THE POLITICS OF BREAKING

The inclusion of breaking in the Paris 2024 Olympics was celebrated as a cultural milestone, marking the first time that this art form would take center stage at the Games. However, the event's organization drew significant controversy, raising questions about why the World Bboy Battle League (WBBL)—the pioneering force behind competitive breaking sports—was sidelined from the organizing process. Instead, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), a ballroom dance organization with no deep roots in breaking, was appointed to lead the Olympic breaking events.

Since 2015, WBBL has been the official sports league for breaking, revolutionizing the art form into a professional sport with its unique competition format, Bboy Sport. Launching at the Queens Theatre in New York City, WBBL events have attracted urban youth, hip-hop fans, and sports enthusiasts alike. The league’s format is specifically designed for the competitive nature of breaking, with a clear and standardized scoring system that resonates with both the culture and a mainstream sports audience.

WBBL’s events, aired on ESPN and Tubi, have brought competitive breaking into the living rooms of millions. The 2022 World Championships garnered widespread attention, with highlights trending across social media. Despite these successes, WBBL was conspicuously excluded from both the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers and the main event’s organizing process.

The decision to appoint WDSF as the governing body for breaking at the Olympics has been met with heavy criticism within the breaking community. As a ballroom dance organization, WDSF’s involvement in breaking is seen by many as a purely financial move, rather than one rooted in a genuine understanding of the culture. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reportedly awarded WDSF a substantial financial package, leading some to question whether breaking’s inclusion was motivated more by profit than cultural preservation.

This perceived disconnect between WDSF and the breaking community was evident during the Paris 2024 qualifiers, which were criticized for their lack of cultural authenticity and proper understanding of what makes breaking unique. The WDSF’s ballroom dance background left many feeling that breaking was being molded into something it is not, a sentiment reflected in the decision by the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Committee to exclude breaking from its roster.

For a sport that thrives on cultural authenticity, the decision to overlook WBBL—a league deeply embedded in the breaking community—has raised concerns about the future of breaking as an Olympic sport. The WBBL’s Bboy Sport format was developed by breakers, for breakers, ensuring that the competitive structure aligns with the art form’s roots while maintaining the integrity of the sport. This exclusion left the Olympic debut feeling detached from the culture it was meant to represent.

As the Olympic spotlight dims, the conversation about breaking’s future intensifies. The Paris 2024 Olympics may have showcased breaking to a global audience, but it also underscored the importance of cultural integrity in sports. The sidelining of WBBL, the most credible competitive league in the space, represents a missed opportunity to properly integrate breaking into the Olympic fold.

Looking forward, the breaking community is left wondering whether future events will correct these missteps or if the sport will continue to be shaped by entities with little connection to its origins. For breaking to truly thrive on the global stage, it needs leadership that is both culturally aligned and committed to elevating the sport—qualities that WBBL has consistently demonstrated.