By Fan Arch July 25, 2024 06:31
Photo by Lee Jin-man/The Associated Press
Breakdancing emerged from the block parties and community gatherings in the Bronx, where DJs would play spinning records while innovative dancers took to the dance floor. These original breakers, called b-boys and b-girls, established a signature form that integrated acrobatic moves with intricate footwork aestheticized movements synchronized to the tempo of hip-hop music upon which they performed.
Since then, the dance has proliferated worldwide, with vibrant communities and competitive circuits sprouting up in nations across the globe. The discipline has evolved with a challenging training program where breakers develop physical and mental skills in athletic strength, flexibility, and mastery of technique to perform the nearly gravity-defying moves that characterize its range.
The Move for Breakdancing to Compete at the Olympics
Breakdancing in the Olympics has been a longtime dream of breakers. In 2016, the WDSF was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the governing body for breaking, allowing it to possibly be included in future Olympic programming.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, we'll see breakdancing performed as an Olympic sport, along with three other newbies: skateboarding, sport climbing, and BMX freestyle. The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee billed breakdancing as a strategic move to lure in younger, more diverse viewers for the Games.
Breakdancing's entry into the Olympics has been fraught with dissent. Some have criticized it for lacking the competitive equality to be considered a sport, arguing that its nature is closer to performance art or cultural expression rather than athletic discipline. Meanwhile, backers of breakdancing have underscored the physical intensity required by the art form and its roots as a competitive endeavor—not to mention that it has a global reach with younger audiences.
World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF)
Breakdancing has been led by the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF) in its race for Olympic inclusion. The governing body has been a settlement that has put in place tangible regulations and created a system for scoring, judging, and competing with these rules to reflect the quality of dancing anticipated by the IOC.
Organizations dedicated to breakdancing have also pushed for their sport's Olympic affirmation in multiple countries. They'veextolled the sport's ability to unite on a worldwide scale, reach millennial demographics, and catalyze a revolution in how aspiring athletes and performers are inspired.
Workflow Bottlenecks
The addition of breakdancing to the Olympic program has a series of quirks regarding logistics and organization. Due to the need for music, specialized equipment, and large performance areas, it may require significant infrastructure improvement or coordination to integrate neatly with the existing Olympic framework.
Meanwhile, the IOC and the Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee will have other matters to manage at that time, including athlete selection, event scheduling, and overall incorporation of breakdancing into the larger Olympic program.
Pros and Cons
Breakdancing in the Olympics would offer substantial rewards to both the discipline and the Olympic movement. It would put breakdancing in an even bigger spotlight, draw new people into breaking, and hopefully train many more young people to become great athletes. In addition, it fits with the IOC's desire to keep making the Olympics more inclusive and appealing to younger fans.
However, critics have opposed the idea, believing it could water down the Olympic brand, open up commercial oddities, and see breakdancing take over more established sports on an already packed schedule—all things that will undoubtedly influence the decision-making.
The Future of Breakdancing in the 2028 Olympics
However, with the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles on everyone's mind, what lies ahead for breakdancing at this level still hangs in the balance. Governing bodies and advocates have made good progress in recent years.
With its rise in popularity and global outreach at stake, not to mention the planned need for young viewership, breakdancing has every reason to qualify as an Olympic sport in 2028. But there is potentially a great deal of controversy to address, both in terms of logistical and organizational hurdles and criticisms from anti-toll proponents.
Not only will these efforts to get breakdancing into the Olympics serve as a blueprint, but they have also been instrumental in creating change within breaking and elevating it worldwide.
SHOP Mystery Signed Memorabilia
-
Mystery Signed Football 8x10 Photo
- Regular price
- $29.99
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $29.99
- Unit price
- / per
-
Mystery Signed Baseball Jersey
- Regular price
- $69.99
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $69.99
- Unit price
- / per
-
Mystery Signed Football Jersey
- Regular price
- $69.99
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $69.99
- Unit price
- / per
-
Mystery Signed Baseball 8x10 Photo
- Regular price
- $29.99
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $29.99
- Unit price
- / per
LATEST
- NEWS
- |
- ARTICLES
- |
- VIDEOS
Olympics
Has France Won a Basketball World Cup?
