Breaking: Olympics’ Newest Sport Makes Its Debut at Paris Games

Breaking, also known as breakdancing, made its debut in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

More than 30 B-Boys and B-Girls from over 15 nations are competing for gold, showcasing their intricate footwork, physics-defying stunts, and unique style. Sixteen B-Girls will compete on Aug. 9, followed by 16 B-Boys on Aug. 10, all judged by a panel of nine experts from around the world.

The action takes place at the Place de la Concorde, Paris’ largest public square and the Olympics’ “cool-kid corner,” where other “urban” events like BMX and skateboarding are held.

One athlete to watch is USA’s Victor Montalvo. Vice President of Breaking DanceSport for USA Dance, Zack “Cracker Zacks” Slusser, called B-Boy Victor the “Michael Jordan of breaking.” The Floridian was the first American to qualify for the Olympics and is a two-time Red Bull BC One world champion. According to Slusser, this is because he’s exceptional at everything: moves that are technical, exciting, and combined with an almost impossible-to-match flow.

With the introduction of any new Olympic sport, questions arise. So, here’s everything you need to know about breaking at the Paris Games.

What Is It?

Breaking is a style of dance that emerged from Black and Latino communities in the Bronx, New York City, in the 1970s. This counterculture hip-hop dance form was born when people would dance to the “break” in a track played at parties and gatherings. The term “break” comes from the “breakbeats” in funk, soul, and hip-hop music, where the rhythm breaks down and the instrumental part of the song, often with heavy percussion, is emphasized. Hip-hop pioneers found ways to extend these breaks, leading to extended breaking on the dance floor.

Breaking was one of the original four elements of hip-hop, along with DJing, graffiti, and MCing (rapping).

Over the past few decades, the rules of breaking have been established, and it has evolved into a full-fledged sport. It combines the athleticism needed to perform acrobatic moves with the artistry to make those kicks, flips, and spins work seamlessly with the music. One of the first international competitions, the Battle of the Year, was held in 1990.

Why Is It Called ‘Breaking’?

While it might seem like a new term, “breaking” has always—and originally—been the term used by dancers who pioneered the style.

The term “breakdancing” was used commercially to explain the art form to the masses. (Team USA B-girl Sunny Choi told Time, “If you call it breakdancing, you’re not a breaker.”)

How Will Breaking Work on the Olympic Stage?

Breaking will undergo a bracket-style order of operations. There will be two separate competitions for men and women, with 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls. Each group has 16 dancers, divided into four groups of four breakers each.

The dancers in these groups will go head-to-head in solo battles in a round-robin, meaning that, in these groups, every athlete will face off against every other athlete at least once (meaning: three battles per athlete in a group of four).

The three rounds, also called “throw downs,” where one breaker will get 60 seconds to improvise some moves to previously unheard music chosen by a DJ before the other competitor gets a chance to immediately respond with their own 60-second throw down. Whoever wins the best of the three rounds, per the judges’ scoring system, wins the battle.

How Will It Be Judged and Scored?

Breakers have up to one minute to make an impression on the judges during each round of a battle. According to ESPN, “the moves must be adapted to their personal styles and improvised to music in order to secure each judge’s vote.” This is why the improvisational element is key: You’re responding to your opponent—if they have an airflare, but you have a more intricate variation, you’re likely going to throw it out.

The World DanceSport Federation has designated three main elements of breaking: the top rock (this generally refers to all moves performed while the breaker is standing, which usually means intricate footwork); the freeze (when an athlete holds a pose in an unusual position, like on their head or hands, during their performance); and the down rock (all parts of the performance that occur on the floor). The down rock holds the most identifiable parts of breakdancing—power moves like headspins, airflares, and windmills.

An odd-numbered panel of judges score each round and each battle, and judge breakers’ performance based on five criteria: Technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality.

• Technique: Technique involves certain moves having specific criteria, such as flexing or pointing your toes, but will also include the judges’ perception of the breakers’ athleticism, form, spatial awareness, and so forth.
• Vocabulary: Breakers must perform a variety of moves in multiple positions—both in down rock and top rock—to score well here.
• Execution: Execution will hinge on how cleanly the moves are done and how distinct each move is from the one before and after it—the overall routine should flow together, but not blend together.
• Musicality: Breakers are judged on their ability to not just perform incredible moves, but to dance—staying on beat, and timing their moves to the music.
• Originality: This, along with musicality—which is often considered one of the most important criteria—highlights personal style, a key factor that sets competitors apart, especially in a sport like breaking.

The judges will use sliders to indicate their scores, showing audiences how one dancer might be outperforming another in a specific category. The result will be one vote from each judge per round, in favor of either competitor, derived from their given percentages. The odd number of judges prevents the possibility of a tie.

Each of the five categories accounts for 20 percent of the final score. Based on the balance of the sliders in these five criteria, one breaker is declared the winner of each round.