Break dance

Breakdance has been inspired by various martial arts, capoeira, Russian folk dance and cartoons, among others. Breakdance is danced to breaks, or instrumental/drum parts of songs. Dancers who dance breakdance are called “B-girls” or break-girls and “B-boys” or break-boys.

Breakdance combines fast footwork on the floor, dynamic power moves on the floor and in the air, toprock that leads the dancer down, and freezes, where the dancer stops the movement and freezes in a chosen position. Battles are a big part of breakdance culture, where dancers compete against each other’s skills, traditionally in a ring and now also in separate competitions. In 2020, breakdance was selected as a new sport to be part of the Olympics.

At the beginner level, students learn the foundation moves of breaking, practice circling and battling, encourage their own creativity and learn about the history of hip-hop culture. Advanced classes focus on combining different moves, developing their own style, developing musicality and practicing more demanding moves.

Breaking is one of the four elements of hip-hop culture, representing the dance part of the culture. Breaking originated in the Bronx in the 1970s as a reaction to the socio-political events of the time among African-American youth, from where it has since spread around the world.

Intermediates 3