PARIS (AP) — Breakdancing begins today.

A new sport requires new rules at the Olympic level.

And although breakdancing – commonly referred to as break dancing – has been around for decades, it is still new to the world of Olympic competition.

The fights, the moves and the culture aren’t new – breaking is one of the four fundamental elements of hip-hop, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. The international competitions aren’t new either – the Red Bull BC One World Final has been around for two decades and the sport resonated with young viewers at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. Yet many remain skeptical of the Olympic expansion as they tune in for the final days of the Paris Games.

“I think critics have the misconception that breaking is still something from the ’80s or something that’s only done on the streets, and I don’t think they realize how much it’s evolved,” said Ronnie Abaldonado, or B-Boy Ronnie, a breaker who has been competing, judging and teaching for 31 years. Abaldonado is one of NBC’s official commentators for the breaking competition.

“It will be undeniable when they see it on the big stage and see the spectacle and the level of talent and even the high level of difficulty,” he said. “You could compare it a little bit to gymnastics.”

Essentially, breaking is an art form that combines mind, body and soul. Judges evaluate breakers using the Trivium judging system, which was developed for breaking’s debut at the Buenos Aires Youth Games. A panel of nine judges evaluates each breaker on technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality and originality – each value counts for 20% of the final score.

Breaking is judged qualitatively due to its roots as an art form. Judges use a sliding scale to score each round and fight, adjusting the scale to the breaker who wins in each of the above criteria. Throughout the competition, a moderator will provide commentary and pump up the crowd. Judges for the Olympic competition have not yet been announced.

“What looks so appealing to the naked eye are the power moves, like the ‘air’ moves, the head turns, the ground power, the windmills and freezes,” said Abaldonado. “It’s the power, the control and the speed that are visually appealing as well.”

However, a judge will look at the technical side, “so the footwork and dancing to the music or the beat, because that’s kind of the DNA of breakdancing,” Abaldonado said. There also has to be an element of improvisation that goes into the originality assessment, he said. The DJ chooses the music – and the breakdancers don’t know what soundtrack they’re performing to until they step onto the dance floor.

“We practice and rehearse everything, but we also have to adapt and improvise in the moment,” said Victor Montalvo, or B-Boy Victor, who represents Team USA. “We try not to do a completely rehearsed round because otherwise it could seem robotic.”

For Tony “Mr. Wave” Wesley, a breaking pioneer from the Bronx who rose to stardom with the New York City Breakers decades ago, it’s gratifying to see breaking make an impact on the world stage. Now he’s trying to share his institutional knowledge by creating a virtual lesson plan that includes flashcards on the elements and terminology of breaking for the digital learning platform Quizlet.

“I always felt like we weren’t doing enough for the younger generations. And then I saw my peers die and leave us. All we had were their stories, and they took them with them. So someone has to write that story,” Wesley said.

Here is a breakdown of the five criteria the judges use to evaluate the breakers:

Technology

Maintain physiological control while focusing on athleticism, form and spatial awareness.

vocabulary

The range of movements that exhibit variation and the number of movements, ideally with minimal repetition.

Execution

The ability to land smoothly and execute movements without falling or slipping and while maintaining consistency and flow.

Musicality

The ability to keep in time and synchronize movements with the rhythm of the music.

originality

The ability to improvise, be creative and spontaneous with style and personality.

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