8 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BREAKING AT THE 2024 PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES
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Origins
Breaking originated in the 1970s block parties of the Bronx, New York, as a form of expression for African American, Caribbean, and Latino youths facing poverty and oppression.
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Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc, also known as Clive Campbell, is credited with inspiring Breaking's creation. At his block parties DJ Kool Herc recognised that crowds went crazy when the 'Break' section of songs where vocals and instruments dropped out. To extend these breaks, he used a technique called the 'Merry-Go-Round,' mixing two copies of the same record on two turntables. This innovation led to the development of Breaking, with the dance style and the terms B-Boy and B-Girl deriving from the 'Break.'
Breaking quickly became popular in the Bronx's struggling communities as a form of expression and escapism, requiring no expensive equipment or formal training. Although it began with funk music before Hip Hop existed, Breaking is now recognised as one of the four elements of Hip Hop, alongside MCing, DJing, and Graffiti.
2. What is Breaking?
Breaking is characterised by footwork, dynamic acrobatic moves, and powerful movements in sync with the rhythm of primarily funk and hip-hop music. Early B-Boys and B-Girls drew inspiration from funk icons like James Brown and the Nicholas Brothers, as well as local as other movements such as Uprocking, which shares similarities with Breaking's toprocking.
As Breaking spread globally, influences from other cultures, including Martial Arts, Gymnastics, and traditional African dances, enriched its vocabulary. At its core, Breaking consists of three main elements: TOPROCK, DOWNROCK AND FREEZES
B Boy Kid Karam shot by Shokirie Clarke
TOPROCK
Toprock refers to the moves Breakers perform while standing, involving footwork and gestures that establish their presence and showcase their unique style and "flava." It's during this phase that Breakers connect with the music and set the tone for their round.
DOWNROCK
Downrock consists of movements performed on the floor, engaging the entire body and requiring significant power, strength, and agility. Downrock can be divided into three subcategories:
Drops and Transitions - The techniques Breakers use to transition smoothly between toprock and downrock, crucial for maintaining rhythm and fluidity.
Footwork - Sequences of steps, kicks, and sweeps that highlight the Breaker's foundation, technique, style, and "flava."
Power Moves and Spins - The most acrobatic and daring moves, including air flares, headspins, and 1990s. These moves demand a high level of power, skill, flexibility, and agility, similar to gymnastics.
FREEZES
Freezes involve holding a position, often in a complex and impressive stance, to demonstrate core strength and balance. They are typically used as a dramatic pause or conclusion to a sequence, ideally executed in sync with the music for maximum impact.
3. Why is it Breaking and NOT Breakdancing?
Breaking has always been the original name for the dance style. The term "Breakdancing" was mistakenly introduced by the media after the manager of the Rock Steady Crew used it during the Roxxy European Hip Hop tour in the 1980s. As a result, "Breakdancing" became the media's go-to term for Breaking, although it was often used as an umbrella term for other Streetdance styles emerging at the time, such as Popping and Locking. While these styles had their own distinct names, Breaking was often conflated with "Breakdancing" due to the similarity in names.
When Breaking was initially announced for inclusion in the 2024 Paris Olympics, it was labelled as "Breakdancing." This prompted the global Breaking community to rally on social media, raising awareness of the correct name and its historical significance. The campaign succeeded, leading the International Olympic Committee to drop "Breakdancing" in favour of the proper term, "Breaking."
Despite this victory, much work remains to correct decades of miscategorisation of Streetdance styles, a challenge partly due its relative newness and ongoing evolution.
4. Popularity
Although Breaking originated in the 1970s, it truly flourished in the 1980s with the advent of Hip Hop music and the rise of MTV.
Breaking became almost synonymous with early Hip Hop music videos. Films like Flashdance (1983), featuring Rock Steady Crew members Crazy Legs, Mr. Freeze, Frosty Freeze, and Prince Ken Swift, along with Hip Hop-focused movies like Wild Style (1983) Breakin’ (1984), and Beat Street (1984), played a significant role in making Breaking a global phenomenon, extending far beyond the USA.
Rock Steady Crew - Pinterest
5. How did Breaking at the Olympics come to be?
Breaking has become significantly more acrobatic compared to its early days, reflecting its continuous evolution and global influences. While the original breakers had a stronger connection to rhythm, today's B Boys and B Girls tend to have more acrobatic skill. Style, "flava," and rhythm remain key characteristics of B-Boys and B-Girls though many of the power moves now resemble gymnastics, with similar flair and risk, which perhaps makes Breaking quantifiable on an Olympic scale.
