Dance Mogul Magazine · Breaking · Philadelphia
Brian “Hannibal” Newby: Philadelphia’s B-Boy Builder
A North Philadelphia b-boy who turned a street nickname into a crew, a clothing line and a teaching movement, and who danced for the U.S. abroad with Rennie Harris Puremovement. DMM’s 2013 profile, updated.
Originally published December 19, 2013 · Updated November 12, 2026 · Dance Mogul Magazine
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File // At a Glance
Name — Brian Antonio Newby, known as B-Boy Hannibal
Hometown — North Philadelphia
Crews — Founder of 360 Flava (2005) and The Clique (2012)
Business — Co-owner of Wealth of Knowledge Clothing; founder of the Incredibly Dope Project and Stylistic Flow Workshops
Company — Rennie Harris Puremovement
Abroad — Bolivia (U.S. Embassy), the Middle East with DanceMotion USA, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, France, the UK and Taiwan
1997
Started dancing
2005
Founded 360 Flava
2012
Middle East tour, DanceMotion USA
10+
Countries danced in
The 2013 Profile
From the DMM Archive · December 19, 2013
Dance Mogul Magazine: Where would you like to see street dancers in five years?
Brian Newby: I’ve decided to foresee the “billionaire” street dancers! But that’s just me.
Synopsis. Born Brian Antonio Newby in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hannibal dominates the dance community as one of the most talented, stylistic and unique breakers in the scene. Still at it, he has established his own crews, projects and businesses, including 360 Flava, Incredibly Dope, the Wealth of Knowledge clothing line and The Clique. He is also a physical trainer and is moving into the business of physical fitness by working on his own combination of fitness and dance.
Early life and dance inspiration. Since 1997, Newby has been recognized as a dancer with tremendous talent, style and creativity. He grew up in a family of five brothers and sisters, living sometimes with his mother and sometimes with his father. Having gone through some struggles, Newby’s older sister had to assume a motherly role and take care of her younger siblings. Likewise, Newby became very knowledgeable and mature at a very young age. As a kid he had a fascinating curiosity for many things, which later grew into a deep focus and understanding of a wide range of topics. His curiosity eventually led him toward dance in 1997, after closely watching his grandmother, mother and younger brother Bruno dance at neighborhood block parties. He picked it up quickly and started his dance journey focusing on popping. After being told that he would not be able to keep up with the breakers, he took on the challenge and started to train in breaking. His passion was found, and everyone around him could see him thriving. He earned his nickname, “Hannibal,” after an old man on the street watched him battling and proclaimed, “You just keep eating up cats!”
Passion for dance. Along with smashing the competition and pleasing the crowds, Hannibal also inspired other dancers to break. He started his own movement, 360 Flava, where he strived to teach and share the knowledge and full aspect of hip-hop. He trained and shared his unique set of skills with many b-boys and b-girls in Philadelphia. Newby also stepped into the commercial business, dancing promotionally for BET, Adidas, Nike, HP and FRS, to name a few. He also danced for music artists Schoolly D, Fabolous and Philly’s own Jill Scott. Hannibal was personally sought out to join the renowned hip-hop dance company Rennie Harris Puremovement, allowing him to gain experience performing in theater. In 2012, he was also chosen to be a part of the Bboy World team, making him the first breaker from Philly on the team. With these accomplishments and more, Hannibal has traveled to battle, teach and perform nationally and internationally, to places including Bolivia for the U.S. Embassy, Mexico, Switzerland, the Middle East for the Obama administration, Canada, the UK and Taiwan. With the combination of his talent, experiences and intelligence, Hannibal has become an outstanding figure in the hip-hop community, not only in Philadelphia but worldwide.
DMM’s original 2013 profile text, reproduced with spelling and punctuation corrected. His birth date, which appeared in the original, is omitted here. The original’s résumé lists are summarized below; its list of individual students, with personal social-media links, is not republished to protect their privacy.
I’ve decided to foresee the “billionaire” street dancers!
— Brian “Hannibal” Newby to Dance Mogul Magazine, 2013
The Résumé, From the Original Profile
Crews, projects and business
- 360 Flava, founder (2005–present at the time)
- The Clique, founder (2012–present at the time)
- Incredibly Dope Project, founder (2011–present at the time)
- Stylistic Flow Workshops and Classes, founder (2013–present at the time)
- Wealth of Knowledge Clothing, co-owner
- Hip-hop adviser, Synergy School of Artistic Dance
Commercial work
- Principal dancer, “Shame” (featuring Eve & the A Group) music video, April 2011
- Promoter, FRS Energy Drink tours (BMF Media Group): New York, Dec. 2010–Jan. 2011; Chicago, April 2011
- Promoter, HP Connect (City Eventions), Philadelphia, August 2011
Countries and notable places
- Jacob’s Pillow, August 2009
- La Paz, Bolivia, for the U.S. Embassy, Sept.–Oct. 2009
- Mexico City, Barroquisimo Festival, April 2010
- Lausanne, Switzerland, November 2010
- Ringling Estate, Sarasota, Florida, May 2011
- London, U.K. B-Boy Championships, October 2011
- Middle East tour with Rennie Harris Puremovement and DanceMotion USA (Brooklyn Academy of Music), March–April 2012: Cairo, Egypt, and cities including Jerusalem, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Nazareth and Beersheba
- Montreal, May 2012; Taipei, Taiwan, BELIEF 2012, November 2012
- Chelles, France, Chelles Battle Pro, February 2013
- Montreal, Bust-A-Move, May 2013, and Just for Laughs world finals, July 2013
On the World Stage
Hannibal’s résumé reads like cultural diplomacy. DanceMotion USA was a U.S. State Department program, produced by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, that sent American dance companies abroad to perform, teach and connect with local communities. Hannibal toured the Middle East with Rennie Harris Puremovement in 2012, after an earlier trip to Bolivia for the U.S. Embassy in 2009.
