying events in 50+ countries, making it the largest hip-hop dance competition circuit globally.
The championship has been featured in the documentary series 'World of Dance' and inspired the NBC competition show.
Breaking's inclusion in the 2024 Paris Olympics raised HHI's profile as the sport's organizational backbone.
Governance & Structure
Privately organized by HHI LLC with international country directors managing national qualifiers.
Each participating country holds national qualifying events to select crews for the World Championship.
Judging criteria emphasize synchronization, creativity, difficulty, staging, and crowd appeal.
Competition Structure
National qualifying events in 50+ countries feed into the annual World Championship.
Divisions include Junior (ages 6-12), Varsity (ages 13-17), and Adult (18+).
Categories include Mega Crew (15-40 dancers), Crew (5-9 dancers), and various solo/duo battles.
The World Championship is held annually in the United States.
Key Programs
World Hip Hop Dance Championship
Annual crew-based world championship — the pinnacle of competitive hip-hop dance.
USA Hip Hop Dance Championship
US national qualifier sending top crews to the world championship.
World Battles
Solo and duo battle competitions across breaking, popping, locking, and all-styles.
Membership & Access
Crews enter through national qualifying events in their respective countries. Registration opens annually through HHI's website.
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