On August 16, some of the strongest B-Boy crews in the United States gathered for the McDonald's B-Boy Royale, an exhibition battle held at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.

The B-Boy Royale received sponsorship from Mnet, in addition to its main sponsor McDonald's. Proceeds from the inaugural event were donated to the Ronald McDonald House.

The B-Boy Royale featured four rounds of competition, followed by two semi-final rounds which culminated in a final showdown for supremacy. The b-boy battles were interspersed with performances by Filipino-American rapper Izzy, The Edge Project, and Dumfoundead.

Dumbfoundead (Parker) was also the host of the event, which drew an audience that was diverse in age and ethnicity.

The event brought eight b-boy crews together including Washington D.C.'s Lionz of Zion who have previously toured with The Black Eyed Peas and United Outkast, and who were showcased in the film “Step Up 3D.”

Audience members unfamiliar with the evolution of the b-boy phenomenon or its ties to the Korean community, were provided context through an introductory short which featured a live performance from beat box champion Sung Lee.

New York audiences recently had the opportunity to witness Sung Lee at the Asian Music Festival's Show Me the Winner showcase. His astounding beat box skills set the tone for the spellbinding b-boy battles.

The footage ranged from the earliest examples of break dancing while including scenes from the iconic music program “Solid Gold,” which delivered break and street dance to the televisions of American audiences.

Hip hop artist Dumbfoundead was a lively host throughout the event, even during points where it was obvious that there were production glitches.

The b-boy battles were judged by renowned dancers Whorah, Chem, and Zeshen who exhibited camaraderie with one another and the competitors.

The Battle Royale kicked off with battles between New York crew X-Fenz and United Outkast. United Outkast advanced after demonstrating what would be some of the strongest performances of the night.

As the battles progressed to round four, it became apparent the competition was becoming increasingly tougher for the b-boy crews. Round four was a battle between strong competitors The Clique and Del Fuego.

In the end, The Clique emerged victorious after defeating United Outkast in an emotionally charged showdown.

The event was a b-boy showcase as compared to the traditional form of battle or cypher, which often occurs in undisclosed locations without comparable production value. For street dancers, an event like the B-Boy Royale presents the challenge of dancing on a stage and surfaces which are less familiar than asphalt or concrete. Some of the crews struggled to deal with this change in environment, while others flourished in the setting.

The event organizers did an excellent job at maintaining audience engagement by including an opportunity for attendees to ask the judges and Dumbfoundead questions via Twitter.

Four audience members also participated in an impromptu b-boy battle, which followed an exhibition performance by the group The Edge Project.

The Edge Project reflected the universality of the b-boy movement, while providing a cross-generational perspective for the audience.

The evening was capped off with a performance by Dumbfoundead who was joined by hip hop artist, Lyric. Dumbfoundead performed his songs “Cool & Calm,” the break up track “New Chick,” and “Are We There Yet?”

The event was a success and hopefully will serve as a prelude for similar family-friendly shows. The McDonald's B-Boy Royale provided an opportunity for audiences who were unfamiliar with the b-boy movement to receive context as to the significance of New York City to break dancing.

Attendees were also given context as to the multicultural aspect of the break dancing, as well as a cursory overview of the involvement of Korean artists in the current state of the art form.