Breaking It Down

Six years after its introduction at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, breaking takes centre stage at the Olympics for the first time. On August 9th and 10th, 32 of the world’s best B-Boys and B-Girls will battle it out for the inaugural Olympic title at the iconic La Concorde in Paris.

Get ready for a non-stop, five-hour spectacle featuring four intense rounds of competition. From the initial round-robin to the thrilling medal matches, the action is relentless.

New to breaking? Don’t worry! Whether you’re a seasoned headspinner or a curious newcomer, this glossary will have you speaking the language of the dance floor in no time!

Breaking: Breaking is an urban dance style which originated during the mid-1970s in the Bronx borough of New York City. Breaking is the preferred term for the dance discipline. Never use the terms “breakdance” or “breakdancing” unless you are explaining the dance to people unfamiliar with the culture. If so, use “breakdancing” once on first reference and mention that “Breaking” is the preferred term.

B-boy/B-girl: A break boy or break girl; a breakdancer. “Breaker” is an acceptable alternative, as is “athlete,” although the latter especially should be used sparingly. For simplicity, always uppercase both “Bs” in B-Boy for males and B-Girl for females.

Crew: A team of Breakers. There can be any number of Breakers in a crew, from two to 60 or more.

Cypher: A circle that breakers form and dance in. Breakers take turns dancing to the music and can also battle each other.

Downrock: Breaking mainly consists of four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes. Downrock (also known as “footwork” or “floorwork”) is used to describe any movement on the floor with the hands supporting the dancer as much as the feet.

Freezes: Breaking mainly consists of four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes. A freeze is a pose in which the dancer stops moving completely in the middle of a set. The freeze provides the perfect opposite to the Breaker s moving action.

Toprock: Breaking mainly consists of four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes. With toprock, all moves are performed standing up. When toprocking, athletes are preparing to go down to the floor. Most Breaking solos start with toprock. The attitude of the athletes during this phase of a Breaking set is to be presented with intention. The most frequently used steps in toprock are the Indian or Outlaw Two-Step and the Crossover Step.

Powermove: Breaking mainly consists of four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes. Power moves are a complex set of movements in which the play with gravity is enhanced through centrifugal force – it is the velocity and the dynamic appearance of a power move that gave rise to this descriptive term. They are therefore considered the most dynamic element of Breaking. All power moves have a spinning motion. With a pure power move, the athlete’s feet seldom touch the ground. Some of the most frequent power moves are derived from air flares, windmills, and floats, each of which represents a family of moves.

Set: A set is a Breaker’s prepared round or combination of moves. A set can be a whole round or a combination of moves, but most Breakers do some form of set – long or short – especially at major competitions where winning the title can take up to 15 rounds.

Throw down: When a b-boy or b-girl hits the floor and starts breaking, they are doing a throw down.