Steph Hung
Windmills, head spins, flares, the worm—these signature moves are the pride of every B Boy. But if you can’t dance, try nailing the moves with your fingers instead. Steph Hung, Hong Kong’s Red Bull BC One Fingerbreakin’ 2013 regional champion, tells Elizabeth Chu about her experience as a finger breakdancer.
HK Magazine: What is finger breakdancing?
Steph Hung: Finger breakdance is basically transferring breakdancing to your fingers and using your fingers to express the dance movements. It is using your fingers to dance!
HK: How did you get your start finger breakdancing?
SH: I had no clue about it before. It wasn’t until Red Bull came to my university to promote the competition that I first came across finger breakdancing. They explained to me what it is and invited me to join the competition. I was so intrigued, I went on their website and learned some finger breakdancing moves with my friend. They had all these tutorial videos, where I could learn different tricks. We practiced and then shot a video of it to enter the competition.
HK: Do you need a dance background to be a finger breakdancer?
SH: I have never had any dancing experience. But I do think knowing how to dance would be very useful in finger breakdancing. Still, you can learn by watching videos of people breakdancing—that’s how I learned.
HK: Is finger breakdancing popular in Hong Kong?
SH: No, not at all. Most people have no idea what finger breakdancing is. When I told my friends I entered this competition and asked them to vote for me, they all had the same question for me: “What is it”? The case is better for breakdancing, more people know about it. But I would say it is still not as widely known compared to other countries like Korea or United States.
HK: Are there any limitations in using your hands to dance?
SH: Well, the biggest limitation is that I have to hide my ring finger to mimic the shape of a person—we only have four limbs. The index and middle fingers are the legs, and the thumb and pinkie are the arms. And I also have to be very careful with the movements, so the little shoes don’t come flying off! Sometimes I stuff tissue paper inside the shoes, so they are not that loose.
HK: What makes a good finger breakdancing performance?
SH: I think it’s about choreographing your finger-dance moves to the beat. It is also important how well you can make your fingers look like a real person dancing, and how many difficult tricks you incorporate in your sequence. These are more skill-based. In my own video, I also had a bit of a story. I didn’t go straight into the moves and I “sat” on the edge of the stage first, so it would look like a girl moving to the sound of the music. I guess that helped.