From Bronx house party to Prince Charles: The evolution and unifying power of breaking
What do Michael Jackson, Vin Diesel, British royalty and a steel mill worker have in common? Breaking, of course. Find out about the most iconic moments in the evolution of the sport that is set to lit up the stage at the Olympic Qualifier Series and Paris 2024.
Breaking
Before Michael Jackson moonwalked across the stage to the addictive beats of “Billie Jean” and Missy Elliott showed the world why they should “Work It” with a series of eccentric hip-hop moves, there was a 1973 party at an apartment in the Bronx where the first breaking beats were heard.
Jamaican DJ Kool Herc, aka Clive Campbell, was the MC for the night – a courtesy to his sister who was hosting the dance party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. With two turntables in front of him, the man now called the godfather of hip-hop discovered that he could inspire guests to dance by extending the percussive breaks in the songs and switching between the records.
A new DJing technique was born and with it, a new dance form that would later become known as breaking.
Breaking moves draw inspiration from traditional sources, such as African dance, as well as pop culture. The Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold, debuted some of these moves as early as the 1930s, and "Soul Brother No. 1" James Brown is considered a major inspiration as well.
With time, the moves got fiercer, the names shorter. Following the slang trends of the time, breakdance was compressed to breaking, breakdancers to B-Boys and B-Girls. The dance form had tapped into the mainstream, claiming a starring role in hip-hop culture, and a spot at the Olympic Games.
Find out more about the evolution of the sport, from Flashdance to Vin Diesel, as the B-Boys and B-Girls prepare to take centre stage at the Olympic Qualifier Series, streamed live on Olympics.com and the official Olympics.com app.
What a feelin': The evolution of breaking moves
While the poster card image of breaking nowadays is a B-Boy or B-Girl doing a spin on the floor, initially the dance was all about "top rock" and footwork.
Bronx duo Keith and Kevin Smith, known as The Legendary Twins, were the ones who took the moves to the floor, hailing the emergence of “down rock” – a mix of power moves such as spins, twists, and the iconic freeze.
Whatever the moves that the dancers brought, the common element was the sense of going to battle on the dancefloor.
Fuelling off that raw competitiveness, some prominent crews started to emerge. The Rock Steady Crew, Zulu Kings, Dynamic Rockers and New York City Breakers were among the first to latch onto that battle mentality.
They also expanded the range of the dance form with never-before-seen moves like headspins and hand glides.
Pop stars and Hollywood took notice.
In 1983 - the same year that Michael Jackson set off a global sensation with his moonwalk - Rock Steady Crew were featured on cinema screens in the dance blockbuster Flashdance. One of the crew members, Crazy Legs, aka Richard Colon, even served as Jennifer Beals’ body double in the scene where her character, a welder by day and a dancer by night, drops it down in an audition for a ballet conservatory.
Breaking into the 80s: A mosaic of cultures and royalty's guilty pleasure
A year after Flashdance, another high-budget Hollywood film Beat Street came onto the screens.
Chronicling the story of two brothers from the slums of the Bronx, Beat Street not only featured dynamic breaking battles but also popularised other aspects of hip-hop culture, including graffiti and fashion. Gone were the leg-warmers and black leotards of Flashdance. Beat Street introduced a fresh, hip-hop vibe - sneakers, leather bombers, jackets with numerous zippers, wrap-around shades, and leopard tights.
It was a fluid look that encouraged individuality - much like the dance form itself.
Other communities joined the battles, the dancers mixing their own heritage into the moves. Chinese dancers broke out kung fu kicks, the Brazilians slid in with the smooth ginga of capoeira. Gymnasts upped the complexity of the acrobatic moves, while dancers from other styles inserted bits of the Lindy Hop and disco.
The breaking scene prided itself on being welcoming of everyone. One legend even claims that rival street gangs, which were ripping through New York City at the time, turned to breaking battles to settle their disputes.
The lure of breaking spread beyond the rougher neighbourhoods of New York.
Escaping the golden roar of USA’s financial centre, Michael Holman quit his job on Wall Street and launched a popular hip-hop show in a Manhattan club. The Rock Steady Crew was among the first to battle there. They would later go on to perform in front of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen’s son, King Charles III, could also not resist the mysterious pull of breaking
Dressed in a formal double-breasted suit, the then-Prince Charles was visiting the Youth Meets Industry course in 1985 when he was invited to the dance floor. Following the lead of B-Boy Dwayne Smith, the future king loosened up with some footwork and then dropped to his knees for some down rock.
101 Guide from Vin Diesel
Breaking reached the peak of its popularity in the 1980s with several celebrities, now known for other parts, joining the movement.
Lionel Richie closed the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles with his classic "All Night Long" number featuring a breaking crew as part of his backup dancers.
Before he was racing cars in the Fast & Furious franchise, Vin Diesel was showing dance hopefuls how to execute the worm and other moves in a “Breakin’ in the USA” tutorial video.
Fellow action star Jean-Claude Van Damme danced into his career's first screen appearance wearing a black singlet in the 1984 movie Breakin’, and later lamented that his flips were not included in the final cut.
Breaking's revival: Britney, Madonna and the Vatican
Breaking was thought to be on the decline in later years, but there were loyal followers who made sure the dance form did not disappear. The first major breaking competition, the Battle of the Year, was established in 1990 as several of the original B-Boys came out of retirement to rejuvenate the scene.
Pop culture tapped into the power of breaking as well, with major stars such as Britney Spears and Usher featuring B-Boys and B-Girls in live concerts.
The Queen of Pop and Spears' main inspiration, Madonna, also got the breaking bug thanks to her son Rocco Richie, who showed off his B-Boy style on stage at her concert in New Orleans Arena as a 12-year-old and allegedly taught his famous mum some of those moves.
In 2004, breaking captured an even broader audience when Pope John Paul II was treated to a show at the Vatican.
Breaking's Olympic debut and the Olympic Qualifier Series
The World DanceSport Federation held the first world championships in breaking in 2013, setting it on the path to becoming an Olympic sport.
Breaking was featured at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires and officially included on the Olympic programme ahead of Paris 2024.
A total of 33 B-Boys and B-Girls will compete at Paris 2024, with almost half of the quotas already given out. The next 14 spots, seven for B-Boys and seven for B-Girls, will be contested at the Olympic Qualifier Series starting in Shanghai, People's Republic of China on 16 May and continuing in Budapest, Hungary on 20 June.
Don’t miss this historic moment in breaking's evolution. Watch all the action live on Olympics.com and the official Olympics.com app.