The Paris Olympics are breaking’s one shot to become a global sport
But its inclusion was not without controversy
“WE SEE BREAKdancing as a future Olympic sport and ourselves as pioneers in making this a reality.” So proclaimed the New York City Breakers, a dance group, in 1984. Forty years later, on August 9th and 10th, 32 breakers—known also as B-boys and B-girls—will grace the stage in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
Breaking has indeed broken into the Olympics; it is the only new event at this year’s games. (The term “breakdancing” was coined by journalists and is not used by adherents.) Yet despite its physicality and emphasis on dance “battles”, breaking has tended to wear the label of “sport” uneasily. Practitioners are generally more interested in gold chains than gold medals.
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