Everything you need to know about breaking, the newest Olympic sport

08.08.2024 - 07:09 / euronews.com

The Paris Summer Olympic Games are coming to an end this weekend, but there are still plenty of disciplines to go, including a new sport at the Games this year: breaking.

Commonly referred to as "breakdancing", the movement developed from hip-hop culture in New York in the 70s and will make its Olympic debut for the first time tomorrow.

In all, 32 breakers – 16 women and 16 men – will compete over two days, from 9 to 10 August, at the iconic Place de la Concorde, a public square in Paris that is being transformed into an open-air arena for the games.

Together, aside from chasing a medal, they'll be looking to showcase their sport to the world and inspire a new generation to hit the floor and give breaking a try.

"I'm super excited to represent my dance, my art form, and bring the hip-hop culture to the Olympics. We're going to bring something new to the table, we're going to bring a vibe, we're going to bring that peace, love, unity," says breaker Victor Montalvo, otherwise known as "B-Boy Victor", who will be competing for Team US.

If terms like "windmills", "Bronx step," and "throwing down" are unfamiliar to you, fear not. Here's your ultimate guide to the sport before it lights up the world's biggest sporting stage.

Hip-hop was born in the South Bronx in the 1970s, and with it came the rise of breaking, one of the movement's four foundational elements. The other elements are DJing, MCing (or rapping), and graffiti “writing.”

At its core, breaking was born from the desire of young people to dance during the energetic instrumental drum breaks of funk and soul records played by pioneering DJs like Kool Herc at neighbourhood block parties.

Classic examples of breaks can be found on records like 'Apache' by the Incredible Bongo Band, 'Just Begun' by Jimmy Castor Bunch and 'The Mexican' by Babe Ruth. Early DJs would cue up two copies of the same record and skilfully loop these short snippets one after another to create a continuous beat.

The dance itself evolved from a combination of existing styles and movements, such as the energetic footwork of salsa, the acrobatic manoeuvres found in martial arts and the physicality of soul and Motown dancers like James Brown.

Then came the 80s, a decade that catapulted breaking into the mainstream. The Rock Steady Crew, a legendary New York breakdance group, released the classic track 'Hey You' in 1983, featuring pioneering breakers like Crazy Legs, Ken Swift, and Kuriaki showcasing their moves.

In the same year, rap group RUN DMC's music video for 'It’s Like That' platformed breakers battling it out, and the art form was also featured in the hugely popular movie Flashdance. These displays helped breaking gain attention overseas, particularly in Europe and Southeast