Is breakdancing an Olympic discipline? Yes, it is. | What you should know about the sport
Breaking is the first dance sport to make its debut at the Olympic Games
20-year-old Logan Edra, better known as B-Girl “Logistx,” is an Olympic hopeful for her debut participation in the Games – and one with New York roots: breakdancing.
Breaking is the first dance sport ever to compete on the Olympic stage.
Meet 20-year-old Logan Edra, better known as B-Girl “Logistx,” once an Olympic hopeful, now just days away from her world debut.
She is one of four athletes representing Team USA in breaking competitions on the world stage.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 12: Logistx of the United States competes against India of the Netherlands during the final round of the B-Girl Red Bull Breaking Championships at Hammerstein Ballroom on November 12, 2022 in New York City. India won the competition
This weekend the breaking starts in Paris, with the B-Girls on Friday and the B-Boys on Saturday.
FOX 5 I spoke to Edra in April before she qualified for the Games and she explained how honored she was to take part.
“I get emotional when I think about going to the Paris Olympics to represent breaking – to represent myself and hip hop – because it’s such a big platform,” said the 2021 BC One World Champion.
Her current ranking is #3 in Breaking B-Girls and #7 in Breaking 1 vs. 1 B-Girls.
“It’s like an all-encompassing dance form. It’s athletic, but also artistic and musical. It’s not gymnastics, but it’s like gymnastics is a dance and has a hip-hop vibe and energy,” Edra said.
Logan Edra (L) of the USA, also known as B-Girl Logistx, competes in the semifinals of the women’s Breaking B-Girls during the Olympic Qualifying Series for Breaking, BMX Freestyle, Skateboarding and Sport Climbing ahead of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
What is break dancing?
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According to the World DanceSport Federation, breakdancing or “breaking” is an “urban dance style.”
Merriam-Webster defines it as “dancing in the hip-hop style by performing a series of acrobatic movements, often involving different parts of the body (such as the back or head) touching the ground.”
FOX5 Lisa Evers was one of the first news reporters to cover the phenomenon. He said the dance moves are performed outdoors on sidewalks, parking lots or empty street spaces.
Is breakdancing an Olympic sport?
The origins of breakdancing go back to the 1970s, when young African-Americans and Latinos grew up in the Bronx district of New York and hip-hop culture emerged.
Canadian Philip Kim, known as B-Boy Phil Wizard, trains during a breakdancing training session for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pablo Neruda Sports Center in Saint-Ouen on August 6, 2024. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP
Lisa Evers with FOX 5 New York was one of the first news reporters to cover the phenomenon. He said the dance moves are performed outdoors on sidewalks, parking lots or empty street spaces.
“Every time a little girl comes up to me and says, ‘You inspire me or like I’m your biggest fan’ or something like that – it’s crazy because I still feel like I’m in touch with that little girl in my younger self,” Edra said.
How did breaking become an Olympic sport?
LEUVEN, BELGIUM – SEPTEMBER 24: (LR) Logan Edra, called Logistx of the United States, against Dominika Banevic, called Nicka of Lithuania, performs on the B-Girls Top 4 stage during the 2023 WDSF World Breaking Championship on September 24, 2023 in Le
Three years ago, the International Olympic Committee announced that breaking would become an official Olympic sport.
Breakdancing is called “breaking” at the Olympic Games, as it was called by hip-hop pioneers in the USA in the 1970s. The Paris organizers proposed the discipline almost two years ago after positive trials at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
Surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing have also been added to this year’s games.
The breaking events will take place on August 9th and 10th at La Concorde Urban Park.
FOX Digital contributed to this report.
