Breaking, one of the most highly anticipated sports of the 2024 Olympic Games will debut Friday for the first time in the history of the Olympics.
The sport made its successful debut at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it topped 1 million viewers, according to NBC Olympics, far outpacing audiences for many other sports.
But don’t call it break dancing.
The sport consists of dance battles, where the participants- called “B-Boys” and “B-Girls” – go one-on-one using different moves. According to the Paris Olympics, the sport is characterized by “acrobatic movements, stylised footwork and the key role played by the DJ and the MC (master of ceremonies) during battles.”
MORE: Australia’s ‘Raygun’ goes viral for performance in debut of Olympic breaking
NBC 5 reporter Alex Maragos previewed the sport from Paris Friday, pointing out one of the most exciting parts about it: It’s improvised.
“They don’t know what music is coming,” Maragos said.
Here’s how the sport works, who’s on Team USA, when to watch and more.
How is breaking judged and how does it work?
The judges score the breakers during the battle based on six criteria: technique, variety, performativity, musicality, personality and creativity.
Technique is how athletic and controlled the athlete is. Techniques include top rock (standing footwork) and down rock (moves on the floor), power moves (twists and spins) and the freeze, when breakers freeze in poses while using their heads or hands for support.
Variety is based on how they use a variety of moves in a variety of different positions. Performativity is how cleanly the moves are performed. Musicality is how well the breaker stays on the beat. Finally, there’s personality and creativity, based on the personal style of the breaker.
Athletes typically combine a variety of moves including windmills, the 6-step and freezes, according to the Paris Olympics.
After the battles, judges vote on a winner to advance. The panel, made up of nine judges, take all six previously mentioned categories into consideration. Performativity and creativity make up 60% of the score, while the other four categories make up the remaining 40%.
Who is on Team USA?
Team USA is made up of four dancers – two b-boys, Jeffrey Louis and Victor Montalvo; and two b-girls, Sunny Choi and Logan Edra.
In 2022, Choi quit her six-figure job as director of global creative operations at Estée Lauder in New York City to follow her dancing dreams. She then qualified for Paris after winning gold at the Pan American Games last November.
Montalvo, a Kissimmee, Florida native, said he wants to bring an understanding of hip-hop and breakdancing to the world.
“I just want to make sure that everyone understands what this dance is about and what hip-hop is about,” he said. “It’s all about peace, unity and having fun.”
Wait — isn’t it called breakdancing?
Breaking, more commonly known as “Breakdancing” in the United States, debuted in the Bronx as part of hip-hop culture in the 1970’s.
The dancing is based on a variety of criteria, including “personality, technique, variety, creativity, performativity and musicality,” according to Sports Illustrated.
Although the event is called breaking, many refer to it as breakdancing. But that’ isn’t the technical name.
In an interview with TODAY, Montalvo said “breakdancing” was a term created by the media.
Montalvo even said there’s a nickname for those who use the term.
“They call them toys, people that don’t know anything about the dance,” Montalvo said.
Breaking schedule and how to watch
The competition is divided into two parts: The “B-Boys” division and the “B-Girls” division. The “B-Girls” will be up first on Friday, with the “B-Boys” on Saturday.
The full breaking schedule is listed below:
Friday –
9 a.m. CT: B-Girls Qualification round (Television: E!, Peacock)
1 p.m. CT: B-Girls Quarterfinal (Television: E!, Peacock)
1:47 p.m. CT: B-Girls Semifinal (Television: E!, Peacock)
2:19 p.m. CT: B-Girls Final (Television: E!, Peacock)
Saturday –
9 a.m. CT: B-Boys Round Robin (Television: Peacock)
1 p.m. CT: B-Boys Quarterfinals (Television: E!, Peacock)
1:47 p.m. B-Boys Semifinal (Television: E!, Peacock)
2:19 p.m. CT: B-Boys Finals (Television: E!, Peacock)