battle-of-the-year-2012-change-of-directionOrganisers of Braun Battle of the Year (BOTY) have announced the 2012 Change of Direction festival ahead of the BOTY 2012 world b-boy finals on 17 November 2012.

The Change of Direction festival takes place across five days ahead of the annual Battle of the Year 2012 world finals on 17 November based upon the organiser’s decision to make Battle of the Year more accesible to audiences outside the hip hop community following BOTY conferences in 2001 and 2002.

See also: Battle of the Year 2012 World Finals Judges announced

The BOTY Change of Direction will include workshops with the Battle of the Year judges, preliminary battles such as the solo b-boy battles and We B*Girlz finals qualifier, plus the Battle of the Year Africa qualifier battles to decide which African country will represent against the international league on Saturday.

Battle of the Year: A Change of Direction 2012

Disclaimer: Times, venues and line up subject to change! For the very latest see www.braunbattleoftheyear.com!

International We B*Girlz Camps
Venue: Agora Cité Internationale de la Danse
from
Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 November
With Rokafella (USA) – Neguin (Brasil) – Roxrite (USA)

International Dance Workshops
Venue: Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse
from
Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 November
With Niek (Holland) – Neguin (Brasil) – Roxrite (USA)

BOTY Africa
Venue: Gymnase Pierre de Coubertin
Wednesday 14 November, 8pm

HotMoves by Storm
Venue: Agora, Cité Internationale de la Danse
Thursday 15 November, 3pm, Studio Cunningham

Montpellier Danse Hip Hop
Venue: Théatre des Treize Vents – Thursday 15 November, 8.30pm
Performances: Révolution by Compagnie Wanted Posses
; Alien – Compagnie Vagabond Crew
; Silence, On Tourne! – Compagnie Pockemon Crew

Battle of the Year 2012 preliminary battles

BOTY One v One Bboy International Battle

Venue: Gymnase Pierre de Coubertin
Friday 16 November, 8pm

B-Boys
B-Boy Benny (South Africa)
B-Boy Hulk (Israel)
B-Boy Kareem (USA)
B-Boy Hill (Mexico)
B-Boy Wal-D (Germany)
B-Boy Dany (France)
B-Boy Salo (Venezuela)
B-Boy Goofy (Serbia)
B-Boy Nori (Japan)
B-Boy Walrus (Italy)
B-Boy Niek (Netherlands)
B-Boy Reckless Lee (UK)
B-Boy Cut 1 (Greece)
B-Boy Pluto (Ukraine)
B-Boy Lawson (Belgium)
B-Boy Dong (Taiwan)

Judges
B-Boy Neguin (Brasil)
B-Boy Float (USA)
B-Boy Nabil (France)

MCs
Trix (UK)
Maleek (France)

DJs
Taj Mahal (France)
DJ Renegade (UK)

We B*Girlz International Battle

Venue: Gymnase Pierre de Coubertin
Friday 16 November, 8pm

We B Girlz logoJudges
Roxrite (USA)
Rokafella (USA)
Manuela (France)

MCs
Trix (UK)
Maleek (France)

DJs
Taj Mahal (France)
Renegade (UK)

BOTY 2012 world final warm up and after parties

Warm Up Party
Venue: Antirouille (formerly Rockstore)
Friday 16 November, 12pm

After Show Party
Venue: Rockstore
Saturday 17 November, 12pm

About Battle of the Year

Battle of the Year, also referred to as BOTY, is an annual international b-boying series that began in 1990. In the past BOTY world finals were held at the Volkswagenhalle in Braunschweig, Germany until 2009 when event moved to Montpellier, France.

Organisers also played a part in the production of the forthcoming BOTY movie, Battle of the Year: Dream Team which will be released in cinemas internationally next year.