The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made history by formally adding breaking (dance), also referred to as breakdancing, to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This choice to add breaking in the olympics represents a major turning point for the Olympic movement and the dance community, demonstrating how sports are changing and how urban culture is becoming more and more popular around the world.
What is the Sport of Breaking?
Breaking is acrobatic & dynamic dance style that emerged as an important element of hip-hop culture (Along with DJing, MCing, and graffiti) on the streets of New York City in the early 1970s. Breaking has four elements: TopRocks, DownRocks, Power Moves & Freezes. It is a street-level art form that is now well-known worldwide.
Read More at What is Breaking?
When Will the Breaking Competitions Take Place?
The 2024 Olympic breaking sports competitions are scheduled as follows:
– Women’s Categories: The battles will be held on August 9, with the qualifying rounds taking place from 4 to 6 pm, followed by the finals from 8 to 10 pm.
– Men’s Categories: The battles will occur the next day, on August 10. The qualifying rounds will also be from 4 to 6 pm, with the finals from 8 to 10 pm.
The Journey of Breaking in the Olympics
Breaking as a dance sport debuted on the international scene in 2018 during the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games. The event featured the athleticism, talent, and creative ability of B-boys and B-girls from all over the world, and was a huge success. An important step toward the participation of the breaking in the 2024 Olympic Games was the audience’s and the IOC’s good welcome.
The Olympic Breaking Sport Format
In Breaking dance battles, 16 Bgirls & 16 Bboys will face off in 1-on-1 duels in their respective category. The battles are divided into four stages, Robin Round, Quaterfinal, Semi-Final & Finals.
In the Round Robin stage, each breaker competes against all three opponents in their group. The two breakers with the most wins advance to the next level. Round Robin battles consist of two rounds each. The Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final stages are knockout rounds, each consisting of three rounds.
Battles are judged by a panel of nine respected dancers from the breaking community, who evaluate each performance based on clearly defined criteria.
Rules & Judging criteria for the breakdancing sport
The breaking judging system evaluates five main criteria: technique, execution, originality, vocabulary, and musicality.
Technique: It encompasses athleticism, body control, dynamics, space control, form, lines, and shapes.
Execution: It assesses the consistency of flow, avoiding crashes, slips, falls, and ensuring cleanliness in moves.
Originality: It measures the dancer’s improvisation skills, personality, uniqueness, and his own creation of moves & sets.
Vocabulary: It refers to the range and quantity of moves, highlighting the variations in the dancer’s arsenal.
Musicality: It evaluates how well dancers synchronize their movements with the music, focusing on rhythm and different textures.
Each criterion accounts for 20% of the total score, making up 100% when combined. The system also includes a misbehaviour button to monitor the conduct of B-Boys and B-Girls on stage.
There are three misbehaviour buttons used to address inappropriate conduct:
1. The first button addresses unintentional misbehaviour, such as accidentally disturbing an opponent’s round.
2. The second button deals with more serious actions.
3. The third button is for the most severe cases, such as deliberately disrupting an opponent’s performance or making inappropriate gestures and comments.
Judges compare two athletes in the same battle instead of assigning points individually. The athlete who wins two out of three rounds is declared the overall winner.
Quota Places For Breakers
A total of 32 quota spots (16 for each gender) are available for eligible dancers to compete for the first medals in breaking. Each NOC is limited to four athletes (two per gender). Host country France has secured two spots (one per gender), and the Tripartite Commission will allocate four Universality places (two per gender). To be eligible for a Universality place, athletes must participate in the Olympic Qualifier Series (Shanghai & Budapest) and finish in the top 24 in the final ranking.
Quota Places for Breakers:
| Quota Places | Host Country Places | Universality Places | Total | |
| Men | 13 | 1 | 2 | 16 |
| Women | 13 | 1 | 2 | 16 |
| Total | 26 | 2 | 4 | 32 |
Number of Breakers Allowed per National Olympic Committee (NOC):
| Quota Places per NOC | |
| Men | 2 |
| Women | 2 |
| Total | 4 |
Know more at Breaking at the Olympic Games Paris 2024
FAQs
1. What is breaking in the Olympics?
Breaking is a dance sport that has been added to the Paris Olympics 2024 for the first time ever. The president of the IOC said that they included breakdancing as part of a measure to attract more interest from young individuals in the Olympics.
2. Is breaking in the Olympics?
Yes, breaking dance has been added as an Olympic breaking sport in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics following its success at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018. However, it has been cut from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
3. How many breakers from each country can get in the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Every country can only send a maximum of 4 breakers and only two per gender.
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