Breaking at the 2024 Olympics.

[Taltarzac725]

This is interesting but I probably would have liked more to see River Dancing or maybe line dancing.

Seems like more of an art than a sport though.

[Taltarzac725]

??????

Break dancing started as an event at the Olympics today.

[asianthree]

Sport: A activity involving physical exertion and skill in which individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Today gathered at dance studios (two college campuses that I know of), all around US, are dancers glued to TVs to watch “Breaking” competing in the Olympics.

If you speak to any experienced competitive dancers, they will absolutely tell you anyone who can keep their full weight balanced, on one hand, spinning and make up a routine in their head with one minute notice of music, (rules for Olympic break dancing) definitely requires Quick mind, Physical exertion of full body strength, and Skill.

Thousands of kids dance from wee tots, to college, then professional jobs, yet never achieve break dancing ability.

[dewilson58]

Oly ain't what it use to be............unfortunately.

[BrianL99]

Coming soon to an olympics near you.


This girl is 9 years old.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNYYf2Mc5ro

[Sandy and Ed]

Well said, Asianthree. I never looked at break dancing in that light before.

[asianthree]

Coming soon to an olympics near you.


This girl is 9 years old.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNYYf2Mc5ro

Martial arts are also taught, and an extremely young age. She was probably competing with hundreds in her age group.

[La lamy]

Coming soon to an olympics near you.


This girl is 9 years old.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNYYf2Mc5ro

WOW!!!!! Beyond the olympics, I can see her making a living out of those skills. Cirque du Soleil would love her!

[mike234]

This is interesting but I probably would have liked more to see River Dancing or maybe line dancing.

Seems like more of an art than a sport though.
I'll watch that, about as much as I watch women's golf.....I don't, and won't

[Robnlaura]

This is interesting but I probably would have liked more to see River Dancing or maybe line dancing.

Seems like more of an art than a sport though.

River dancing ?? That’s pretty funny really.. line dancing is the pits

[airstreamingypsy]

I think the Olympics jumped the shark when they included ribbon twirling and fancy swimming...and now break dancing. I agree, it's an art not a sport.

[Kells]

asianthree said it perfectly. It's as athletic and skilled as a person can get. Just because it wasn't in the Olympics when you were young doesn't mean it's not legit now that you're old. How about that 1/2 court basketball or ping pong?

"
Paris 2024 submitted its proposal to the IOC to integrate four additional sports closely associated with young people and reward creativity and athletic performance. These sports are breaking (making its Olympic debut), sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing."

Young people love it. When they are old will they say Oly ain't wat it used to be?

They are in the Olympics, we aren't. That says a lot.

[chuckpedrey]

Would anyone else prefer restricting the Olympics to amateur athletes over allowing professional athletes compete? The current scenario is very much like allowing xy chromosome individuals to compete against xx chromosome individuals.

[villager7591]

If that holds, ballroom dancing, etc., should be in the Olympics...and they got rid of baseball and softball ???
Tells me what I need to know with their 'last supper' skit. NBC just can't help themselves...

[GATORBILL66]

This is interesting but I probably would have liked more to see River Dancing or maybe line dancing.

Seems like more of an art than a sport though.

Dancing id not a sport!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

If that holds, ballroom dancing, etc., should be in the Olympics...and they got rid of baseball and softball ???
Tells me what I need to know with their 'last supper' skit. NBC just can't help themselves...

1. Had nothing to do with NBC, the NBC is an American media company and the Olympics this year was hosted by the city of Paris, in France.
2. It wasn't a "last supper" skit. It was a presentation of a bacchanal, which is a celebratory tribute to the fact that the Olympics is a GREEK tournament of athleticism. Perhaps people who wrote the bible or painted Christian paintings took their inspiration from the bacchanal.

[PurePeach]

Coming soon to an olympics near you.


This girl is 9 years old.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNYYf2Mc5ro

She is amazing!!!! Forget the Olympics — she could start making money TODAY with Cirque du Soleil.

[Velvet]

Dancing id not a sport!

I certainly hope not! Imagine Swan Lake as an Olympic event because it pleases the “old people”. Nureyev could compete with many a gymnast with his jumps. (I saw it myself). I can see skate boarding as a valid sport, but break dancing… not so much.

[SoCalGal]

This is interesting but I probably would have liked more to see River Dancing or maybe line dancing. Seems like more of an art than a sport though.

It's akin to ice dancing and figure skating.

