Aleksei Shchechkin has been practicing street dancing for 23 years. Starting in the streets of Kostroma, he developed his skills, became a co-founder of a dance school, a member of the Dance Sport Federation of the Kostroma Region, and a judge for the prestigious dance competition Project 818. We asked Aleksei to share his career path and the future of breakdancing.
Aleksei, today you’re a renowned breakdancer and hip-hop artist. Could you tell us how you started dancing?
In 2000, living in Kostroma, I became interested in dancing. Despite initially thinking dance was just for girls, I got hooked after seeing my neighbor perform a simple move. I delved into the world of dance, watching music videos, and formed a team sharing cassette recordings to learn new moves. Though challenging without a studio or coach, we even danced on the streets to earn money for competitions. Over time, we participated in international festivals, and one even had a star from “Step Up!”
Since 2006, I’ve been teaching breakdancing and hip-hop, starting with 20 students from posting flyers around the city.
Today, you lead, teach, and choreograph for the “Svoi Ludi” dance school, with thousands of attendees and tenfold growth in five years. What qualities, in your view, are essential for success in dance?
The key quality is a passion for what you do. Being a true enthusiast makes obstacles and challenges more manageable—they may slow you down but won’t stop you. This passion cultivated determination in me. Success didn’t come immediately; it followed a learning curve marked by losses and failures. These indicated weaknesses, guiding improvements. Analyzing, reflecting, and addressing mistakes became crucial qualities, allowing me to grow and evolve.
Just as in dancing, where technique is honed, without determination and love for the craft, exceptional results aren’t attainable. My journey in breakdancing, without a coach or proper resources, shaped the qualities mentioned. They played a pivotal role in my success as a dancer, teacher, and leader.
You serve as an ambassador for the national project “My Business.” Could you elaborate on your role in the project?
My role in this project is to motivate young people towards entrepreneurship through my example. I’ve been invited as an expert speaker to various business forums, including the Kostroma and Moscow Economic Forums “Territory of Growth,” the CARD Festival – an all-Russian hip-hop culture festival, and many others. It’s crucial for me as it provides an opportunity to influence the industry.
You also emerged victorious in the startup business competition “Point of Growth,” solidifying your presence in the professional community. Could you provide more details about your participation in the competition and what this victory meant for you?
At the time of entering the competition, my business was two years old, engaging around 350-400 students. We had already organized five major breakdance festivals, and our teachers had numerous victories at professional events. In the breakdance scene, there’s a spirit of competition, battles to determine who’s better, showcasing a more interesting style.
In the realm of dance, our school demonstrated commendable results. I was accustomed to participating, sometimes winning, sometimes losing. However, after the school became an official legal entity, new opportunities arose for me to showcase myself and compete as an entrepreneur and leader.
“Point of Growth” happened to be the first project where my school and I secured a victory. The competition featured businesses with various focuses: eco-bakeries, beauty salons, schools of mental arithmetic, legal services, woodwork, and more.
Over six months, a jury of reputable entrepreneurs from Kostroma and Moscow evaluated us. The competition comprised three stages:
1. Visit by jury members to our school: They assessed our premises, positioning, infrastructure, and branding.
2. Presentation and defense at a business breakfast: We showcased all the business figures, results, and answered the jury’s questions.
3. Awards ceremony: The jury unanimously selected our business. The arguments included: 1) Recognition of our school’s brand and the name “Svoi Ludi” being highly identifiable in the city. Well-developed social media presence, including YouTube with substantial views on instructional videos, clips, and interviews with dancers. Minimal expenses on attracting new clients due to our strong online presence. 2) Diverse revenue streams from teaching, performances by teachers and students at corporate events, holidays, and the organization of concerts and festivals. 3) Fundraising, presidential grant fund, and support from the Dance Sport Federation as additional financial sources. 4) The jury noted our ambition, modern approach, and determination. 7) Collaborative partnerships with other businesses.
This victory highlighted us in the business community. We became recognized among entrepreneurs as “Svoi Ludi” attracting more partners and clients. Importantly, through our business, breakdancing began to be perceived as a serious endeavor, gaining even more popularity. Subsequently, this success paved the way for the “Ambassadorship” of my name and the school’s name.
What future do you envision for breakdancing?
Breakdancing has recently gained recognition as an official dance sport discipline, even debuting at the Youth Olympic Games in 2018. It will be part of the Olympic Games in France in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028. The growth and development of this art form seem evident, with more schools, competitions, videos, projects, festivals, and films anticipated.
What professional goals do you aspire to achieve in the future?
I aim to establish a network of dance schools with a focus on breakdancing in the United States and eventually in other countries. Additionally, I dream of creating my Olympic team of athletes. In the U.S., breakdancing originated, but there’s a lack of specialized schools. I want to develop breakdancing schools similar to ours. It’s time to transform breakdancing from a popular trend into the most sought-after discipline. This will engage more youth in meaningful activities, much like it saved me in the past. I envision breakdancing being part of every school, facilitating competitions within and between schools, similar to other sports like basketball or baseball.
