Bboy Academy was originally founded in 1997 in Dallas, Texas,
by the Bboy Barbarian, Drew Looner.

From the jump, it was more than just a dance school—it was a movement. Looner initiated five after-school breakin programs around Dallas, as an initiative to steer the youth away from gangs, drugs, prison, and death.

From 1997 to 2018, the breaking program at the R.O.C. in Garland, Texas, became the beating heart of the Dallas bboy/bgirl scene, thriving as the central hub for 21 years. Over the years, it became a safe haven, shaping the lives of hundreds of young dancers.

In 2001, Bboy Academy spread to wings to Seattle, Washington. Looner wasn’t just teaching dance—he was establishing a curriculum, a foundation that took root in various dance studios and school programs across the city.  He even invented a color-coded rank badge & Testing system.

By 2007, Bboy Academy had made its mark in Los Angeles, California, at the iconic IDA Hollywood, the very spot where *America’s Best Dance Crew* was filmed. During the height of Hollywood for dancers at that time, the energy was electric, and the Academy was boostin’.

In 2010, Bboy Academy was founded in Oakland, California, by Looner. The Academy was on fire, with the support of Zulu Gremlin, Remind, Crumbs, Poe 1, Little Cesar, Profo Won and Rob Nasty, Hella Hung, Mega-man, Peppa The Hot Steppa, Pandora, and the City of Oakland and Los Angeles, the school was on track to becoming a certified Hip Hop University. But tragedy struck. Looner mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind more questions than answers. 

His presence is still felt, though—his teachings, his style, his philosophy—they live on in every student, every cypher, and every city he danced in.

His disappearance was somewhat a mystery until recently. He came out of reclusion but his absence weighed heavy on all of students, their parents, heads in the scene, all who trained with him, and learned from him. His legacy is something we carry forward with pride. We are doing our best to get his notes and teachings up.

The Bboy Academy website, which had been a cornerstone for 16 years, went offline in 2022. So a few of his students, painstakingly recovered the site, putting it back online to keep Looner’s vision alive and to ensure that the next generation of bboys and bgirls have access to his wisdom and teachings.