ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Breaking made its debut in the 2024 Olympics and it had many people talking.
It’s come a long way from the parachute pants and boom boxes. One dancer spoke about how this shapes the future of the sport.
Will Young, also known as Bboy WillDaPill, has been breaking for about 13 years. He teaches a class about breaking at the University of Rochester.
Young watched breaking’s debut in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and thought it was impressive.
“The moves are insane,” Young said. “All those dancers rival any Olympic athlete. I’ll stand by that.”
Young says initially many in the community were apprehensive about breaking having a place in the Olympics, with some viewing it more as an art form versus a sport.
“How you interpret art is up to you the person,” said Young. “But scoring it as a sport, I think the Olympics did good.”
Many of the Olympic breaking performances went viral, with people praising the moves done by the b-boys and girls. While some, like Australian dancer Raygun, became the inspiration for memes.
“I know there’s a lot of hullabaloo about some dancers and some performances,” said Young. “But overall, I thought it was a good showcase of how incredible breaking has become.”
Breaking won’t be in the 2028 Olympic Games, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. If it makes a comeback, Young hopes people appreciate the history and culture behind the dances and moves. But he’s also excited that people can see what the community is all about for themselves.