The Evolution of Breakdancing into Competition

More than 50 years after its inception, “breaking” — not “break dancing,” a term coined by the media and disdained by practitioners — will debut as an Olympic sport.

Jonathan Abrams, who writes about the intersection of sports and culture, explains how breaking’s big moment came about.

Guest: Jonathan Abrams, a Times reporter covering national culture news.

Background reading: 

• The Olympic battles in breaking will be a watershed moment for a dance form conceived and cultivated by Black and Hispanic youth in the Bronx during the 1970s.
• Breakers are grappling with hip-hop’s Olympic moment. Will their art translate into sport?

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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