To start things off, let’s spread the right term for this dance which is Breaking. Yes, it was the media that coined the term Breakdancing but it was those who allowed them that are to be blamed. While most of the early practitioners of this dance were stringent on the term Breaking but there were a few candidates who were okay with the media calling it Breakdancing. The media is always spreading what sounds catchy, evidently. As Breaking becomes an Olympic Sport, it is once again our chance to spread the correct term before it gets too late and this new audience that is getting exposed to our cultures starts to call us Breakdancers.
We have discussed the background of the terms in the article Breaking or Breakdance.
It is up to every single one of our Olympians and whoever is involved from the community to educate the TV hosts and these mainstream outlets about the correct name of this dance. It is about time that we begin to spread the culture as it is, without any alterations. The integrity has to be kept.
Control
From the judging system to the event setup, the control should lie in the hands of the representatives of Breaking. However, this can’t always be the case because the Olympics has its own rules and regulations that it needs to comply to an international body of sports. It is looking good so far but it can’t possibly be perfect. What’s more important is to preserve the essence of this culture because without the culture, Breaking doesn’t exists. Back with the above-mentioned exploitation that happened in the 80s, Breaking was in its pre-developed stages. The big names in the B-Boy scenes were all in their youth years and had little idea about how the business world worked.
Now things are different and it’s been 30 years since that time. Our dance, art form, culture, education, and businesses have evolved. We are ready to seize control and do things our way. Again, with a little participation from the pioneers in Breaking, we can find a middle ground and do things our way while still being complacent to the laws and regulations of the International Olympic Committee. We are already on the right track, consensually.
The OG’s Perspective
While the majority of the OGs have been part of the transition of Breaking Turning into an Olympic sport, not all of them have participated actively. Some believe that in order to protect and preserve this art form and its traditions, you need to first and foremost, make sure that it stays an art form and does not become a sport. It is also seen on their social media that they are pointing fingers at the Non-Breaking members in the WDSF representing Breaking just as a side gig. The internet has always been a place where people voice their opinions about anything and everything and it’s not necessary that you agree. The viewpoint of these pioneers is about standing up for an art form that has existed for many years, has opened doors for many people, and changed countless lives worldwide, all by just being an art form. It is further put on the table by them that this dance form has a solid identity and should be represented under the same umbrella as it has always been. Without the identity and integrity, this art form would have disappeared from the face of the earth decades ago.
They are often found to voice up for Breaking as it is nothing but funk, groove, rhythm, and movement. It is indeed evident through the past that when Breaking first went mainstream, it was the same Bronx Attitude that made it appealing to the masses. In the past, people have been doing parkour flips and gymnasts have been doing powermoves. It was only until the Bronx put funk, rhythm, attitude, groove, style, finesse, and character, along with the sporty elements that Breaking came into existence. These are the elements that separate Breaking from everything else. The point of most of these OGs is that when Breaking makes its debut in front of the world, it shouldn’t look like a leveled up gymnastics competition with irrelevant electronic music. The authenticity should be kept from the dance floor to the music being played. Therefore, we can best achieve it with the participation of every active OG in the scene.
Making a Living
With Breaking going into the Olympics, there are going to be multiple avenues made available for Breakers worldwide to make a living off Breaking. Not being able to make ends meet has been the most common reason for Breakers quitting Breaking for the past couple of decades. Because it requires active physical training to be able to Break, one needs to train regularly to stay relevant. Moreover, it doesn’t get better with time. As your body ages, you need to keep training more frequently to maintain form. This maintenance, like every other physical activity, requires discipline, training, and most of all, time. Those who are not able to live off of Breaking, find it hard to make time for Breaking after their working hours. Eventually, not being able to train leads to a loss of morale and then you give up. It is often said that a true Breaker cannot quit Breaking just like that. However, it can be consensually said that Breaking is a War-Like Dance and battling is a huge aspect of it. So, in order to stay relevant and keep battling, one needs to not only train with consistency but also show up at the jams.
For OGs, doing workshops, giving classes, organizing events, and judging are the four main sources to earn. Their gems are precious and with all the experience they are perfect for judging. However, not having enough time, energy, and a team to organize events makes it hard for them to keep throwing jams. The workshops are also mostly powered by brands and don’t happen on a regular basis. There are venue constraints for permanent classes as well. Lastly, the opportunity to judge also depends on the number of events happening.
Not to say we already don’t have active OGs in the scene still being true to the game and giving back to the scene. In this digital age, coming up with exclusive Breaking businesses can be a great tool to not only earn from Breaking but also give back to the art form. Below is a list of Breaking brands.
- https://dyzeediaries.creator-spring.com/
- https://store.thelegits.com/
- https://www.generationbboy.com/
- https://dyzeethreadz.com/
- https://www.bboy-gear.com/shop/
- https://www.spinthezee.com/
- https://www.bboysummit.com/shop/
- https://www.bboy-born.com/shop
- https://swiftrockshop.com/
- https://serious-brand.com/shop/
- https://www.bottegaprama.com/
- https://firstclasscollection.bigcartel.com/
- https://menno-leisure.com/
- https://funknfurious.com/
- https://cypher-code-japan.com/
Coming to the new-gen Breakers, it’s their job now to support these businesses and not blindly shop from the top sports brands who don’t do anything for the community. Once Breaking is seen in the Olympics, it will be easier for Breakers to earn and make a living off of Breaking. This can make or break us. All the money coming into the community should be used for the good of the scene. It’s a 360-degree expansion and the Breakers from every generation must actively take part into making Breaking sustainable for not only the current generation but also for the future generations to come. Every country that has a Sports Ministry gives huge incentives to the medalists. These incentives are monetary, as well as support-based. From providing training facilities and looking after the health of the athletes to sending them to further competitions, it’s all covered by the federation. Not to mention the sponsorships that come along the way. It shall be in the hands of the youth then to give back to the scene and acknowledge and honor the OGs.
