B-Girl Vanessa’s battle to elevate women in breaking: “I hate injustice”

Ask Portugal’s Vanessa Marina who inspired her when she first made the transition into breaking and you don’t get the typical response.

“That’s a hard question,” the 30-year-old B-Girl says with a refreshing kind of frankness.

Sitting for an interview with Olympics.com at the European Breaking Championships 2023 back in May with the music pumping in the background, Marina or B-Girl Vanessa as she is better known, is radiating the kind of ease of someone in their element.

With over 10 years of practising, competing and winning in the dance craft the Portuguese’s relaxed nature might not seem all that surprising but even she admits it has taken time for her to be her authentic self in the space.

Breaking, she says, has not always felt inclusive.

“Since my journey through breaking girls have a different experience than men,” Vanessa says outlining the experience of women in the dancesport over the years.

A lack of platforms on dance stages, in judges’ seats and on the decks has meant that for a long time, women haven’t been able to show their value, she explains.

It’s why, for the Portuguese, pointing to people who have inspired her is so ‘hard’. The B-Girls who influenced her are more akin to contemporaries than established stars: “My journey was men and women,” she admits.

“The most difficult part of being a B-Girl I would say it's showcasing who we are, truly, in a male-dominated scene,” Vanessa continues.

And while she says there has been progress, there's still some way to go.

“I still feel like it’s very male-dominated. And it’s hard for us to stand out. But being present and trying to fight against everything, I think it’s one of the hardest things but [it’s about] showcasing who we truly are.”

"Women can do it too"

If there is a fight to be had so that B-Girls can find their place in the fore then Vanessa is the one leading the charge, and on multiple fronts.

Having practised classical and contemporary ballet as a teenager in Lisbon before moving to London to immerse herself in the world of breaking, the physical demands placed on her shifted significantly.

After years of trying to build strength and stamina to elevate her breaking standard, the Portuguese decided to share her experience by creating an online platform for other B-girls to help them level up as she had done.

The product - Tiny Room Workouts - is an empowerment program that invites B-Girls to step up their breaking game.

“I discovered this kind of formula that worked for me that I wanted to see if it would work for other girls so I created this program called Time Your Workouts that intends to elevate women mentally and physically,” Vanessa explains.

“With the bigger sessions, we try also to showcase by recording battles, organising events, organising panels, creating like a festival for girls. So it may invite everybody, but for girls specifically, because I feel like we really need this push.”

Another area Vanessa is keenly involved in is ensuring no up-and-coming B-Girl has to find their way as she once did.

“I love to know a little bit about everyone's story so I try also to be involved in meeting new girls who come into the scene that don't know maybe how to move or how to approach people because the main person is still maybe a man.

“I always try to get to know the new generation and try to understand how it is in their country and maybe just gather everybody possible to lead a workshop, practise, travel to their place to do a practise and somehow help them grow in their country. Because if you grow in your environment, it's like we say ‘a bomb effect’ - it just spreads out from where you are.”

When asked if it is taxing investing so much energy into raising other B-Girls in addition to keeping herself at the top level, the 2022 European bronze medallist didn’t waver in her response:

“I am very motivated in making a difference because I hate injustice. So I hate when we speak that we are less or more than someone. We are all the same. And I want to show that. I want to show the world that women can do it too.

"I came to this world to show more"

Currently sitting in tenth in the World DanceSport Federation’s Olympic Qualification System Ranking List, Vanessa remains in the hunt for Paris 2024 but nothing is guaranteed.

The qualifying process, which has been long and winding, demands a level of consistency that Vanessa admits has brought even more emphasis on the mental dimension of breaking.

It’s something she says most haven’t prepared for.

“I think maybe we don't practice it enough because we think it's just going to practice, executing the moves and then going home. No, the mental part and the psychological, the environment, the external factors all influence our dance and how we feel in the moment.

“Then we wonder what happens when we don't go far. Maybe because we were tired mentally, maybe because we let some influences, adrenaline, the lights, the audience, influence our dance. We have to kind of like create a bubble around us and just try to stay focused.”

While it might be harder than it has ever been, Vanessa, who recognises the spotlight the Olympic stage can afford her sport, isn’t afraid of the challenge.

Having always been motivated by what she can’t do - whether that’s being a woman in an overtly male space or trying to secure a quota spot for her sport’s debut at the Olympics - she is ready to step up.

“The fact that I cannot do something is what inspires me. Like, there's nothing I can't do. I am driven by the thought of being average. I don't want to just do something and be okay. I want to be as good as possible in what I do in everything.

"So for me, it's not just a competition in breaking, everything in my life is a competition. Sometimes it's too much, but I feel like just the fact of being average… No. I have to be more.

“I came to this world to show more, to inspire girls, to be part of their journey, be more than just breaking."