ALL PICS: CHONG ZI LIANG STEP UP: (l-r) Nepali b-boy Naresh Darlami performs an 'elbow freeze'; a Thai judge demonstrates a move at a b-boying battle at Tripureswor; and DoomSquad stuns the crowd gathered at the same event.

There are more parallels between the streets of 1970's Bronx, USA and Kathmandu than you can imagine?ethnic conflict, dissatisfaction with the state and a population of frustrated youth with little to do but lots of energy to burn.
This abundance of unreleased energy and anger is what the first hip hop 'crews' hitting American streets fed on. They moved their bodies with an unusual freedom, they battled, waved, popped, krumped and saved an entire generation from wasting away to drugs and violence.

"There's little you can do after a session of 'breaking'," says Krisada Kawjanwat, originally a boxing instructor from Thailand who has been promoting 'b-boying' in Nepal.

Here in Nepal a generation of young people is being lured to hip hop not just for identity and release, but as a creative sport and art form. Most hope to make careers out of it.

B-boying, where 'b' is short for 'breaking' is a form of hip hop that is a mix of physically challenging manoeuvres, gymnastics, martial arts and break dance. Already there are a number of crews?from younger b-boying groups that Krisada is helping like Swayambu Monkey Boys, Fantastic Breakers, Basantapur Breakers to DoomSquad, known for their masked performances and synchronicity steps. In the UWTC corridors at Tripureswor, Krisada helps a mix of people that range from 14-year-olds to a Tribhuban University professor. Some are preparing for the Asian Title qualification rounds.

But Krisada wants to defy the stereotype of violence that hip hop has been historically associated with. As young people become more hesitant to take on traditional jobs, he believes that they can earn a living through hip-hop. "There is scope," says Krisada, "You can become a dance instructor, dance for commercials and music videos and apply to dance schools abroad with scholarships."

Adds Sandip Gurung, one of the crew members of DoomSquad, "Most young people don't want more regulations to those they already have. Hip hop is a relatively free form. You can mix anything with hip hop, including kathak and salsa, but it can't go the other way around."

Without institutions that teach hip-hop well in Nepal, however, almost everyone around is self-taught. Even Nepali Hip Hop singers hardly use any well-trained hop dancers in their videos. "You're on your own here," says Sandip. "Most of us learned our moves from the movies. Once you learn how to do the first ten moves, you're ready to create
the 11th."

Despite possible hurdles, younger b-boys are optimistic about the future. "Of course I'm going to take it professionally," says 19-year-old Nischal Lama, who has been practising the dance for seven years on his own. "It feels great to dance with all eyes in the crowd watching me."

Roma Aryal