The Olympics are giving breaking a global stage in Paris. Not everyone is celebrating

For some, the fear is that the essence of breaking, as an improvisational art form born and rooted in communities of color will be diluted through mass appeal. PARIS, France — In the basement of a sports complex in Paris, dozens of breakers, or break dancers, gathered almost every weeknight in July to freestyle, practicing classic moves like the windmill, freezes and headspins to the soundtrack of steady breakbeats from a playlist called “100% Flow.” They warmed up with footwork – “toprocking” – and catching the beat before diving into floor moves. Samy Vongphrachanh, 19, was cheered on by a peer when he took risks and encouraged when he couldn’t quite land a power move. They are part of Paris’ local breaking and hip-hop community, and while international buzz is centered on breaking debuting as an Olympic sport in the Paris Games, for these b-boys and b-girls, it’s about preserving a lifestyle. “We come, we chill, we cypher – it’s like the main essence of breaking,” said Vongphrachanh, referring to the informal circle formed by breakers in which they enter one by one to dance and battle. “It’s sharing peace, unity, love and having fun.” Is breaking losing its essence...