Originating in the 1970s, breakdancing, or breaking, emerged from hip-hop culture in the Bronx, and consists of complicated footwork paired with acrobatic dance moves. Countries worldwide have held international breaking competitions as early as the 1990s, popularizing the dance style; however the breaking community takes another huge leap in publicity as it sets to debut in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Traveling to Paris to represent the United States, 16 males and 16 females train for face-to-face solo battles where they aim to earn the judges’ votes and take home an Olympic title. Grace “Sunny” Choi—an Olympic hopeful and current reigning USA girls champion—comments on the originality of the sport: “One of the unique elements of breaking is that much of what you see is freestyled.” Requiring creativity and adaptability, breaking allows competitors to show off their on-the-spot thinking as they instinctively match the DJ’s music and attempt to outdo each other with their skills, moves, character, style, and musicality. Whether viewed by a beaming breaker or a dreadful dancer, breakdancing will not fail to enamor all Olympic audience members this summer.
