Fouad Ambelj aka Lil Zoo

Lil Zoo from Casablanca is the two-time winner of the Red Bull BC One Middle East Africa Finals in 2012 and 2013. He calls his style, “Kingzoo style with animal energy.” He has a creative way of combining footwork, power combos and acrobatics, and is always smiling, even when he challenges his opponent with fiery moves and angry gestures.

When Lil Zoo was 14-years old, he saw some guys doing crazy moves on a street in his neighbourhood. He was into soccer at the time and never even thought about becoming a B-Boy because it looked way too hard to learn. But he really enjoyed watching them, so he showed up at their practice spot every once a while.

One day, he had trouble with his parents and didn’t want to go home, so he stayed really late. All B-Boys, except one who kept practicing by himself, went home. When it was already past midnight, the B-Boy walked up to him and said, “Hey kid, it’s really late. Don’t you want to go home? Your parents must be worried.” But Lil Zoo told him, he wanted to watch some more and that he loved what they were doing. The B-Boy then asked him, if he wanted to learn, took him by the hand and asked him to do a handstand. Lil Zoo tried it and crashed, the B-Boy smiled and showed him how to do it right and proceeded to also show him some toprocks and footwork. Then he sent the kid home and told him to come back to practice the next day. That B-Boy was Yoriyas from Lhiba Kingzoo and that day was the day that Lil Zoo started dancing.

Lil Zoo cites his crew and family Lhiba Kingzoo as the biggest influence in his life and dance. But he also draws inspiration form his hood and from Moroccan culture. Yoriyas, his teacher and mentor is his biggest idol. “He was the first one to believe in my talent and to support me. He always motivates me to take it to the next level.”

Lil Zoo represents Lhiba Kingzoo and that’s how he got his name. He’s the youngest member of the crew and so they started to call him Lil Zoo. He’s working with his crew, doing shows, winning battles, dancing in TV clips, trying to survive as a dancer, which is pretty hard in Morocco. Next to dancing, the young B-Boy also enjoys beatboxing.

His family is proud of Lil Zoo, especially after they saw him on TV. The family lives in one of the most crime-ridden neighbourhoods of Casablanca and they are happy that B-Boying keeps him away from drugs and wrongdoing.

Lil Zoo’s biggest dream is to be the first Arabic, Moroccan and African B-Boy in the Red Bull BC One All Stars. “I know, Lilou made it into the crew too, but in my opinion this would be different, since he grew up in France and for us here in Africa it’s really much harder. Of course I still have a lot of respect for the legend Lilou though!”

For Lil Zoo the year 2012 is a year he will never forget—the story of the student and the teacher we all have seen in movies so many times became reality for him. In 2010, after Lil Zoo won his first 1-on-1 battle, his teacher Yoriyas had said to him, “your dream is my dream,” which motivated the young dancer even more to make it to the next level and into the international battle scene to represent his teacher and his crew.

In 2012, in the Red Bull BC One Cypher Morocco, he had to battle his teacher for the first time and beat him in the finals. “I will never forget this! It was prove for him and for me that I was ready to realize my dream and his dream. From there I went on to win the Red Bull BC One Middle East Africa Qualifier and eventually being in the World Final in Rio in 2012. After winning the Red Bull BC One Middle East Africa Finals 2013 he gained himself a spot at the 10th anniversary edition in Seoul.