New Delhi: While the eyes of millions of Indians were glued to their screens watching hockey, wrestling, javelin and badminton at the Olympic Games, dancer from Delhi were fascinated by a very different event. They witnessed the highly anticipated debut of ‘Break“ at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and marveled that an art form they had practiced for years was finally being celebrated on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
The two-day event saw 32 breakers compete for a place on the podium. On the first day, August 9, Japan’s Ami Yuasa, also known as B-Girl Ami, claimed the Olympic gold medal in the women’s break category by defeating 17-year-old Dominika Banevic, also known as B-Girl Nicka from Lithuania, in a thrilling final. China’s Liu Qingyi, also known as B-Girl 671, took home the bronze medal. On the second day, Canada’s Philip Kim, also known as B-Boy Phil Wizard, won the gold medal in the men’s break by clearly defeating France’s Dany Dann, while USA’s B-Boy Victor secured the bronze medal.

Breaking, often called breakdancing, was featured at the Olympic Games in France’s Parc Urbain at the Place de la Concorde, just two days before hip-hop’s 51st anniversary. This dance form originated at the street festivals of the Bronx in the 1970s in the USA and developed into one of the cornerstones of hip-hop. hip hop Culture. From New York, hip hop and with it breaking spread all over the world, including India, and gained a loyal following.
Jasika Chadha, a hip-hop dancer from Delhi, cheered, “It’s amazing to see how laypeople understand what hip-hop is and what battles are. And they love it. I saw my parents enjoying the whole event, how it goes and how excited they were to see who wins.”
It is a historic achievement for the dance community to see breakdancing paving the way for a culture that it has long been a part of. They believe this platform will bring the rather niche dance sport to a larger audience.
Naresh, a 24-year-old B-boy from Delhi known as Draw, who has been practicing the art form since 2017, shares his thoughts: “When I watched the live streaming, I saw 6.9 million viewers streaming with me, it was an incredible feeling. I felt like this is how the public will get to know more about breaking and hip-hop.” For him, breaking at the Olympics is a significant opportunity for a whole generation of artists who are now officially considered athletes.
Johnny, 27, who has been working as a B-boy since 2016, adds: “A lot of people who had stopped breakdancing for a while have also come back, hoping that they will now get a chance to represent India internationally and that more opportunities will also open up for them.”
Despite participating in qualifying competitions in different parts of the world on a two-year cycle, breakdancers from India failed to qualify for the Olympics. Breakdancers attribute this to a lack of consistent support from governing bodies such as the All India DanceSport Federation, which provides training facilities, finances and management. Breakdancing was introduced to appeal to a younger generation that is heavily involved in urban sports, many of which are associated with various subcultures. This includes earlier additions such as skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.
However, according to the official Olympics website, breaking is not scheduled to be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This raises questions among participants and audiences whether progress in promoting dance sports will come to a halt. Naresh adds, “In India, we don’t get much support from our families. If breaking is consistently included in the Olympics, it will give people new motivation to keep going and stick to their art despite all the difficulties.” But until then, the B-boys and B-girls are holding out, their feet moving to breakbeats, leading them to a brighter future with new recognition that was long overdue.