His most famous movie was 1983's hit Flashdance, where his two-minute dance with several members of the Rock Steady Crew launched the hip hop scene into international attention.
The world renowned Rock Steady Crew (RSC) was the first group of b-boys to receive professional recognition from the media and their peers.
The Village Voice published the article "Breaking is Hard To Do," that included Ken and RSC which influenced a greater audience to garner an interest in hip hop and b-boying.
Along with several other members of RSC, Ken Swift performed regularly in local clubs at events such as Negril, Danceteria, the Kitchen, Studio 54 and the Roxy, and he participated in the world's very first International Hip Hop tour "New York City Rap".
In 1999 as part of the hip hop induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ken choreographed and performed in a world premiere dance piece for the ceremony entitled "Super Disco Breaks.
He directed and choreographed the first ever Rock Dance theater piece entitled "Rockin It" that toured 8 cities throughout the UK in May 2009 sponsored by the Breaking Convention, a Sadler Wells Project.
The company is involved in numerous dance classes, lectures, demonstrations, performances, panels, film screenings, competitions, and workshops throughout the world.
84, with a grant from the New York Historical Society, Ken organized a course for 7–11 year olds entitled "The History of Hip Hop Culture in New York: Focusing on Dance" in 2001 and in 2008 directed and wrote curriculum for BEAT BREAKERS, a non-profit organization that teaches Breaking Fundamentals in after school programs at multiple schools in The Bronx, NY.
He has participated in and judged dance competitions throughout the world in countries such as France, Switzerland, Sweden, China, South Africa, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Venezuela, Norway, Germany, Canada, Japan, Belgium, Russia, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the throughout the U.S.[3] Ken was a Scholar in Residence at New York University's Hip Hop Education Center from 2014 to 2015.
[4] During the period in which hip hop and breaking were gaining national attention, Ken's original footwork and overall style became an integral part of b-boying and is recognized as a blueprint for the dance.
As a dancer, he continues to innovate and improve upon original foundation moves; though his style was viewed as "new school" in the past, today, it is considered fundamental for breaking.
While judging at "The Ultimate Bboy Championship" in Las Vegas, Ken was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his preservation and dedication to b-boy culture.