Break dancing was one of three new medal events added last month to the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games (along with karate and sport climbing).
“Break dancing, a style of street dance typically performed to hip-hop, funk music and breakbeats, is entered as a discipline within sport dancing and will feature for the first time at any Olympic level,” reports Inside the Games. “Men’s, women’s and mixed team events will take place in a head-to-head ‘battle’ format.”
The World DanceSport Federation, which is developing the qualification process for the Games’ break dancing competition, previously attempted to bring Latin and Standard dance competitions to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games but were unsuccessful. DanceSport’s governing body views the International Olympic Committee’s decision to add break dancing to the Youth Olympic Games as fair consolation.
“Millions of dancers around the world will be delighted over this Olympic embrace,” WDSF President Lukas Hinder said in a statement. “It certainly is the fulfilment of a long-held dream and it will allow us to showcase the full breadth of DanceSport to the world at large.”
Over the past several years, DanceSport has evolved into an all-encompassing brand made up of different styles and forms of moving to music.
“Many factors will need to be considered to ensure the type of global participation that so uniquely marks all Olympic competitions,” according to the WDSF. “Athletes’ quotas per continent and a limitation of one athlete per country will likely need to be implemented. … WDSF will work together with its nearly 100 members, as well as with other organizations, to make the system as international and as comprehensive as is technically possible.”
More announcements regarding the competition should be forthcoming in March.
Meanwhile, a meeting is expected to take place this month between the International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF) and the IOC to discuss that sport’s potential for Olympic recognition. Pole sports (yes, that would be pole dancing, for the uninitiated) include elements of dance, fitness and gymnastics.
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