B-Girl Jo: Smashing the Patriarchy, Breaking the Stereotype in India

B-girl Jo winning Red Bull BC One India Cypher 2021

(Photo: Red Bull)

Video Editor: Prajjwal Kumar

"What goes through my mind when I am dancing is that this is what the little me was dreaming of. And I am the manifestation of all my hopes and dreams."

B-Girl Jo / Johanna Rordigues

There is no breaking in India without B-girl Jo, and there is no B-girl Jo without breaking. That's how much they both are connected.

Johanna Rodrigues is not only one of India's best b-girls, but also one of the pioneer b-girls of the country. The two-time national champion from Bengaluru got into the breaking scene in the backdrop of a lonely and complex childhood.

"I come from a background where my father was into substance abuse and alcohol. I subsequently lost him in a hit-and-run accident when I was seven. I went through all of this on my own. I always dreamed of having a community, having something I really love doing, something that made me feel alive."

B-Girl Jo / Johanna Rordigues

Jo said that she has felt accepted and loved by the community, one that she joined merely 5-6 years ago.

B-Girl Jo at Red Bull BC One

(Photo: Red Bull)

She is one of the first b-girls to have represented India on the international stage.

She uses her training in Yoga and classical dance, and infuses them with her breaking to concoct a unique style of dancing. She has been teaching breaking at two schools in her city, and is even advocating to introduce breaking as an option in physical education classes.

But stepping into a world which has been historically dominated by men, and navigating through it wasn't an easy task. When she started off, there was hardly any female presence in the cyphers (hip-hop competitions) and most events didn't have a b-girl category. So women had to compete in the men's category.

B-Girl Jo at Red Bull BC One

(Photo: Red Bull)

"As a young girl, you want to go out, practise and have fun, but it may not be fully safe for you. In India especially, not in the hip-hop community, but in general, when you travelling, you have to have eyes in the back of your head when you are in a male-dominated space."

B-Girl Jo / Johanna Rordigues

But despite the difficulties, she kept pressing on – not only attending events, but also advocating for more female inclusion in the hip-hop scene. At the same time, a similar revolution was taking place outside India too.

Jo's formula was simple – bring more women to events and more women will feel comfortable coming.

B-Girl Jo at Red Bull BC One

(Photo: Red Bull / Ali Bharmal)

"I have really seen the change happen in my time. And what different stories – women who are mothers and still breaking, women whose families would rather marry them off than have them compete for a national competition."

B-Girl Jo / Johanna Rordigues

The process took time, but the stereotype was finally broken. More women started to be involved. Red Bull BC One introduced a b-girl category which allowed b-girls from across the world to fight for a spot in the World Finals.

But besides fighting the patriarchy and stereotype, she has also been fighting a battle with mental health issues.

"I have had a counsellor now for the past two years and she has really helped me change the way I talk to myself in my head and find the starting points for all these things that we say to ourselves. Often it starts in our childhood. So going back and re-parenting ourselves in those moments where we really thought we needed to hear something else but we didn't."

B-Girl Jo / Johanna Rordigues

She says that the simple model of breaking where the more effort you put in, the better results you get, is something that works well with her.

While she couldn't win the Red Bull BC One India Cypher 2022, she aims to practise harder and get better for the upcoming competitions. She also wants to keep advocating better representation of women in the hip-hop scene.