By Fan Arch
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
What Happened to Andreea Raducan?
By Oliver Wiener
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
How Old Was Andreea Raducan During the 2000 Syd...
By Jason Bolton
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Will There be Boxing in the 2024 Olympics?
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
What Happened to Asafa Powell?
By Jason Bolton
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Are Olympians Allowed to be Professional Athletes?
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
What is Marion Jones Doing Now?
By Jocelyn Alano
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
How Much Time in Prison Did Marion Jones Do?
By Edcel Panganiban
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Why Was Marion Jones Cut From the WNBA?
Olympics
The Evolving Representation of Women in the Oly...
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
The top 10 Olympic Skateboarders of All Time
By Edcel Panganiban
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Why has Charlotte Dujardin Dropped Out of the O...
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Is Charlotte Dujardin Engaged?
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Which Countries Boycotted the 1976 Olympics?
By Jason Bolton
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
What is the Olympic Motto?
By Oliver Wiener
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
The Top 10 Olympic Hurdlers of All Time
By Oliver Wiener
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
The top 10 Olympic Shot Putters of All Time
By Fan Arch
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
The top 10 Olympic Triathletes of All Time
By Jocelyn Alano
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
What is Jagger Eaton's Net Worth?
By Jocelyn Alano
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Triathlons vs. Ironman: Exploring the Key Diffe...
By Edcel Panganiban
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
The Fastest Time for Women's Ironman
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
The top 10 Fastest Ironman Finishes of All Time
By Jason Bolton
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Why Was Croquet Removed From the Olympics?
By Fan Arch
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Why Was Polo Removed From the Olympics?
By Jocelyn Alano
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Why did the Summer and Winter Olympics Split?
By Edcel Panganiban
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Who is Jagger Eaton Sponsored by?
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Which Countries Have Hosted Both the Summer and...
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
How Many Olympic Track and Field Events are There?
By Jocelyn Alano
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Why was Tug-of-War Removed From the Olympic Games?
By Edcel Panganiban
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Why was Lacrosse Removed From Olympics?
By Arslan Saleem
Thu, Jul 25, 2024
Olympics
Arike Ogunbowale: From Milwaukee to the WNBA St...
By Arslan Saleem
Wed, Jul 24, 2024
Olympics
Why is Caitlin Clark not on the Olympic Team?
By Edcel Panganiban
Wed, Jul 24, 2024
Olympics
What is the Difference Between the Olympics and...
By Edcel Panganiban
Tue, Jul 23, 2024
Olympics
What Qualifies an Individual as a Paralympic At...
By Jocelyn Alano
Tue, Jul 23, 2024
Olympics
Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson positive amid pre-...
By Jay Postrado
Mon, Jul 22, 2024
Olympics
Did Mary Lou Retton Ever Get a Perfect 10?
By Jason Bolton
Fri, Jul 19, 2024
Olympics
What is Mary Lou Retton's Net Worth?
By Arslan Saleem
Fri, Jul 19, 2024
Olympics
What happened with Mary Lou Retton?
By Oliver Wiener
Fri, Jul 19, 2024
Olympics
What is the Swimming Medley Order?
By Edcel Panganiban
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
How Stephen Curry, Team USA performed vs. Nikol...
By Jay Postrado
Thu, Jul 18, 2024
Olympics
Quincy Wilson: The Next Great Olympic Track and...
By Jocelyn Alano
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
Michael Norman: The American Rising Star of Tra...
By Jocelyn Alano
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
A Deep Dive Into Olympian Shericka Jackson: A J...
By Jocelyn Alano
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
Who is Andre De Grasse: A Deep Dive Into the Ca...
By Jocelyn Alano
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
Ferdinand Omanyala: An Analysis on the The Keny...
By Jocelyn Alano
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
Analyzing the Life of Star, Fred Kerley: The Sp...
By Jocelyn Alano
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
Zharnel Hughes: A Comprehensive Analysis on the...
By Jocelyn Alano
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone: A Phenomenon in Trac...
By Jocelyn Alano
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
Olympics
Is Breakdancing an Olympic Sport in 2024?
By Jason Bolton
Wed, Jul 17, 2024
More Stories
FAN ARCH PODCAST NETWORK