PA Media/DPA
Paris
From the streets of The Bronx to the Champs-Elysees, breakdancing will complete its extraordinary journey to Olympic recognition at La Concorde on Friday.
Thirty-two of the world’s best B-Girls will aim to execute their freezes and top rocks in the vast square that once saw the public demise of Marie Antoinette.
For Hooch, Breaking GB president and founder of the UK B-Boy Championship, it marks the ultimate step in a process that gathered pace with the discipline’s inclusion in the 2018 Youth Olympics.
"I always wanted to be in the stands with my popcorn and beer and say, look, breaking’s here, we’ve made it to the Olympics,” Hooch told the PA news agency. "Whether it comes back into the Games or not, we’re going to enjoy it.”
Here’s what to expect:
FORMAT/SCORING: Sixteen b-girls - and on Saturday, b-boys - are initially grouped into four groups of four. They compete in a series of round-robin matches, each of which comprises three rounds, in which each dancer in turn must show off their moves to music chosen by a DJ. The winner is the breaker who scores highest in the majority of three rounds. A panel of nine judges will assess each dancer based on six criteria: technique, vocabulary (variety of moves), execution, musicality and originality.
MOVES TOP ROCK: is the initial phase in which moves are executed whilst standing up. "Top rock is where you show yourself and your personality to the other dancer,” says Hooch. "You need to connect to the music the DJ is playing and that starts with the top rock.”
FOOTWORK is crucial to a great breaking performance. It is where the dancer gets to show his or her style and the variations in their technique. Footwork can be intricate or incredibly simple, but it must be done in relation to the music.
POWER MOVES are mostly performed on the ‘down rock’ - the floor - and include the big signature moves like elbow spins and air flares. The best breakers will link a number of power moves together. "You’ve got to present with flavour,” says Hooch. "Flavour is about style, and the way you inhabit your personal space.”
FREEZE is when the breaker comes to standstill in an unusual position. "The best breakers will freeze on some accent in the music, and they will usually finish on a freeze,” says Hooch. "What you want to see is that flow of moves from tops to footwork, to power-moves and your freezes.”
STARS "Make no mistake,” says Hooch, "these are the best breakdancers in the world. It’s such a strong line-up. It is dynamite.”
PHIL WIZARD: The 27-year-old from Vancouver is one of the scene’s true trailblazers. He won the World Breaking Championships in Seoul in 2022.
671: The Chinese 18-year-old, real name Liu Qingyi, took up breaking at the age of 10 and has become an international star since she first competed outside Asia in 2022.
SHIGEKIX: The 20-year-old from Osaka is especially renowned for his power moves and freezes. Prior to becoming a breakdancer, he was a freestyle dancer.
SSEY: Paris-born, 17-year-old B-girl Ssey will bring the house down at La Concorde as she steps out as the hosts’ best hope of a breakdancing medal. A former gymnast, she took to breaking at a young age.
VICTOR: The Floridian is a former world and World Games champion and also a two-time winner of the prestigious Red Bull BC One.
TALASH: B-girl Talash was the only girl in the Superiors Crew in Kabul when the Taliban grasped control of Afghanistan and she was forced to flee. The 21-year-old will represent the Refugee Team in Paris.