Olympic Breakdancing Will Be Light-Years Ahead Of The 80s

Boombox. Cardboard. Tracksuits. This kind of 80s imagery is still associated with breakdance today, four decades later. Admittedly, tracksuits are still around, but the art form and culture have evolved significantly, so the world has plenty of catching up to do. Breaking—not “breakdancing”—will be featured in the Paris Olympics this August with B-boy (Men’s) and B-girl (Women’s) solo events. Netizens have expressed confusion, amusement and even anger at the inclusion of breaking in the Olympics. For example, one blogger proclaims, “You’re going to have some dude who taught himself how to spin on his head on cardboard on some street corner, being handed the same gold medal as the winner of the freaking DECATHLON?!?! Utter lunacy.” These reactions are understandable given the limited representation of breaking in mass media. Although awareness of breaking has grown due to the Olympic spotlight, it hasn’t reached the point where general audiences understand its depth yet. Regardless of its public perception, breaking today is light-years ahead of what it was in the 80s. Breaking has grown into a bona fide worldwide phenomenon, the overall skill level continues to skyrocket, and it’s easier than ever to participate and spectate. A worldwide phenomenon The first wave...