[Joe C.]

The olympics used to be 100% entertaining. Now it's 20%. What used to be sports derived from ancient combat, is now diluted beyond recognition.

[Kathy Hefflefinger]

But that isn’t break dancing. Tumbling.

[mbene]

Wow, watched the medal competition in break dancing, never paid attention to it before. The athleticism, coordination and strength needed were impressive.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I'm not fond of breakdancing, it's not rhythmic, and my brain just can't wrap around arrhythmic dance to rhythmic music. The moves themselves are impressive and admirable. But spinning on your head just - doesn't really do it for me.

Plus, it's very disappointing that the womens' breakdancing event didn't include a single woman of color. That is culturally insulting. If they can't find black bgirls, then they really need to not have a breakdancing event. It's like having the Olympics and rejecting Greek representation. Or attending a Catholic Church that only has atheists sitting to hear the liturgy. Or going to a dog show and only allowing cats to compete.

[Velvet]

Wow, watched the medal competition in break dancing, never paid attention to it before. The athleticism, coordination and strength needed were impressive.

I guess it depends on perspective. If there was a skill involved, I am not familiar with it.

[Marathon Man]

It's 'breaking' not 'break dancing'. It's not meant to appeal to everyone. I don't care for figure skating, but I don't make fun of it.

[Velvet]

I'm not kidding at all. Breakdancing is a culturally black American (or African-American to those who prefer that term) style of dance, just like salsa is a culturally latin style of dance. To have a global tournament for a particular kind of dance, and not have anyone who represents the culture that invented it - is disappointing.

If it’s folk dancing it is inappropriate to be in the Olympics. I mean is it not cultural appropriation?

[Velvet]

The olympics used to be 100% entertaining. Now it's 20%. What used to be sports derived from ancient combat, is now diluted beyond recognition.

Yes, I think pretty soon there will be a division in the Olympics just like there is Winter and Summer Olympics there will be Sports and Entertainment Olympics.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Who invented basketball? See many white guys on the us team?

Springfield College didn't allow black students until the early 1900's. The first basketball court was built there, in 1891. It wasn't "culturally white." It was "culturally collegiate" and because of racism, black people were disqualified from participating.

Compare with breaking - which was created by black kids living in the Bronx, NY, in public, where no one was legally excluded from participating.

Also, "breaking" is a synonym, or nickname, or shortened version of "breakdancing" or "break dancing" or "break-dancing." They all refer to the same style of dance.

[fdpaq0580]

I think the Olympics jumped the shark when they included ribbon twirling and fancy swimming...and now break dancing. I agree, it's an art not a sport.

See capoeira. Then look at break dancing. See any similarities?

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

If it’s folk dancing it is inappropriate to be in the Olympics. I mean is it not cultural appropriation?

If salsa, merengue, polka, tango, hula, and bellydancing aren't Olympic competitive dances, then breakdancing should also not be an Olympic competitive dance.

But I wasn't arguing that the dance shouldn't be in the Olympics at all. I don't care if it is or not, since I wouldn't watch it anyway. It IS a culturally black-American form of dance expression, whether people want it to be or not. And it is disappointing, to me personally, that since the Olympics chose to have breakdancing this year, that there were no black female breakdancers competing.

[Velvet]

If salsa, merengue, polka, tango, hula, and bellydancing aren't Olympic competitive dances, then breakdancing should also not be an Olympic competitive dance.

But I wasn't arguing that the dance shouldn't be in the Olympics at all. I don't care if it is or not, since I wouldn't watch it anyway. It IS a culturally black-American form of dance expression, whether people want it to be or not. And it is disappointing, to me personally, that since the Olympics chose to have breakdancing this year, that there were no black female breakdancers competing.
If they were going to include this at all, I agree with you. If they are going to include any folk dancing in the Olympics I’d also like to see the Cossack dances included. However, I personally have learned a new thing.

[LeRoySmith]

Springfield College didn't allow black students until the early 1900's. The first basketball court was built there, in 1891. It wasn't "culturally white." It was "culturally collegiate" and because of racism, black people were disqualified from participating.

Compare with breaking - which was created by black kids living in the Bronx, NY, in public, where no one was legally excluded from participating.

Also, "breaking" is a synonym, or nickname, or shortened version of "breakdancing" or "break dancing" or "break-dancing." They all refer to the same style of dance.

So you're saying a white professor of an all white school invented the game and the fact that there's no white players on the team is ok, but not for breakdancing. I got it, thanks for clarifying your thinking.

