Break it down: Dancers start planning for the Olympics in Paris in 2024
Victor Montalvo was born to break. His father and uncle, twin breakers who performed in Mexico long before they taught young Montalvo to spin on his back, are descended from him. Olympic fans can buy Olympic Breaking Tickets from our website.
The 28-year-old, also known as B-Boy Victor, was born in Kissimmee, Florida, and is an expert in the dance’s fundamentals. He is strong. He exudes the style and swagger typical of a dedicated b-boy. He moves in time with the DJ’s breakbeat as it plays on the turntables.
Blip, boom, rip, chirp, scribble.
When breaking makes its Olympic debut in less than two years, he aims to take it further than his relatives ever imagined and compete his way to a medal ceremony. According to Montalvo, “I feel like I have an extremely high probability” (The Associated Press).
He is one of many great “b-boys” and “B-girls,” as they are known in the hip-hop community, who are planning their route to the Paris Olympics in 2024. Two years ago, the International Olympic Committee stated that breaking will become an official Olympic sport. This announcement caused a rift in the breaking community between those who were happy for the expanded audience and those who were worried about the purity of the art form.
The field of Olympic contenders is beginning to take shape, though, following the Red Bull BC One World Final, which was held earlier this month in the hip hop capital and not far from the streets where Black and Puerto Rican New Yorkers first invented the art of breaking. In addition, several of the first b-boys and B-girls attended the event on November 12 as the hip hop community gears up to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the birth of the genre in 1973.
When the dance style was accepted into the Olympics, Douglas “Dancing’ Doug” Colón, a b-boy from the first generation of Harlem breakers, beaming with pride, stated, “You never believed that something you were doing for fun was going to spread across the world.” Olympic fans can buy Olympic Games 2024 Tickets from our website.
First generation b-boy Trixie sat next to Colón near a circular stage in the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan. As they entered the arena, contenders for the Red Bull BC One World Final from Canada, China, France, Italy, Kazakhstan, South Korea, and Venezuela went one at a time. The largest breaking competition in the world is run by the energy drink manufacturer.
Giving dap, a cordial greeting among the Black and Latino cultures that conveys unity and well wishes to the recipient, the OGs bestowed blessings on their offspring. Joe Cuonzo, Jr., a photographer known in the neighborhood as “Joey Snaps,” who has been photographing the Olympic hopefuls stage-side since documenting hip hop in the Bronx from its birth, was also there.
Colón asserted that nothing would alter the culture, which would remain unchanged. People in the neighborhood will continue to carry on with their routines despite the fact that it is an Olympic sport.
According to Victor Alicea, a judge for the Red Bull BC One World Final, judging contests in the hip-hop community has always been extremely subjective. The Paris Olympics, however, will be different because authorities will utilize a newly designed judging method to determine which b-boy or B-girl defeated their opponent in one-on-one matches.
The Tritium judging system, developed for breaking’s debut at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, is a computerized scoring tool that enables judges to respond in real time to breakers’ “body, mind, and soul”—their physical, aesthetic, and interpretive abilities.
Each breaker receives a score based on its musicality, performativity, charisma, technique, variety, and inventiveness from a panel of five judges. The scores can change as the fight progresses depending on how each breaker reacts to their opponent.
If a breaker “bite[s],” or replicates, a set of moves from their opponent, the score may be reduced. A breaker’s score can also be affected by improper actions, including as willful physical contact with an opponent, and other unsportsmanlike behavior.
“I search for a dominator of the space. It is a struggle. Not only do I dance after you dance. B-boy Kid Glyde, better known as Alicea, remarked, “You’ve got to bring it.
After a world championship match in Paris last December, Montalvo, the top-ranked b-boy in the world, said his road to the Olympics will involve rigorous preparation. Additionally, more victories at events governed by the World Dance Sport Federation, an organization recognized by the IOC, will be necessary. Successful breakers earn points in those competitions that aid in their qualification for the Paris Games. Olympic qualifying events begin in September and last until June 2024.
In the conclusion of the process, 16 b-boys and 16 B-girls will be permitted to compete over the course of two days at Paris’ renowned Place de la Concorde. As a result, Olympic hopefuls have numerous opportunities to hone their abilities in preparation for the pivotal contests.
