At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, it will be the first time that B-boys and B-girls will compete in breakdance for Olympic medals. A huge milestone for a sport that has its origins in the urban style and culture of the Bronx.
Breaking is a style of dance that originated in the United States in the 1970s. It took form in the lively block parties in the Bronx, emerging from hip hop culture, and is characterised by acrobatic movements incorporating influences from a variety of sources, including martial arts and gymnastics, such as back spins, windmills, head spins and stylised footwork.
International competitions were first held all over the world in the 1990s, popularising the dance form both among hip hop communities and the general public along the way.
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain
The term break refers to the particular rhythms and sounds produced by DJ’s mixing sounds, originally on vinyl records, from the instrumental percussion breaks in songs to produce a continuous dancing beat. The technique was pioneered by DJ Kool Herc (Clive Campbell), a Jamaican deejay in New York who mixed the percussion breaks from two identical records on separate turntables. By playing the breaks repeatedly and switching from one record to the other using a mixer, Kool Herc created what he called “cutting breaks.” During his live performances at New York dance clubs, Kool Herc would shout, “B-boys go down!”—the signal for dancers to perform the gymnastic moves that are the hallmark of break dancing.
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain
At the Olympics there are two medal rounds in total – one for the men and one for the women. In these solo battles, 16 B-boys and 16 B-girls compete in one-on-one duels. During a battle, the two participants take turns in so-called throw downs, each lasting 60 seconds. During this time, the dancers have the opportunity to impress the judges with their moves.
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain 
AC Versus Breakdance National Championship, Zaragoza, Spain
The jury then awards a score based on six criteria: creativity, personality, technique, versatility, performance skills and musicality. Technique, performance and creativity make up 60 percent of the overall score, with the other three criteria accounting for 40 percent.
Whoever achieves the highest score wins and moves on to the next round of the competition.
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