Breaking, commonly known as breakdancing, began in New York in the 1970s and has since grown into a global sport that even makes it to the Olympic Games.
WASHINGTON — The 2024 Olympics will feature a variety of fan-favorite sports during the 19 days of competition.
Dance fans can watch an all-new event take to the stage for the first time: a competitive dance competition called Breaking.
Here's what you need to know about this new addition to the Olympic lineup.
What is disruption?
Breaking, better known as breakdancing, is an urban sport that draws inspiration from a variety of cultures and dance styles, from Latin to kung fu, and sees participants perform tricks such as flips and head spins using intricate footwork and acrobatics.
Breaking first appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, but this will be the first time the sport has made it to a major tournament.
How is braking done?
Breakers compete against other breakers in one-on-one dance duels and take turns performing (called throwdowns).
Each breaker has a set number of rounds, and most major competitions have two to three throwdowns per dancer leading up to the final, with three to five throwdowns in the final.
Each throwdown lasts approximately 60 seconds, but there are no penalties for a routine that is too long or too short. The round ends when both breakers perform during the throwdown.
How is breaking judged at the Olympics?
A panel of at least three judges score the breakdancing competitions, called battles, on six criteria: creativity, individuality, technique, variety, performance and musicality.
Each criterion involved has a different weighting, with some criteria receiving more points than others: Technique, performance and creativity together account for 60% of a performer's score, with the other three parameters making up the remaining 40%.
The judges will vote after each round of dancing and the breaker with the most points at the end will be declared the winner.
Where did breaking come from?
Breaking began on the streets of New York City, where young dancers, primarily from the African-American and Puerto Rican communities, took to the streets to perform. This energetic dance style was first seen in the 1970s and has evolved over the past 50 years to become a global phenomenon.
In almost every major city, breakdancers perform in public venues for tourists, and official scoring systems have been developed for dance competitions.
Although the sport originated with hip hop music, there are no restrictions on the songs used in the performance, as long as the dancers can dance to the tempo and beat pattern of the music being used.
Terms to know
Breaking is a culturally diverse sport with its own terminology. Here are some key terms you may hear during the Olympics:
- Fight – A one-on-one dance-off between two breakers, split into multiple rounds with each contestant doing one dance.
- throw – For 60 seconds, one dancer will perform a freestyle dance to music selected by the DJ.
- round – One throwdown from each breaker equals one round. Battles consist of two or three rounds.
- Freezing – When a breaker stops mid-performance and assumes a different pose than usual to emphasize the pause.
- Top Lock – Any movement performed while standing. Toprock usually refers to a combination of hand movements and footwork.
- Down Lock – All moves performed on floor. Down rock includes spins, slides, dance move transitions, and “power moves.”
- Power Moves – A complex set of movements that breakers use to show off their athleticism, usually involving full-body rotations using the hands, elbows, back, head, or shoulders. These tend to be the most intense parts of the throwdown.