GET TO KNOW THE APPLICANTS B-BOY VICTOR
He claimed that Montalvo’s mastery of the judge-favored foundations of breaking—”top rock” moves, footwork, “down rock” moves performed closer to the floor, “power” moves displaying acrobatics and strength, along with the traditional “headpins,” “windmills,” and “freeze” poses—sets him apart from other b-boys. Olympic fans can buy Olympic Games Tickets from our website.
He declared, “I think the foundations are the most important thing. “I watch a lot of dancers perform large moves, but they often lack the little subtleties. They are unable to escape those powerful moves. The foundations are similar to building a story, which is vital.
Boy Yu Ki
Montalvo changed from a windmill into a down rock move in a Red Bull BC One quarterfinal round matchup against Japan’s Yuki Minatozaki. His legs moved back and forth so swiftly that they resembled twisting Double Dutch ropes. In the spirit of good sportsmanship, Minatozaki replied with a sneer, some halfhearted clapping, and a sarcastic thumbs up before spinning out of control and displaying brisk standing footwork.
Through a translator, Minatozaki, better known by his stage name B-boy Yu-Ki, told the AP: “It feels amazing that the sport has suddenly gotten a lot more attention.” Since the age of five, the 23-year-old has been breaking. He stated that he planned to apply for a berth in the Paris Games.
Minatozaki was defeated by Montalvo, who went on to upset Lee-Lou Demiurge of the Netherlands, another strong candidate for the Olympics, in the final. Montalvo did not receive any qualification points for the Olympics for the victory.
Indian B-GIRL
The 16-year-old Dutch breaker India Sardjoe took home the Red Bull BC One World Final b-girl crown. She stated that she intended to concentrate on competing in crew battles, which pit one team of breakers against another for a group title and bragging rights, evoking the Bronx’s early days of breaking. Sardjoe had just won the top prize at the European Breaking Championships, a WDSF competition held on November 6 in Manchester, England.
Nevertheless, winning the Red Bull championship is a success. Sardjoe declared, “I had to compete against the defending champion, so that’s not nothing. But I was thrilled to engage in combat with her.
BLUE GIRL LOGISTX
Logan Edra, better known as B-girl Logistx, who won the Red Bull BC One World Final in Gdansk, Poland, last year, was defeated by Sardjoe, who is 19 years old. Edra, a native of San Diego, first studied ballet and jazz before starting to break at the age of eight. Her dad prodded her into taking hip hop classes.
Edra told the AP that she will compete in WDSF competitions during the ensuing year and a half in an effort to qualify for the Olympics, just as Sardjoe and Montalvo. She participated in the Breaking for Gold Challenge Series on Saturday in Tokyo and finished second to Dominika Banevi, also known as B-Girl Nicka, of Lithuania, who won the gold.
Edra declared, “I’m up against the finest of the greatest.” “Since I hold myself to such a high standard, I always want to out train everyone. I have bruises on my elbows and knees from repeatedly rehearsing man oeuvres since the training is so intense. We don’t have as many resources as other sports, so it requires a lot of dedication.
ISIS B-GIRL
The American-Ecuadorian B-girl Isis Alexandra Grande Chalen began dancing at a young age in ballet, folk dance, and modern dance. But breaking appealed to her rebellious side, especially at a time when she was debating whether those other dancing styles were compatible with her aspirations.
Prior to the Red Bull BC One World Final, Chalen, 27, said, “The minute that I recognized that I have more responsibility for myself, I put more work into breaking and I gained the opportunities to be here.”
Regarding her aspirations for the Olympics, she remarked, “Now, we’re going to do this change, from artists to athletes.” It’s a significant opportunity for all nations. I’m from Latin America, a region with fewer chances. But everyone may attend the Olympics.
BLUE-EYE SUNNY
Breaking is an accessible art and sport, according to Sunny Choi, a b-girl from Queens, New York, who won the 2022 Red Bull BC One Cypher USA in September. She predicted that breaking will be a major attraction at the Paris Olympics. She aspires to be selected for the American team.
Because there are few financial hurdles to participate, we have a lot of variety in breaking, which is very lovely about what we do, according to Choi, who spoke to the AP. “You can just do this on your own if you have a clean floor and, nowadays, access to YouTube or whatever where you can learn, plus some music.”
She claimed that the early sacrifices she had to make for her Olympic trip first made her wonder if she even wanted to compete.
Choi said, “I’m one of those all or nothing people. “In order to get rid of some of the mental obstacles, I did a lot of soul-searching. I have a feeling that this voyage will demand a lot of me, so I just need to be prepared for it.
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