Meet Bri “Snap1” Pritchard | Team USA Breaker & UH-60 Helicopter Mechanic

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bri “Snap1” Pritchard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bri “Snap1”, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In 2017, When I started breaking, I had always liked the music associated with the dance and its culture (e.g. James brown, Earth Wind and Fire, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Michael Jackson, Wu Tang Clan, Gangstarr, Eric B and Rakim, to name a few) but I honestly had no natural grove. I was, however, a highly competitive athlete in softball and hockey. So when I saw breaking, and how it was both athletic and artistic, I was immediately drawn to it when I saw it in person in my high school lunch area when I was 17. From there, I went to the local Rec centers where I would meet my first crew. I was the only female in the crew and continued to be the only Bgirl in Alaska for over a decade. In fact, when I finally moved out of Alaska in August 2022, I was still the only bgirl in the state.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We as breakers are more than what was depicted in the 80s and some of the more famous dance movies. What we do takes tons of both artistry and athleticism. We are essentially an artistic athlete. We have to be both creative and physically strong to do what we do. And like anything else, it takes thousands of hours of practice. But people still see us as not real athletes or what we do as not difficult and just a hobby that isn’t serious. But this dance actually has a presence all around the world. And that’s why it’s in the Olympics.

For me it’s always been difficult, because I have a full time job in the military, which is quite demanding but also is a different kind of lifestyle completely. I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices and really discipline myself to keep up with training. For example, I would wake up at 4am to train at 4:30am before I started work at 7am and then lift weights during the day. I did this so I could also have evenings with my husband. Another example is where most people save their money and time off from work for vacation a, I saved them for time and expenses to travel to competitions all around the world. These aren’t vacations. My diet is constantly regimented to stay as light and healthy as I can. Because I don’t have a lot of free time outside of work and adult responsibilities, I really don’t go out to just have fun. Working out and breaking is my fun.

To me, I’ve learned that there really is no such thing as excuses. In breaking, nothing is handed to you. Breaking is not something you can live off of (yet), and so you must still support yourself but also give your everything into training.

My schedule is different now,, as I don’t get up at 4am to train. But I do have to get up at 4am to be at work by 6am and I don’t get home until sometimes 3:30pm. Then I train from 4:30-6:30pm (and I will have usually had a weight lifting session earlier in the day at work). Then it’s time to spend time with my husband and prep for the next day. Sound rough? It is, but I’ve disciplined myself and made no excuses for nearing 15 years now. It is literally my lifestyle to sacrifice, work hard, and grind day in and out.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I’m new to the Arizona area. I will say I love trips up to Sedona. But if we are talking back in Alaska, I would take them to Mooses Tooth for the best pizza and beer, Snow City Cafe for salmon and crab egg Benedict, and then down south for a camping/hiking trip in Johnson’s pass or up to the williwaw lakes. And if we could, go out on a charter and catch some halibut.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shoutout my home town Anchorage, Alaska and my original EOR crew. I’d also like to shoutout my current crew, the Flooristas, made up of all females. To my husband, thank you for always supporting me and making your sacrifices. And to my new Arizona dance scene, especially Bonita, Ika, Panic, and everyone else supporting me, thank you for welcoming me to your scene as if I have always been here.

Website: Www.bgirlsnap1.com

Instagram: Snap1flooristas

Facebook: Bri Pritchard