BENGALURU: On Friday, Google Search featured the Paris 2024 Olympic mascot performing a spectacular headspin, celebrating the introduction of breakdancing – known as breaking—into the Olympic Games. With the sport’s debut on August 9, this moment holds special significance for the burgeoning breaking community in the city. The two-day event will showcase 32 B-boys and B-girls from around the world, competing in a rigorous format that includes preliminary rounds, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and medal battles.
Shawn Mendes, a full-time breakdancer in the city, expresses his excitement about the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics. “It’s incredible. When I started in 2010, there were very few competitions. Now, events are happening back-to-back, and breaking is reaching an audience beyond just the dance community,” says Mendes, who first fell in love with breaking a decade ago through YouTube videos.
He hopes that the sport’s global debut will lead to increased sponsorship and support. “Seeing it in the Olympics is a big deal, and I’m hopeful it will bring better infrastructure and more opportunities for dancers in India,” he says adding that while many may view breaking merely as a dance form, it is no less than a sport, given the hours of training and conditioning required. “Breakdancing consists of four elements – toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes – each demanding extensive training. The challenge lies in combining all four elements seamlessly,” he explains.
Though no athlete from India will participate in breaking at the Paris Olympics, most athlete-dancers emphasise that merely reaching the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) – a series of competitions required to score points for Olympic qualification – was a significant challenge. Akash Sheelavant, a breaking coach and athlete, highlights the substantial lack of recognition and support for breaking in India. “People don’t really see breaking as a sport. When we wanted to host a national-level event in the city, we were asked if dance could really be called a ‘sport’. Breaking debuting in the Olympics could change these perceptions and encourage more support and recognition,” he adds.
Sushma Aithal, also known as Bgirl Sushma, who represented India in three World Series Qualifiers, notes that most athletes fund their journeys to the qualifiers themselves. “Breaking has only recently been added as an Olympic sport, so the Federation is very new, and there was no funding for us. After winning nationals, I had to self-fund my trips to qualifiers in Japan, Brazil, and Hong Kong. It cost more than Rs 10 lakh,” says Aithal, who has been breaking for seven years. “By the time I reached Hong Kong, I already knew I wouldn’t make it to the Olympics, but my love for this art compelled me to go.” The road to the Olympics was equally challenging for athlete Suryadharshan, known as Crazy Br8. “I had to take out a loan for my trip to Brazil,” he recalls.
Reflecting on the dynamics of the two federations – the Breakdance Federation of India (BDFI) and the All India DanceSport Federation (AIDSF), which is responsible for sending athletes to the Olympics, Sheelavant says, “I don’t know what the future holds for this sport. The only thing I know is that breaking is not just a sport for me; it’s also an art form. When we started, there was no one to uplift us, which is why I want to bring more quality into breaking and foster an international mindset in the students I’m coaching.”