Courtnaé Paul shares her rise to the top of South African breakdancing
With a unique training regime and inspiration from life experiences, travel, and music, Courtnaé Paul aims to empower women and girls through breakdancing, breaking gender stereotypes and chasing her dreams.
Courtnaé Paul, the 2024 Red Bull South Africa BC One winner, is shattering glass ceilings in the male-dominated world of breakdancing.
With her captivating style, impressive strength, and infectious passion, she’s inspiring a new generation of B-Girls to take the floor.
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“I got into breaking almost by chance, and honestly, I too am surprised that this has become such a force within the dance industry,” Paul said. She was introduced to breaking in her teens through Missy Elliott music videos and dance movies such as Stomp The Yard. Despite facing numerous barriers and biases, she persisted, training rigorously during the 2020 pandemic lockdown.
“The field of breaking, and life in general, has always felt male-dominated. Coming from Durban and even now in the greater South African scene, the females are still a very small part of the competitive breaking community.”
However, Paul remains optimistic, acknowledging the progress made and the support of brands such as Red Bull, which create platforms for female talent.
So dedicated to her craft, she saw it fit to combine dance training with strength and conditioning, endurance, and power move training.
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“I train like an athlete and dance like an artist, that’s what makes this culture so amazing.”
When it comes to inspiration, Paul draws from life experiences, travel, and music.
“My combos are inspired by everything I am exposed to – from life experiences to the places I travel to, and most importantly, the music. I learned at a very young age that setbacks are a part of life, and often inevitable. While they can be difficult to navigate, they do not need to define us.”
Paul’s achievements include winning her second Red Bull BC One South Africa title and ranking top African at the Olympic Qualifier Series. She beams with pride as she recounts the many memorable moments and achievements she has had throughout her career.
“This year, however, has been special to me.”
She hopes to empower women and girls to break gender stereotypes and inspire them to chase their dreams through her dancing.
With her sights set on the Red Bull BC One World Final in Brazil, she said she is ready to take the international stage by storm.
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