How do breakdancers avoid breaking their necks?

A breaker pulls off a headspin at a nightclub in the late 1980s. Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive via Getty Images by Aliza Rudavsky, Penn State For the first time, street dancers from 15 countries, in addition to one woman from the Refugee Olympic Team, will be competing for gold, silver and bronze, as breaking makes its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The sport has come a long way from its origins in the Bronx. But the body-contorting, mind-boggling moves that once could be seen only at playgrounds and block parties will now dazzle billions of viewers around the world. If you’re watching breaking for the first time, you might find yourself stunned that humans can even perform these moves without getting hurt. As a former dancer, current performing arts physical therapist and biomechanics researcher, I study how dancers twist and bend their bodies in unexpected ways. I train them so that they can safely perform, even as they push their bodies to extremes. Breakdancers – also known as B-boys, B-girls or breakers – don’t just need to concoct creative moves. They have to develop incredible strength and body control to pull them off – perhaps none more daunting than the...