All VS All
Breaking and Crew Culture both go hand in hand. When the IOC was considering Breaking for the Paris 2024 Games, it was obvious that they wanted a format that was the most popular. In the world of Breaking, the talk of the town has been Red Bull BC One for the past 2 decades. It’s indeed the most prestigious Breaking competition in the world. They found it appealing and it was something that was already working with a good number of viewership globally. Going ahead with this format was the obvious choice. But is One VS One really the best representation of this culture? For many, the answer is a no. Especially, the OGs in the scene who come from an era when the crew battles were the real deal are often seen to back out from the Olympics for this reason.
It’s the best to collectively admit that crew battles started it all and there’s no comparison with one-on-ones. Moving forward, the best approach would be to pitch crew battles as it’s not only more fun but that’s also something that initially made Breaking mainstream in the 80s with movies like Beat Street. It’s a fair point and needs to be put out there. Whoever wins the medals, it’s their job to be vocal about the true Breaking battle formats that are Crew VS Crew. The authenticity must be preserved and when Breaking will next be considered for the Olympics, we all must make sure that the best format is pushed forward. Imagine a Country VS Country battle on the world stage of the Olympics, wouldn’t that be the best representation of the scene?
Bigger-Scale Events
As soon as we crown our Olympians, there will be a huge buzz in the mainstream media about Breaking. To best capitalize on this, it’s pointless to just wait for the Olympic Committee to consider Breaking again. It would be for the better good of the scene if we learn from the NBA and NFL. Both of these sports have been in the Olympics, however, the bigger leagues are still these championships.
Similarly, the dependency on the Olympics shouldn’t slow us down. While most Breakers will keep focusing on the qualifiers, the promoters and the OGs should put all their efforts into creating bigger and badder B-Boy jams. Doing so will not only inject a money stream into the scene but will help us sustain which will in turn gain the interest of the Olympic Committee again.
No Burners
Burns refer to actions, signs, and gestures done by Breakers to humiliate and mock the other dancer. It’s been a part of Breaking since day one and is rated quite highly among the old-gen Breakers. Because Breaking is a form of War-Dance, it has everything from gunshot gestures to shadow punches. It’s a creative way of getting into your opponent’s head to make them agitated and lose confidence, eventually, messing up on the floor. One rule that has been there since day one is about not having any intentional physical contact with the opponent. Similarly, the rule of no physical contact is present in the rulebook of the WDSF taking Breaking to the Olympics. However, their guidelines are a bit different when it comes to the Traditional B-Boy Burns. It goes like:
“Breakers should not act in a manner which will bring the dance into disrepute. They should refrain from overtly obscene, lewd, rude, racial, abusive, discriminative, sexual or violent gestures/acts.”
– WDSF Breaking Rulebook: p28
Basically, it says you can’t do a burner on the stage of Olympic Games. It is important to understand here that Breaking is not always about the flashy crowd-pleasing movements. There’s a creative aspect to Breaking and that is the battle attitude. When it comes to Martial Arts, there are deadly punches and kicks being thrown from both ends and all of that is allowed and is considered a part of the art. The point here is, that Burns is an integral part of Breaking, especially, battling. In the best-case scenario, yes, this element of Breaking should have been respected and incorporated. These hitting gestures which don’t result in any physical contact could easily be allowed.
On the contrary, when it comes to sexual gestures like giving cocks, humping someone while they are bent over, and jumping up to someone’s face with your cock, the middle fingers, the rude gestures, it is quite obvious why the WDSF has prohibited all of that. No other sport has such humiliating gestures. Moreover, to justify it to an audience that is seeing it for the first time would require quite an explanation from the Olympics end.
Now this will again go back to the future event organizers and promoters of Breaking to allow burns at their competitions. To preserve the essence of Breaking is everyone’s responsibility. We shouldn’t let this one event change the rich historic ways of this dance that have been passed down to us from the pioneers of Hip-Hop. In no way these rules should be allowed to any other Breaking event worldwide. It should be kept raw and street-like because in that freedom lies the true heartbeat of Breaking.
DOs and DON’Ts
To sum it all up, below are some DOs and DON’Ts for all the members of the community whether they support the narrative or not.
DOs
- Participate! No matter which generation you belong to, if you are a Breaker in this day in age, you can contribute in one way or the other. If you are an OG, take an active part in setting things up for the youth of Breaking because even without your support, things will work but the true essence of this dance will be lost. If you are a new-gen Breaker, set up a federation and compete at the qualifiers.
- Organize events that keep the cypher culture alive.
- Spread the word.
- Defend Breaking on all platforms. Be a voice of this dance.
- Take ownership even if things don’t work out.
- Establish Breaking brands and give back to the scene.
- Use the mainstream buzz to your advantage as a Breaker and spread awareness about your contribution to the scene.
- Educate people about the flaws if you find any at the Olympics.
DON’Ts
- Stop explaining to people why Breaking is still an art and not a sport or vice versa. It’s become a sport now and many view it that way. However, don’t let anyone call it just a sport. It’s an art form at first. Let both the mindsets coexist.
- Avoid internal conflicts and stop pointing fingers if things aren’t going the traditional way. Step up and fix things.
- Do not post anything against anyone in the scene. The world should see us as a tight unit.
- Do not give up on the scene if you see the majority refrain from the path. Breaking stays the same and it’s everyone’s duty to ensure that as Hip-Hop Heads.
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