If you ever thought dancing wasn't athletic, think again.
Breakdancing will make its debut at the Summer Olympics in 2024 at the Paris Games, ESPN reports. The International Olympics Committee made the announcement Monday as the sport follows skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing as the newest additions to the global event.
Breaking — as it will formally be called — had a successful trial run at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires and was a strong enough competition to be made official two years later. This comes as the Olympics have been pushing to become more diverse and relevant to a younger audience.
“It’s going to be great for breaking as it gives us more recognition as a sport,” British breakdancer Karam Singh told The Guardian. “And for the Olympics, it will attract young people who may not follow some of the traditional sports.”
Breaking is one of the five pillars of hip-hop alongside MCing, graffiti, DJing and knowledge. It was founded in the 1970s with the rise of rap music and the use of sampling to make beats. The term "breaking" comes from the use of the breaks in the beats to match body movement. Windmills, rocking and headspins are some of the exciting movements that draw fans to the artform.
The Red Bull BC One competition has helped unify and popularize the breaking community as it's crossed over into mainstream culture. It's held its annual competition since 2004 with events in cities across the world. It creates a tournament of B-Boys and B-Girls judged by legends like RoxRite and hosted by celebrities including Sway Calloway.
“For people in America, Hip Hop is just the music,” RoxRite said at 2015's BC One North American Finals. “Some people that break, they don’t even listen to Hip Hop music or participate in other elements that come with the culture. That’s when everything becomes its own subculture in a way. We have to understand this is the core dance of Hip Hop.”