Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
Created in the Bronx in the 1970s, breaking makes its Olympic debut in Paris. B-girls and b-boys face off in “battles” judged on athleticism as well as originality and musicality. Moves fall into three main categories. Toprock is a move you do standing up. Downrock is a floor move. A freeze is a hold in an acrobatic position. The classic downrock move is the swipe. The athlete leans back, arched, with arms and legs parallel. They whip one arm to the side to touch the ground, bring the other arm around, then jump while twisting their legs and torso. When reiterated, the legs land at different points in a circle as if rotating around a clock face. The move was made famous by the 1999 cult classic Office Space.
Top tip: try not to call the sport breakdancing, a term which also incorporates dance styles like popping and locking. Some b-girls and b-boys see the word as pejorative.