[Haggar]

Sport: A activity involving physical exertion and skill in which individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Today gathered at dance studios (two college campuses that I know of), all around US, are dancers glued to TVs to watch “Breaking” competing in the Olympics.

If you speak to any experienced competitive dancers, they will absolutely tell you anyone who can keep their full weight balanced, on one hand, spinning and make up a routine in their head with one minute notice of music, (rules for Olympic break dancing) definitely requires Quick mind, Physical exertion of full body strength, and Skill.

Thousands of kids dance from wee tots, to college, then professional jobs, yet never achieve break dancing ability.

Does archery and shooting required exertion and skill or just skill? Therefore are they sports?

Just enjoy the events you like and as you probably have done - ignore the ones you don't enjoy.
It's entertainment after all, it's free, these athletes are great to watch and.

Just as an aside the Philippines gold metal winner got:
$225,000 in cash
A Home and a condo
Free ramen for life
Free buffets for life from a Chinese restaurant chain.

And hold your breath....

Free colonoscopies and gastro exams for life.

When they open a Villages in the Philippines I'll be the first to sign up!

[asianthree]

Does archery and shooting required exertion and skill or just skill? Therefore are they sports?

Just enjoy the events you like and as you probably have done - ignore the ones you don't enjoy.
It's entertainment after all, it's free, these athletes are great to watch and.

Just as an aside the Philippines gold metal winner got:
$225,000 in cash
A Home and a condo
Free ramen for life
Free buffets for life from a Chinese restaurant chain.

And hold your breath....

Free colonoscopies and gastro exams for life.

When they open a Villages in the Philippines I'll be the first to sign up!

Definition of “Sport” was from Google…so maybe you can update Google.

And one doesn’t need a colonoscopy after age 70, EGD, maybe, no need for life unless you die in your sixties, then it’s for life.

As far as holding one’s breath….

Old Anesthesia joke “Breathing is Overrated”

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

If they were going to include this at all, I agree with you. If they are going to include any folk dancing in the Olympics I’d also like to see the Cossack dances included. However, I personally have learned a new thing.

I don't think they need to have any folk dancing. But - my point isn't that (using your example) there isn't any Cossack dances included. My point is that IF there were any Cossack dances included, that there aren't any Russians or Ukrainians dancing in them. The sentiment is the same.

[Stu from NYC]

Does archery and shooting required exertion and skill or just skill? Therefore are they sports?

Just enjoy the events you like and as you probably have done - ignore the ones you don't enjoy.
It's entertainment after all, it's free, these athletes are great to watch and.

Just as an aside the Philippines gold metal winner got:
$225,000 in cash
A Home and a condo
Free ramen for life
Free buffets for life from a Chinese restaurant chain.

And hold your breath....

Free colonoscopies and gastro exams for life.

When they open a Villages in the Philippines I'll be the first to sign up!

Archery certainly requires skill and practice. Does anyone think that William Tell would have shot the apple without practice?

[JMintzer]

I'm not kidding at all. Breakdancing is a culturally black American (or African-American to those who prefer that term) style of dance, just like salsa is a culturally latin style of dance. To have a global tournament for a particular kind of dance, and not have anyone who represents the culture that invented it - is disappointing.

You completely ignore the Puerto Rican influence of break dancing that went hand in hand with it's African American influence...

I'm shocked!

[JMintzer]

I don't think they need to have any folk dancing. But - my point isn't that (using your example) there isn't any Cossack dances included. My point is that IF there were any Cossack dances included, that there aren't any Russians or Ukrainians dancing in them. The sentiment is the same.

You know they do have qualifying competitions to make the Olympic teams, right?

Sounds like you're in favor of letting people compete simply due to their skin tone...

[Stu from NYC]

You know they do have qualifying competitions to make the Olympic teams, right?

Sounds like you're in favor of letting people compete simply due to their skin tone...

Competition does bring out the best in us. Some people just dont get it.

[Taltarzac725]

Competition does bring out the best in us. Some people just dont get it.

Seems like breaking dates from the 1970s. These people might be playing pickleball here in the Villages nowadays.

[mbene]

Looks like Breaking may be out of the next Olympics along with Boxing.

[mbene]

Looks like Breaking and Boxing may be out of the next Olympics.

New or reintroduced sports, Squash, Cricket, Flag Football, Baseball, Softball and Lacrosse.