Olympics-Breaking-TV commentators set out to explain mysteries of dance sport

By Amy Tennery

PARIS (Reuters) - What are top rocks? What is a freeze? And how does a person spin on their head, anyway? Olympic commentators will attempt to unlock the mysteries of breaking in Paris, bridging the gap between newcomers and existing fans.

Breaking's adherents underwent a period of soul searching after it was added to the Paris programme, questioning whether their beloved dance could translate to an Olympic audience while maintaining its roots.

That conundrum will play out in the broadcast booth, where David Shreibman -- also known as b-boy Kid David -- says he must cater to two very different types of viewers.

"We're talking to all the b-boys and b-girls and people involved in hip hop culture around the world that have watched this before, but we're also talking to a mainstream audience," he told Reuters.

"It's not like commentating basketball where, you know, people have a base understanding of the game. We're starting from scratch."

The Olympics are no stranger to niche sports: the Games make room for smaller operations such as marathon swimming and trampoline gymnastics alongside bigger sports like track and field.

But breaking has a narrow window of time to take advantage of the Olympic spotlight after it was dropped from the Los Angeles 2028 programme.

Shreibman, who will be a play-by-play commentator for U.S. broadcaster NBC, said he would address both a cultural and generational divide, with large swathes of American viewers still prone to using the passe term "breakdancing".

"I'm talking to people that think breaking stopped in the '80s," he said. "I'm excited for people to see where it's gone and explain it."

A commentator for the Red Bull BC One championships, he will adjust his tactics for the broader television audience this time, with an eye towards bringing in more fans.

"I'm basically judging, commentating and educating at the same time," he said. "It's most important to explain to the people at home what's going on. How is this judged? Why is that good? Why was that bad?"

The Paris Olympic breaking competition begins on Aug. 9 at La Concorde.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Paris; editing by Clare Fallon)