Why Breakdancing Is Important in the Olympics: An American Art Form or Sport?

I never though I would be writing an article about Breakdancing in the Olympics, but here we are. So let's get into why this is a big deal for the culture. 

By the way, Futura and Nike linked up to designed the gear so you know we gonna show up and show out.

What might seem like a form of art is, in fact, a sport—breakdancing, or breaking as it’s officially known—making its Olympic debut this month in Paris.

Though breaking has thrived on the streets of New York and other U.S. cities since the 1970s, this marks the first time its athletes, known as B-boys and B-girls, will showcase their freestyle moves on one of the world’s biggest stages. The two-day breaking competition, set for this Friday and Saturday, will feature competitors from more than a dozen countries, including China, France, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the United States.

Victor Montalvo, known as B-boy Victor from the U.S. and often referred to as the “Michael Jordan of breaking,” is among the favorites to take home a medal in Paris. He believes the Games will introduce breaking to a broader audience, helping dispel old stereotypes and misconceptions that have persisted since the 1980s.

Breaking has been a competitive street performance for decades, deeply rooted in the hip-hop culture that emerged on the streets of New York City fifty years ago. It began as a creative expression for Black and Latino youth and has become one of the key elements of hip-hop, alongside rapping, DJing, and graffiti art.

“Breaking played a crucial role in the hip-hop movement, merging dance, music, and urban culture,” says Sergey Nifontov, secretary-general of the World DanceSport Federation, which oversees the sport. “The dance style was shaped by influences from various sources, including gymnastics, martial arts, and even the complex footwork of James Brown.”

With the rise of hip-hop’s popularity, breaking entered the mainstream in the mid-1980s, gaining widespread attention through media coverage and appearances in iconic films like "Wild Style," "Beat Street," and "Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo." The internet and social media later helped spread breaking further by connecting dancers around the world, allowing them to share moves and learn from one another. Reality TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance?" have also brought breaking to a wider audience.

Richard M. Cooper, a hip-hop culture expert and co-coordinator of African American Studies at Widener University, notes that breaking provided minority youth with a powerful form of self-expression, allowing them to address their struggles and broader social issues. It became a creative outlet for an urban generation striving to overcome their circumstances.