Hip Hop International marks 25 years with global dance showdown in Phoenix

Hip Hop International (HHI) celebrated its 25th anniversary with a week‑long dance competition that concluded on Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona. The event featured about 3,000 dancers representing 55 countries, competing for the title of world champion. Founded by Howard and Karen Schwartz, HHI grew out of the couple’s earlier aerobics championships and has become one of the largest break‑dance contests worldwide. Notable crews such as Jabbawockeez and Quest Crew, as well as choreographers Parris Goebel and Sienna Lalau, first gained prominence through the HHI platform. The competition’s growth reflects the founders’ efforts to connect global dance cultures since the late 1980s, when they first introduced aerobic champions to the Soviet Union and later discovered street‑dance scenes in Paris and Tokyo.