From block parties in the Bronx to the international stage, breaking, otherwise known as “breakdancing,” has taken the world by storm. Now, for the first time ever, the sport will debut in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Breaking down the rules of the competitionThe breaking competition will be split into two events — one for women and one for men. Sixteen B-Boys and 16 B-Girls will face off in solo battles. Athletes will be judged based on how they adapt their style and improvise to the beat of the DJ’s tracks in the battle. They must use a combination of power moves, which include windmills, the 6-step and freezes.Breaking was initially featured in the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018. The sport’s inclusion was met with “outstanding success,” according to Olympic officials. This newfound success inspired the Paris 2024 Olympic officials to add the sport into their program, in hopes of bringing in younger viewers.The breaking competitions will take place on Aug. 9 and 10 at La Concorde Urban Park in Paris, France.Get to Know Team USATeam USA Olympic B-Boy Jeffrey Louis, of Houston, Texas, says he is ready to bring his unique style and moves to the Olympic stage. “It’s a party,” Louis said. “And now you just add a little competitive environment to it, and you got yourself a battle.” Team USA Olympic B-Girl Sunny Choi said Breaking has helped shape her as a person. “When we’re dancing, you’re going up there with everything you’ve experienced in life,” Choi said. “With all of the bad, all of the good, and you’re just like, ‘This is who I am.’ And we’re here to celebrate it.” Team USA Olympic B-Boy Victor Montalvo, of Kissimmee, Florida, said his father and twin brother are some of his biggest inspirations. His father was a breaker in Mexico and taught Victor. “He sacrificed a lot for my breaking career. It just all worked out,” Montalvo said. “Look at me now, I’m part of Team USA, breaking is in the Olympics, the first American breaker to go to the Olympics. It all worked out. It was all worth it.”The Roots of BreakingAccording to breaking scholar and practitioner Serouj Aprahamian, the creation of breaking began in the 1970s when the civil rights and Black power movements had reawakened a sense of cultural pride among African Americans.Breaking was created by African American teens as a new form of expression while hanging out at lively block parties in the Bronx. Some of the most popular parties were thrown by a man named DJ Kool Herc, who is now often referred to as “The Father of Hip-Hop.”Many of the original breakers were inspired by funk music, especially by James Brown. Kool Herc noticed that when he would extend a song’s percussive break, people would “break” or start dancing. This type of “breakbeat” dancing would help form the foundation of hip hop music. Louis is ready to represent the U.S. on the global stage by showcasing the soul and roots of breaking. “I want to represent the U.S. well, so I’m going to show the essence, I want to show the movement, freedom, that breaking allows. I want to show the character that other countries don’t have in breaking,” Louis said. “They learned the moves, but do they have the movement? Do they have the soul? So that’s what I’m here to showcase that extra element that that’s missing in breaking around right now.”
From block parties in the Bronx to the international stage, breaking, otherwise known as “breakdancing,” has taken the world by storm.
Now, for the first time ever, the sport will debut in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Breaking down the rules of the competition
The breaking competition will be split into two events — one for women and one for men.
Sixteen B-Boys and 16 B-Girls will face off in solo battles.
Athletes will be judged based on how they adapt their style and improvise to the beat of the DJ’s tracks in the battle. They must use a combination of power moves, which include windmills, the 6-step and freezes.
Breaking was initially featured in the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018. The sport’s inclusion was met with “outstanding success,” according to Olympic officials. This newfound success inspired the Paris 2024 Olympic officials to add the sport into their program, in hopes of bringing in younger viewers.
The breaking competitions will take place on Aug. 9 and 10 at La Concorde Urban Park in Paris, France.
Get to Know Team USA
Team USA Olympic B-Boy Jeffrey Louis, of Houston, Texas, says he is ready to bring his unique style and moves to the Olympic stage.
“It’s a party,” Louis said. “And now you just add a little competitive environment to it, and you got yourself a battle.”
Team USA Olympic B-Girl Sunny Choi said Breaking has helped shape her as a person.
“When we’re dancing, you’re going up there with everything you’ve experienced in life,” Choi said. “With all of the bad, all of the good, and you’re just like, ‘This is who I am.’ And we’re here to celebrate it.”
Team USA Olympic B-Boy Victor Montalvo, of Kissimmee, Florida, said his father and twin brother are some of his biggest inspirations. His father was a breaker in Mexico and taught Victor.
“He sacrificed a lot for my breaking career. It just all worked out,” Montalvo said. “Look at me now, I’m part of Team USA, breaking is in the Olympics, the first American breaker to go to the Olympics. It all worked out. It was all worth it.”
The Roots of Breaking
According to breaking scholar and practitioner Serouj Aprahamian, the creation of breaking began in the 1970s when the civil rights and Black power movements had reawakened a sense of cultural pride among African Americans.
Breaking was created by African American teens as a new form of expression while hanging out at lively block parties in the Bronx. Some of the most popular parties were thrown by a man named DJ Kool Herc, who is now often referred to as “The Father of Hip-Hop.”
Many of the original breakers were inspired by funk music, especially by James Brown.
Kool Herc noticed that when he would extend a song’s percussive break, people would “break” or start dancing. This type of “breakbeat” dancing would help form the foundation of hip hop music.
Louis is ready to represent the U.S. on the global stage by showcasing the soul and roots of breaking.
“I want to represent the U.S. well, so I’m going to show the essence, I want to show the movement, freedom, that breaking allows. I want to show the character that other countries don’t have in breaking,” Louis said. “They learned the moves, but do they have the movement? Do they have the soul? So that’s what I’m here to showcase that extra element that that’s missing in breaking around right now.”
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