Breaking, once known as break dancing, will make its Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 summer games. For many athletes, the journey to get there started Sunday in Montreal.
Crowds at Complexe Desjardins got a front row seat at the first breaking Olympic points qualifier.
“It’s pretty insane to having this in Montreal. The next one is supposed to be South Korea,” Eric “Zig” Martel, Breaking Canada National Director.
Dancers go head-to-head in a competition called a battle. Breakers combine standard steps such as top rock, down rock, freezes and power moves in their routine, which lasts around 45 seconds with beats from a DJ.
“There’s a lot of structure to it but at the same time, there’s a lot of individuality, style, you don’t want to look like anybody. You wanna be your own individual,” said Jeffrey Louis also known as B-Boy Jeffro.
Judges score battles on the overall package the b-boy or b-girl offers, rather than who’s the better dancer.
“You’re looking at the variety of the movement, the technique, musicality, the creativity, the performance, all of those little concept aspects are looked at,” said judge Luca “Lazy Legs” Patuelli.
The event is part of the urban art and sports festival, DISTRIX, taking place in Quartier des Spectacles.
“We wanted to bring together the culture of 3×3 basketball, breaking, rap and graffiti under the same roof, because they all come together. It’s all started from the same place,” Jo-Annie Charbonneau, General Manager DISTRIX Festival.
Dancers who have been breaking for decades say while the sport isn’t new, breaking originated in the 1970s, the event gives b-boys and b-girls the opportunity to educate audiences.
Before the sport makes its long awaited debut at the Olympic Games.
“It’s been a 10-year process,” said Patuelli. “Just last year we got the official announcement that breaking has been officially invited into the IOC, which is huge.”
“Now that it’s there it opens doors to a lot of other opportunities. So I’m excited,” Louis told Global News
As qualifying events continue to take place around the globe, b-boys and b-girls say they can’t wait to flip the world on it’s head in Paris.