Five things you need to know about… dance sport!

From the streets to the YOG

Breakdancing – also known as b-boying or breaking – is a style of dance that originated on the streets of New York in the 1970s. It is usually performed to hip-hop, funk music or breakbeats, with dancers – or b-boys and b-girls – judged on their artistic skills, choreography, innovation and character.

Got the moves

Breakdancing features four main types of movement – toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes. Toprock generally refers to foot movements performed from a standing position, while downrock relates to floor-based moves performed with the body supported on the hands and feet. Freezes involve dancers holding a certain position, and power moves feature more acrobatic elements that are often the centrepieces of routines.

Three medals up for grabs

There will be three dance sport medal events at the Buenos Aires 2018 YOG, with men’s, women’s and mixed team breakdancing competitions being held. The events will take place over two days in the Urban Cluster, with 24 athletes (12 men and 12 women) set to take part.

Let battle commence

Events at the YOG will be held in a battle format – a one-on-one competition that sees athletes take it in turn to perform before being judged and scored. The winner then progresses to the next round of the knockout competition.

Breaking all over the world

Since the 1970s, breakdancing has grown into a rich and vibrant scene, with active communities found all over the world. The World Dance Sport Federation, which was established in 1957 and officially recognised by the IOC in 1997, now has 89 member national federations around the world, with 71 countries participating in the most recent World Championships.