‘Breaking very much deserves to be in the Paris Olympics’

A breakdance teacher who has worked with Olympic hopefuls said the sport deserved to be at Paris 2024.

The street dance discipline, also known as breaking, has been chosen to be part of the Games, which takes place 26 July-11 August.

Dancers will compete in one-on-one battles, with two competitions, one for women and one for men.

Leigh Evelyn, from Northampton and known in b-boy and b-girl circles as Swifty, said breaking was “art and sport”.

Breaking has key elements including top rocks – typically a competitor’s introductory dance moves – footwork, power moves and freezes.

Competitors, known as b-boys and b-girls, are not only judged on technical skill but also creativity and style, with strength, speed, rhythm and agility all considered.

Swifty, who has been breaking for more than 20 years, said being in the Olympics was “amazing”.

The 42-year-old said: “It’s opened up so many doors for so many of the dancers I know, worldwide.

“We’re a long way from the 1980s when it boomed for a lot of people.”

Swifty, who is master of ceremonies at breaking events, said after it was announced as a Olympic sport in 2020 he was asked to “organise a few bits and pieces” to help dancers in the UK.

“We were making sure they got funding and were going to competitions in China and in Hungary so they could qualify for the Olympics,” he said.

Unfortunately, with just 16 places in each competition there were no TeamGB breakers who qualified.

“They just missed out this time, but they put themselves on the map,” he said.

Swifty said breaking was “artistic but the moves are very dynamic and require a lot of athleticism”.

“One person’s going to push harder than another person to get more dynamic moves or to have more stamina, so [the sport] very much deserves to be in the Olympics,” he said.

“It’s a great way to showcase that you can come from nothing to becoming an Olympian and that’s what the Olympics is all about.”