Ken Swift

Ken Swift is a breakdancer who was born on August 13, 1966, and is a second-generation b-boy. He is best known for his role in the Rock Steady Crew, where he served as Vice President for many years. He is currently the President of the Breaklife and VII Gems Hip Hop movement in New York City. He began b-boying in 1978, when he was twelve years old, and he was inspired by the dancers he saw on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Ken Swift is widely regarded by b-boys as the person who has had the most significant influence on breakdancing. 

Ken Swift is credited with creating many dance moves and terminology. His original footwork and freeze style became a fundamental part of breaking, which was considered new at the time. Ken Swift has appeared in numerous films and music videos, including the first hip-hop documentary, Style Wars, and the first hip-hop feature film, Wild Style. His most famous movie was Flashdance in 1983, where his two-minute dance with several members of the Rock Steady Crew launched the hip-hop scene into the international spotlight. Ken Swift also danced in the motion picture Beat Street. He has since appeared in numerous music videos and documentary films on hip-hop and breaking. Ken Swift's original stage name was "Ken Rok," and he used several other pseudonyms, including "Kid Zoom," "Ken Ski," and "Prince Ken Swift" before ultimately settling on "Ken Swift." In 1978 he started the Young City Boys which included many notable members. 

In 1980, Ken Swift and Frosty Freeze decided to join the Rock Steady Crew as co-Vice Presidents. As a recording artist with RSC, Ken received gold and silver records for the single "Hey You, The Rock Steady Crew." He co-authored, co-directed, co-choreographed, and performed in Off-Broadway's first hip-hop musical Jam On The Groove in 1996. Ken Swift was on the cover of Rap Pages in August 1996, making him the first b-boy ever to be on the cover of a major hip-hop publication. In 1996, he started a dance company called VII Gems, dedicated to preserving New York City's traditional dances, Breaking and Rocking. He directed and choreographed the first-ever Rock Dance theater piece entitled "Rockin It" that toured eight cities throughout the UK in May 2009 sponsored by the Breaking Convention, a Sadler Wells Project. The company is still active, and its members have an average of over 30 years of dance experience. In 2004, Ken founded "The Ken Swift School of Hip Hop Fundamentals" at a local Manhattan elementary school.