Olympic breaking: Style is key for the world's best breakers

Follow along for the latest updates from today’s Olympic action.

PARIS (AP) — The journey of Olympic breaking was a long one that began with a vision — one that early pioneers of the art form in the 1970s in the Bronx hardly dreamed of.

The 33 breakers representing 15 countries and the Refugee Olympic Team will make their debut Friday and Saturday, vying for gold for the first time in Olympic history. The b-girls will be the first to battle each other, one-by-one, first through a round-robin phase. They’ll follow rules based on the Trivium judging system, which asks judges to evaluate breakers on their technique, vocabulary or variety, execution, musicality and originality.

Like gymnastics, breakers have certain moves and tricks they work to land with precision and focus, but they’ll also need to emphasize their style, personality and individuality as they sync to the beat of the DJ’s soundtrack.

The elements of style and individuality play out from what the dancers wear, to their “signature moves,” to their b-boy or b-girl names themselves. No other Olympic sport has the structure of identifying the competitors this way, but it’s a part of preserving the culture and essence of hip-hop in the art form, said Zack Slusser, vice president of Breaking for Gold USA and USA Dance.

“People coming into breaking need to understand that there’s a history here of expression, especially from where it comes from,” said Slusser. Hip-hop was born as a youth culture within Black and brown communities in the Bronx as a way to escape strife and socio-economic struggles and make a statement of empowerment at a time when they were labeled as lost, lawless kids by New York politicians.

“Hip-hop is about building that individuality and that style, that character. You just want to make sure your presence is known,” said American Jeffrey Louis, or “b-boy Jeffro,” who compared b-boy style to a signature on a document.

Catch up on the latest from Day 14 of the 2024 Paris Olympics:

“Your signature is your stamp of approval… your presence is known. And if you look good and you feel good, of course, you’re probably going to perform well, so it all ties into that performance.”

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