This doesn't diminish the importance of the moments where style and "flava" shine through. Much like Gymnastics in the Summer Games or Figure Skating in the Winter Games, Breaking still values the expression of individual character, rhythm, and smooth transitions between movements, even amid displays of athletic prowess.
Image - Olympics (2018 Buenos Aires Youth Games)
Breaking made its debut as a sport at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018, and due to its success, it was chosen as a new sport for the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Host countries have the option to select 'niche' sports.)
6. Who’s Competing and how did they Qualify?
A total of 32 Breakers will compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. They qualified through three main pathways, with additional spots reserved for underrepresented National Olympic Committees and the host country, France.
The qualification methods were:
1. Winning the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) Championships
B-Boy: Victor Montalvo (USA) - B Boy Victor
B-Girl: Dominika Banevič (Lithuania) - B Girl Nicka
2. Winning one of the five continental WDSF Championships for Africa, Asia, Europe, Pan America, and Oceania
B-Boys: Bilal Mallakh (Morocco) - B Boy Billy // Danis Civil (France) - B Boy Dany Dan // Jeffery Dan Arpie Dunne (Australia) - B Boy J Attack // Phillip Kim (Canada) - B Boy Phil Wizard // Shigeyuki Nakarai (Japan) - B Boy Shigekix
B-Girls: Sunny Choi (USA) - B Girl Sunny // Fatima Zahra El-Mamouny (Morocco) - B Girl El-Mamouny // India Sardjoe (Netherlands) - B Girl India // Liu Qingyi (China) - B Girl 671 // Rachael Gunn (Australia) - B Girl Raygun
3. Olympic Qualifier Series - an invitational series of events
B-Boys: Lee-Lou Demierre (Netherlands) - B Boy Lee // Kim Hongyul (South Korea) - B Boy Hongten, Hiroto Ono (Japan) - B Boy Hiro10 // Qi Xiangyu (China) - B Boy Lithe-ing // Jeffrey Louis (USA) - B Boy Jeffro // Amir Zakirov (Kazakhstan) - B Boy Amir // Menno Van Gorp (Netherlands) - B Boy Menno
B-Girls: Ami Yuasa (Japan) - B Girl AMI // Ayumi Fukushima (Japan) - B Girl Ayumi // Sya Dembélé (France) - B Girl Syssy // Logan Elanna Edra (USA) - B Girl Logistx // Zeng Yingying (China) - B Girl Ying Zi // Kateryna Pavlenko (Ukraine) - B Girl Kate // Antilai Sandrini (Italy) - B Girl Anti
B Girl Stefani of Ukraine shot by Emily Almodovar
Universality Places
B-Boys: Sun Chen (Chinese Taipei) - B Boy Quake // Oleg Kuznietsov (Ukraine) - B Boy Kuzya
B-Girls: Vanessa Cartaxo (Portugal) - B Girl Vanessa // Anna Ponomarenko (Ukraine) - B Girl Stefani Manizha Talash (Afghanistan) - B Girl Nicka (IOC Refugee Olympic Team)
Host Country (France)
B-Boy: Gaëtan Alin (France) - B Boy Lagaet
B-Girl: Carlota Dudek (France) - B Girl Senorita Carlota
7. What is the competition format and judging criteria?
The competition format includes three rounds, judged by a panel of nine based on five criteria:
TECHNIQUE, VOCABULARY, EXECUTION, MUSICALITY, ORIGINALITY
Each category has equal bearing on their final score for the round. Breakers can be penalised for misbehaviour, ranging from 3% for mild to 10% for severe infractions.
The first round is a ROUND-ROBIN format with four groups of four. The top two B-Boys/B-Girls from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, where matchups will be determined by seeding (1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, etc.). To win, Breakers must achieve the highest score in two of the three rounds. Winners will then proceed to the semi-finals and finals.
8. When is it and where can you watch it?
The B-Girls will compete on Friday, 9th August, while the B-Boys will compete on Saturday, 10th August. Both competitions will take place at the same times on their respective days.
3pm - B Girls / B Boys Round Robin // 7pm - B Girls / B Boys Quarter-Finals // 7:45pm - B Girls / B Boys Semi-Finals // 8:15pm - B Girls / B Boys Finals
Olympic Breaking can be streamed live on discovery+
BREAKIN’ CONVENTION and SADLERS WELLS will also be hosting Olympic Breaking watch parties in the QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK, STRATFORD on both friday and saturday with THE CAPSULE and music from BBC RADIO 1XTRA DJ’S
Image - Olympics
