The dance that sprung up on the streets of the Bronx in the 1970s, thanks to New York’s African American community is making its way to the Paris Olympics 2024.
Breaking, also known as breakdancing by those outside the breaking community, is the only new sport to debut at the Summer Games in France.
Breaking is an urban, improvisational dance technique, typically performed to hip-hop music with drum breaks.
It comprises four kinds of movements: top-rock, down-rock, power moves and freezes.
The roots of breaking lie in the emergence of hip-hop culture in the United States.
The 1990s saw the first international breaking competitions.
Currently, the Red Bull BC One, which first started in 2004, is the sport’s most prestigious annual breaking championship.
World DanceSport Federation has been the sport’s official governing body since 2018.
Breaking was introduced in the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018.
How will the breaking competitions at the Olympics work?
Breaking will be divided into two separate competitions, one for b-girls and b-boys each.
16 b-girls and 16 b-boys will face off in solo contests and will improvise their steps based on the DJ’s tracks.
According to the Olympics website, they will use power moves, including windmills, the 6-step, and freezes.
The Olympic breaking competitions will be held on the 9th and 10th of next month at La Concorde in Paris, 5km (3.1 miles) from the Olympic and Paralympic Village.
Source: Aljazeera
