Breakdancing: The New Sport Of Olympics 2024

This International Dance Day let’s celebrate the international recognition given to Breakdancing as an athletic sport for the upcoming Summer Olympics 2024 in Paris.

International Dance Day is an official day to groove to your favourite song or rhythm. It’s a chance to forget adulting for some time and enjoy childlike freedom. It’s a call to encourage dancers all over the world to express creativity without fear. It also brings the attention of the government and other influential organisations to understand the importance of the dance art form.

POST CONTENTS
The origin of International Dance Day
International Dance Day 2023
What is Breakdancing?
Breakdancing underground dance battles
Breakdancing in Paris Olympics 2024

The origin of International Dance Day

In 1982, the International Dance Committee and the International Theatre Institute (ITI), a partner for the performing arts of UNESCO, created International Dance Day. 29 April was chosen as the date as it is the birth anniversary of French ballet master Jean-Georges Noverre (29 April 1727 to 19 October 1810). He is called the father or founder of modern ballet. He challenged the conventional ideas of court ballet only being hidden behind masks and costumes. He advocated expressive emotions, stage crafting, and music to be in a ‘logical progression’ with the story and characters.

International Dance Day 2023

Every year on International Dance Day, an inspiring message from a renowned dancer and choreographer is promoted worldwide. This year the author of the message is YANG Liping from China. She is a member of the Bai ethnic group from Dali in Yunnan Province. She is a National First-class Dancer and the vice chairman of the China Dancers Association. As a versatile talent, she also wrote, directed and performed in the film Sunbird, which won the Grand Jury’s award at the Montreal International Film Festival.

You can listen to Yang Liping’s message on International Dance Day by clicking the official link given below:

https://www.international-dance-day.org/messageauthor.html

What is Breakdancing?

“Well hip hop is basically the whole culture of the movement. There’s the rap which is a form of hip hop culture. It could be breakdancing, freestyle dancing or whatever type of dancing that’s happening now in the Black, Hispanic and White community.”

-Afrika Bambaataa

Breakdancing is an evolution of hip hop culture. It is not just different types of stunts. It is crafted, artistic, performance-driven, and requires great athleticism. The dancers who do breakdancing are called b-boys or b-girls. It originated from the African American community in United States in 1970s. It may have started from standing footwork and some twists, but it has developed into stylish floorwork, cypher, power moves, etc. There are four essential moves in breaking – toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. The music and rhythm breakers dance on mostly hip hop, soul, funk, and breakbeat music.

As Breakdancing became popular across the world, the music has also become varied. After all, music is a language that everyone understands with or without words! Dancers of every country DJ remix their own songs, add local instrumental beats, and even techno to show their unique skills. The improv in Breakdancing has become as varied and interesting to watch every year.

Breakdancing underground dance battles

One of the main reasons for the popularity of Breakdancing is the underground competitions. The early breakers were ridiculed from performing on street, so they sought refuge in alleys and basements. As dancers gathered and showed off their skills, they challenged each other to a competition. It is now called the dance battle. It all happened underground or somewhere away from the usual crowd and police authorities. The dancers only needed a space to dance.

As more and more groups came to participate, the competitions became intense. Breakers made dance groups or dance crews. Soon local institutions started supporting Breakdancing as an art form and organised competitions at the state and national levels. Now, these dance battles have reached an international level.

In 2004, BC ONE organised the first international B-Boy competition supported by the beverage company Red Bull.

The main event is a knockout tournament featuring sixteen B-Boys and B-Girls, chosen for exceptional skills in the dance and good character, competing in one-on-one battles decided by a panel of five judges. Regional finals are held for North America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. The winners of each region go on and participate in the World Finals.

Breakdancing in Paris Olympics 2024

It isn’t the first time Breakdancing is part of the Olympics. In 2018, Breakdancing was part of the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. In 2024, Breakdancing will be part of the Paris Olympic Games as a new sports category with surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing.

Breakdancing is an art and a sport which is not unusual for dancers to understand. There are different types of gymnatics like, artistic, rhythmic, and aerobics. Breakdancing likewise has stunts of different intensities that require athleticism and artistry.

Final Thoughts

International Dance Day won’t be complete without remembering the amazing hip hop dancer, choreographer, DJ of Ellen show, Twitch, who the dance community lost this year. Not to forget the recent demise of Len Goodman, a professional ballroom dancer, teacher, judge on the hit TV show Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars.

There is no better way to express your creativity and thoughts like dance. It renews your body, mind, and soul.

References

Wikipedia

​​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakdancing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_BC_One

Letters On Dancing And Ballets, Jean Georges Noverre.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2145809.Letters_On_Dancing_And_Ballets

International Theatre Institute

https://www.iti-worldwide.org/iti.html

https://www.international-dance-day.org