I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Paris-hosted Olympics 2024 welcomed breakdance as part of the sports competition. Breakdance is a street dance style developed by African Americans in the Bronx, New York City, United States.
It is an acknowledgement and assertion of African American cultural heritage that quests and celebrates freedoms the youthful generation felt were all theirs for the taking. Breakdance hit the waves about 50 years ago as a dance form coined and perfected by African Americans and later Hispanics in the mid-1970s.
Whether in park jams or basement parties, break dance boogies electrified the crowds and earned the performers deserved accolades with modest cash infusions. This discussion traces this form of dancing and attempts to figure out why the Olympics have embraced it despite being least engaging compared to its peak in the 1970s.
During the seventies, breakdancing was a catharsis of escapism, demonstrating identity, competition and spontaneity. The term “breakdancing” was a media interruption, but dance breakers never fully bought into it. From the breakdancers, there was a suspicious feeling of media intrusion in an aggressive attempt to hijack their artistic vision and independence.
The dance style evolved from a combination of martial arts moves, gymnastics, and funk dance moves. Breakdancing quickly gained popularity in the 1980s, with the release of movies such as “Breakin'” and “Beat Street” showcasing the dance style to a wider audience. It became an essential element of hip-hop culture with its unique moves and music.
Breakdancing competitions and battles also became a common feature of the scene. By the 1990s, breakdancing had declined in mainstream popularity as other forms of hip-hop culture took the spotlight. However, it continued to thrive in underground scenes and countries worldwide. Breakdancing crews and competitions continued to keep the dance style alive.
In the early 2000s, breakdancing experienced a resurgence in popularity, with a new generation of dancers bringing fresh energy and skills to the scene. Breakdancing competitions such as Red Bull BC One helped showcase the talent of breakdancers worldwide. The dance style also gained recognition as an official sport in some countries.
Although the Bronx New Yorkers pioneered break dancing, this performing art has been globally embraced. In the Paris Olympics, competitors from Japan, Morocco, and Lithuania, among others, showcased their break-dancing magical touches.
The latest top-notch breakdancing videos in the 2020s are Red Bull BC One Goes to Paris, Breaking Goes Airborne, Water vs Fire: Menno vs Lil G, and Red Bull BC One All Stars: 10th Anniversary, among others with international appeal. All cited breakdancing videos are available on YouTube.
The technological storage presented by VHS tapes, DVDs, and YouTube made it possible for people in far-flung countries to watch breakdancing moves and get the inspiration and ambition to adopt and own them.
Most breakdancers attribute their unique adaptability to the fact that there are no “holds barred” moves, where creativity, freedom, and expression are all intertwined to produce exceptional limb and whole-body movements that have won global praise and widened their appeal.
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At the Paris Olympics, the judges had many unknown variables to grade. Did they accept the Bronx signature of the 1970s as an expected performance standard, or will they be open to embracing its evolution that has been tinged by other musical and cultural assertiveness?
Top rock that incorporates a foot, hand, and arm movement execution defines the introductory of most breakdancing motions. In the first movement, the lasting impression is secured, winning or dissuading fans simultaneously.
The Olympics may have chosen breakdancing to join its fleet of competitive games because it is a measurable sport. In many ways, breakdancing echoes gymnastics and skating sports rolled in one, minus the swagger.
Now, breakdancing is in the Olympics, bringing new enthusiasm and monetary motivation to a genre confined to theatres and public arenas. One time, while at the New York Times Square, I saw several small audiences surrounding African-American breakdancers, clapping their hands and contributing some money.
I kept asking myself whether the breakdancers had a second source of income or solely depended on small contributions collected daily.
However, that is about to change. If you trace Olympic gold medal winners in the US, their lives significantly change once they win them. Look at the gold medal winners of multiple Olympics, such as Simone Biles and Michael Phelps.
Simone Biles has won 11 Olympic medals (7 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze) and 30 World Championship medals, making her the most decorated gymnast in history and widely considered the greatest gymnast ever. Michael Phelps has won 23 Olympic gold medals and 5 others in swimming.
While the Olympics do not directly bring untold riches, several product endorsements do change the lives of Olympic medal winners. For example, last year alone, Simone Biles was paid over $7.3 million per year for product endorsements.
Even in retirement, Phelps earns around $10 million annually from endorsements with major brands like Omega, Subway, Visa, and Under Armour. His equity stake in Talkspace, valued between $1 billion and $3 billion, further enhances his financial portfolio.
This is why having breakdancing as part of the Olympics has potentially changed the fortunes of those who take it as an occupation. The African Americans I saw at Times Square in New York can now begin to aspire and plan to compete in the Olympics and cement their names as top dance breakers.
When they return to the US, they will find corporate America happy to embrace them with lucrative product endorsement contracts. They will no longer depend on the generosity of onlookers at Times Square to eke out a living and split it among themselves.
For some unclear reason, breakdancing never gained traction in Africa. Some say it was too expansive to play. One needs a hard surface, disposable attire, and shoes to turn up day in and day out. Others saw that the themes associated with breakdancing did not reflect African history and actual predicament, but all that is about to change.
In the future, Africa will also embrace breakdancing as a sport for competitive engagements. Over time, depending on how breakdancing shapes, defines, and stamps out its authority globally, tournaments will be organized with hefty rewards for winners. It could also be a rallying point for youth job creation, empowerment, self-expression, and professional advancement.
The decision to include it in the Olympics was long overdue but worthwhile.
