Chapter 41

I am editing this portion on July 31, 2024, a few days prior to the debut of breakdancing at the Olympics for the first time ever. So far, the breakdancing olympians are representing breakdance in a decently accurate light and surprisingly so. That is to say, if you only know breakdancing from the Olympics, it’s not the entire picture but it is a decently accurate picture. I say this because though the Olympic breakdancing you see is a good representation, it is a super clean version of it. 

I felt it was necessary to include this bit because while highschool saw only a bit of breakdancing and a lot of musical hobbies, in university these roles will be reversed. Therefore, I think it’s important to break down a bit of backstory on breakdancing here just to give you a bit of information on how breaking was for me. Its as opportune that breakdancing is being shot up in relevance due to the Olympics right now, though I don’t think many will appreciate the coincidence of this situation as my viewership for this blog in general is almost non-existent.

The true roots of breakdancing is often contested but if you knew breakdancing as I saw it, you would probably be kind of worried for its future. The main reason for that is that true breakdancing isn’t very marketable, nor was it meant to be. The version you see on the Olympics is a derivative of breakdancing that is safe for the general audience. However, if you scroll far down enough on Youtube, I’m sure you’ll find that the scene is sometimes just a bit too raw for some and a bit too aggressive at other times for others. Breakdancing in itself is an art that shouldn’t really work. It’s an art but yet has its roots solidarily in competition. Expression key and definitely important but expressing yourself better than someone else is even better. This seemingly unfusable blend of making art into a form that can be judged somehow works though and like it or not, this is what we get.  

Now, one more thing to go on to this train of thought. Expression is key here. Expression means communication of certain themes and gestures as well as mannerisms. On a local level this is great because your small jokes and scuffles of dancing with the same people can be solidified on the dance floor by doing the dance a certain way. However, on a larger global level, it doesn’t always fare well. While it is a beautiful thing that dancing can transcend the language barrier with actions, it’s not so perfect because even actions have language barriers.

The worst exam of this is known as the “c**k serve”, which, as you may think, it’s not really PG. I’m not going to describe the move but you can probably imagine what this move looks like if you just applied your imagination. This is the worst offender but it is by no means the only offender. Aggressive behavior, toxic attitudes and imitation of firearms on the dance floor at common. With its roots so heavily based in hip-hop, is there any doubt that some form of violence would make its way into the scene? But the thing is, that is all it is. It’s imitation and it’s pulling on things that you know. Expression is sometimes a bit too real and unfortunately, that realism isn’t always appreciated on the world stage especially now that it’s 2024. 

The only way that breaking could have survived in the Olympics was how it did survive. By changing. In my local dance session spots today, the dance has evolved. The old violent roots of hip hop are now but a distant memory forgotten by most of the scene as the younger generation slowly inherits the artform. Occasionally, though, you will see someone from the old generation on the big stage and do things that are seemingly so different and weird that you can’t help but wonder how they even made it on the big stage. When that happens, usually, a controversy erupts, the judges get flamed and then a very long discussion happens between those who defend the old styles of dance saying how it still got a reputation and those who defend the generation. The new generation’s dance contender usually will mention in a very very very convoluted way of saying “move on old man, this is our time now and this is not how we do things anymore”. It’s going to be a problematic transformation. But that’s expected of an art form that has deep roots in expression of your own past. How do you erase the past when the art form pulls so much from it? 

This is just the tip of the iceberg on the question of why breakdancing doesn’t work shouldn’t have been in the Olympics at all. Undoubtedly, these were definitely conversations that were had again and again by those in the olympic council and even in the scene by other bboys of all generations too. My opinion on this? I think mostly like the new generation. Why? To bring it back to the story. In my time in university, I was a part timer but luckily had the chance to be in a sustainable relationship with breakdancing. Not to spoil too much but I would find myself in university for a very very long time. In this time, I would see generations of breakdancers pass and right after the golden era died down, there would always be this thought that lingered on the back of our minds.

“How much longer will breakdancing even last?”

It seems like we were always dying and losing members to other hobbies or their future or what not. If we wanted a chance to survive, we needed to evolve. This is why I am on the side of the new generation of breakdancers. I believe in evolution. I also believe that the older generation should be kept in the history books if we want to ride the high that comes with the Olympics and not ruin this chance at a revitalization. The older generation aren’t unmarketable, but the new generation is just so much more marketable. While the ride and die attitude of the old is sometimes commendable, I don’t think it should be prioritized against the longevity and survival of the scene. 

It’s usually around this time when I need to address the elephant in the room. Mainly because the question will be brought up in one way or another. The question being.

Why was breakdancing dying?

I can’t tell you whether this trend of breakdancing dying will continue now the Olympics have given us a tonne of credibility but what I can tell you is how breakdancing was in my time in university and how the struggles we’ve had as members seem to always be looming in the idea of a silent death. These struggles will outline why it was so surprising to a lot of us when breakdancing made it to the Olympics this year at all. Keep in mind that my story with breakdancing is by no means a rare one (at least in Canada). It’s a pretty common story through and through with some pretty common trends. The main trend though? Still the same as I previously said it.

Breakdancing is a dying art.