Why is breaking not called breakdancing at Paris Olympics 2024 and is it really a sport?

FANS tuning into the Olympics may be surprised to see breaking on the list of sports.

It is the only new addition for Paris 2024.

APBreaking is making its Olympics debut at Paris 2024[/caption]

AlamyThe dance became popular in the New York hip-hop culture in the 1970s[/caption]

But the name also raises an obvious question: why is it not called breakdancing?

Well, the answer dates back to the origins of the dance that was born in the United States in the 1970s. 

With roots in hip-hop, it took off in block parties in New York with a combination of acrobatic movement and complex footwork set agains the backdrop of music. 

Originally the act of dancing was called breaking – with dancers called breakers. 

That is because they dance to the break of the track being played in the background.

There was also a reference to the performers breaking on the inside by releasing emotions through the dancing. 

The term breakdancing was coined by the media as it gained popularity in mainstream culture. 

And that led to B-Boys and B-Girls being referred to as breakdancers outside of the breaking industry – the B a reference to Bronx, the borough of New York where breaking began. 

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So although breakdancing is the more common and popular name, the original term is breaking – and that’s what the IOC have gone with for the Olympics. 

How is breaking a sport?

While breaking is certainly a dance, it is also a professional sport. 

Breakers compete in competitions by going up against each other in battles – either in crews or in solo one-v-one contests. 

They take it in turns to dance and use a combination of moves to music. 

The breakers do not know the music before the battle begins – forcing them to strike a balance between planned routines and spontaneous improvisation.

Many of them are now full-time athletes, sponsored by huge global brands such as Nike, adidas and Red Bull. 

Global tournaments are regularly broadcast on TV. 

Breaking featured in the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018 and has now got the call-up for Paris 2024. 

With an official Olympic rule book and judging system, breaking is now officially recognised as a professional sport. 

What are the key moves of breaking and how is it judged?

THERE are five key fundamentals to look out for from the breakers at the Paris 2024 Olympics:

TOP ROCK

This is stand-up dancing, routines always start with this and feature cross-step and Salsa step.

FOOTWORK

When breakers are down on all fours from a low squat position, doing footwork patterns and steps including hooks and kicks.

GO DOWNS

This is the transition from Top Rock to Footwork, including the Knee Switch and Rock Drop.

FREEZES

Where breakers hold a position or pose during a routine, acting as a pause or ‘comma’ before going again – from the simple to the extraordinary.

POWER MOVES

These are the big wow moves, the ultimate crowd-pleasers, the impressive show-stoppers: flicks, tricks, headspins, air flares, munchmills or windmills.

B-Boys and B-Girls are judged on three categories…

Body – this is the physical aspect and incorporates the execution and the flow of the dance by the breakers
Soul – this is the interpretation aspect, how the breakers interpret the music, the competition, the specific battle, the room and how they display their character and bounce off the energy
Mind – this is the artistic aspect, taking into consideration the creativity of the breakers

What has been the reaction?

SunSport asked British breaker Kid Karam if the latest addition to the Olympics came in for some negative reaction.

He said: “Yes definitely. When it first got announced there was a lot of backlash from other sports because other sports weren’t included and breaking was. 

“A lot of people traditionally saw breaking as breakdance – when you think of breakdance I think people stereotypically thought of a boombox in the street, streetdancing, subcultures for other things. 

“I think it was negatively perceived by a lot of people. For us, even in our scene, there were two minds about it.

APBreakers go up against each other in one-v-one battles[/caption]

AlamyBreakdancing was a term coined by the media when breaking rose to prominence[/caption]

AFPThe stars are judged on body, mind and soul[/caption]

APPlenty of the breakers are full-time athletes with sponsorships from global brands[/caption]

“But breaking finally being here at the Olympic Games is crazy for us.

“We could never have said we were going to be Olympians.

“If you look at the definition of sport, of course it fits in that category but it’s very much a dance, an art, a culture.

“It definitely had a lot of raised eyebrows but as time has gone on, it has been really accepted.”

How will it work at Paris 2024?

There are two breaking events at this summer’s Olympics – one for the B-Boys and one for the B-Girls.

Just 16 athletes qualify for each and they are split into four round-robin groups of four.

The top two in each group go through to the knockout stages.

For the group stages, it will be two-round competitions. That means the athletes alternate with two routines each. 

In the quarter-finals and semis, it’s best of three – or first to two rounds – then the final is three rounds each.

The judges give scores to each breaker for each round. The breaker who wins more rounds wins – or if it is a tie, it will come down to the number of points.

Nine judges watch the battles on stage and then use the Trivium System to determine the winner, focusing on three key areas: 

Body – this is the physical aspect and incorporates the execution and the flow of the dance by the breakers

Soul – this is the interpretation aspect, how the breakers interpret the music, the competition, the specific battle, the room and how they display their character and bounce off the energy

Mind – this is the artistic aspect, taking into consideration the creativity of the breakers

SunSportSunSport gave breaking a go – but did not make it look very easy[/caption]

SunSportThe lesson took place in a very public location beside Tower Bridge[/caption]

SunSportFreezes are pauses or commas during routines[/caption]

Simon Jacobs/PinPepPower moves are the big, impressive, spectacular show-stoppers[/caption]

AFPBreakers need to combine planned routines and spontaneous improvisation[/caption]