There was a new sport at this year's Paris Olympics: breaking, sometimes called breakdancing. It is a special type of dance that started in the streets. To win the gold, competitors called breakers will do amazing moves to hip- hop music in fun and energetic ways. Here's what you need to know about the sport.
Breaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics | |||||
Event | Date | Number of Competitors | Gold Medal | Silver Medal (银牌) | Bronze Medal (铜牌) |
B- Boys | 9 August 2024 | 16 | Philip Kim Canada | Danis Civil France | Victor Montalvo United States |
B- Girls | 10 August 2024 | 17 | Ami Yuasa Japan | Dominika Banevič Lithuania | Liu Qingyi China |
Why is it called breaking?
Breaking started in the 1970s, in New York City, US. At parties, dancers got up to perform during musical " breaks", which gave breaking its name. Breaking is now an important part of hip- hop culture around the world. | How to breakdance? Breaking has four kinds of moves. A " top rock" is when a breaker dances| while standing up. A" down rock" is when a breaker dances on the floor, moving their arms and kicking their| legs. A " freeze" is when a dancer stops in the middle in a cool position, like standing on their head or| balancing with one hand. " Power moves" are really fast spins and twists that look like the dancer is flying or| spinning like a top. | ▲ Anyone can be a B- girl or a B- boy, which is what breakers call themselves. Victor Montalvo is a B- boy from the US. " Breaking is amazing. It doesn't matter what color you are, who you are, where you're from: it welcomes all kinds of people," he says. " It's all about peace, love, unity, and having fun." | |||
