Breaking Into The Olympics: How A Street Dance Form Was Recognised As An Olympic Sports
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Breaking, also known as breakdancing, is a dynamic and acrobatic style of dance that originated in the streets of New York City in the 1970s. It is a combination of athletic moves like spins, flips, and freezes, with intricate footwork and rhythmical patterns; and is often performed in a battle format, where dancers compete against each other to showcase their skills and creativity.
Breaking has become a global phenomenon, with its own unique culture and community, and has even been recognized as an Olympic sport starting from the Paris 2024 games.
The induction might have been surprising for many, but for Michael Holman, it was a lifelong vision come true. Michael, a writer, producer, artist, entrepreneur, and a hip-hop pioneer, is one of the biggest reasons for the induction of breaking in the Olympics.
1970s New York City was plagued by street gangs and their violent turf wars. However, in 1971, Yellow Benjy, the leader of the Ghetto Brothers gang, negotiated a truce that allowed members to come together and simply enjoy themselves. This provided an opportunity for people to channel their aggression into dance, replacing violence with artistic expression.
The fusion of Kung Fu moves from Chinese tradition into the dance of a breaker at the parties, inspired another breaker from Africa to adopt those moves in their cake-walk dance style. This marked the birth of Breaking as a new dance form.
After managing the likes of 'Rock Steady Crew' and 'Floor Masters', Holman eventually formed the 'New York City Breakers', a group that included some of the best breakers in the city - elevating the art form to a new level of skill.
As word about their performances at hip-hop events spread, the media in New York and around the world began to take notice. Media houses from different countries came to film the crews and distribute the footage to audiences worldwide. Breaking gained further popularity in the 90s with the advent of international competitions.
Breaking is set to make its debut on the Olympic stage as a medal event, which is a significant milestone for breakers around the world, as it marks the first time a dance form has been included in the Olympics.
Also: The delicious beat orchestrations & lyricisms of Madvilliany
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