Rennie Harris Puremovement, founded in Philadelphia in 1992, is among the longest-running hip-hop dance touring companies in the country. Being sought out to join it put Hannibal inside Philadelphia’s most important street dance theater lineage. In 2010, the Washington, D.C., street dance collective Urban Artistry introduced him for a workshop as a North Philadelphia dancer who started popping after watching and mimicking his mother, and who built 360 Flava to teach the full culture of hip-hop.
His original DMM page title also named him a champion at the Breaks Kru 10th anniversary event, which DMM covered in a separate report: Ken Fury and the Breaks Kru 10th Anniversary.
Career Timeline
CULTURE = the scene · CAREER = the work · TEACHING = passing it on · DMM = our coverage
1997 · CULTURE
Starts dancing after watching his grandmother, mother and younger brother dance at North Philadelphia block parties; begins with popping.
Early 2000s · CULTURE
Told he can’t keep up with the breakers, he trains in breaking and earns the name “Hannibal.”
2005 · TEACHING
Founds 360 Flava to teach the full culture of hip-hop.
2009 · CAREER
Jacob’s Pillow; Bolivia for the U.S. Embassy.
2010–2011 · CAREER
Switzerland; Mexico City; London; principal dancer in “Shame” with Eve; promotional tours for FRS and HP.
2012 · CAREER
Middle East tour with Rennie Harris Puremovement through DanceMotion USA; named to the Bboy World team; founds The Clique.
2013 · TEACHING
Launches Stylistic Flow Workshops; competes in France and Canada.
December 2013 · DMM
Dance Mogul Magazine publishes this profile.
July 2017 · CAREER
FOX 29 Philadelphia profiles him dancing at Dilworth Park and notes a recent appearance in the Netflix series The Get Down.
Where Is Hannibal Now?
In July 2017, FOX 29 Philadelphia featured Brian Newby dancing in Dilworth Park, outside City Hall. The station reported that dance had taken him from his mother’s North Philadelphia neighborhood to competitions around the world, and that it had given him the chance to start the Wealth of Knowledge clothing line and the 360 Flava dance company. FOX 29 also noted that he had recently appeared in the Netflix series The Get Down.
His teaching legacy is visible in the next generation: Philadelphia dancers who trained with Hannibal in 360 Flava have gone on to professional companies, including Rennie Harris Puremovement.
What we could not confirm: DMM did not find verified reporting on Hannibal’s activities after 2017. If you are Brian Newby or part of 360 Flava, we would welcome an update. Reach us through our contact page.
What the Next Generation Should Learn
1. Turn “you can’t” into fuel. Told he couldn’t keep up with the breakers, he trained until he could.
2. Teach what you know. 360 Flava shared the full culture of hip-hop, not just moves.
3. Think like an owner. A clothing line, workshops and projects: he built businesses around his art, and he dreamed of billionaire street dancers.
4. Dance can serve your country. Through DanceMotion USA and an embassy program, his breaking became a bridge to people abroad.
Why It Matters to DMM
DMM’s mission is self-empowerment through lived stories, and Hannibal’s is one: a young man from North Philadelphia who grew up fast, found breaking, and built crews, businesses and international opportunities from it, then used it to teach others.
Explore more breaking history in The Legacy, our Dance Styles Hub and Hip Hop International: The Olympics of Street Dance.
Continue Your Journey
Find more updated stories from DMM’s early years in The DMM Archive.
B-Boy Hannibal: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is B-Boy Hannibal?
B-Boy Hannibal is Brian Antonio Newby, a North Philadelphia breaker who founded the crew 360 Flava, co-owns Wealth of Knowledge Clothing and has performed with Rennie Harris Puremovement.
How did Hannibal get his name?
According to DMM’s 2013 profile, an older man watching him battle on the street said, “You just keep eating up cats!” and the name Hannibal stuck.
What is 360 Flava?
360 Flava is the crew and teaching movement Hannibal founded in 2005 to share the full culture of hip-hop with Philadelphia dancers.
Did Hannibal dance for the U.S. abroad?
Yes. His résumé lists a 2009 trip to Bolivia for the U.S. Embassy and a 2012 Middle East tour with Rennie Harris Puremovement through DanceMotion USA.
The Story Continues
Asked in 2013 where he saw street dancers in five years, Hannibal answered with a vision bigger than most: billionaire street dancers. It is a reminder that dancers can be owners, builders and leaders.
From block parties to embassies, his path shows what one person can build when someone says it can’t be done.
Sources & Further Viewing
FOX 29 Philadelphia: Local man shows off his breakdancing skills worldwide (July 11, 2017)
Urban Artistry: B-boy workshop with Hannibal from Philly (2010)
© 2026 Dance Mogul Magazine LLC · From the Archive, Updated · A Black-owned dance and empowerment publication since 2010