Breaking to Make Historic Olympic Debut: How Will Competitors Be Judged?

PARIS, France — Breaking, commonly known as breakdancing, is making its historic debut at the Paris Olympic Games, necessitating a fresh set of rules for judging. With roots stretching back decades, breaking has long been a key element of hip-hop.

While the sport and its culture are well established, its addition to the Olympics has raised eyebrows. International competitions like the Red Bull BC One World Final have existed for 20 years, and breaking captivated younger audiences at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. Nonetheless, skepticism surrounds its inclusion in the Olympic arena.

“I think the critics have a misconception about breaking still being something from the ’80s or something that is just in the streets, and I don’t think they realize how much it’s evolved,” said Ronnie Abaldonado, or b-boy Ronnie, who has spent 31 years in the breaking scene as a competitor, judge, and teacher. Abaldonado will serve as one of NBC’s commentators for the Olympic competition.

“It’s going to be undeniable once they see it on the big stage and they see the spectacle and the level of talent and even the high level of difficulty,” he added. “You could kind of compare it to gymnastics.”

Breaking merges mind, body, and soul, forming an art rooted in hip-hop. The Trivium judging system, designed for breaking’s debut in Buenos Aires, will be employed once more. Nine judges will score breakers on technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality—each accounting for 20% of the final score.

Judges use a sliding scale to score each round and battle, aligning the scale with the breaker leading in the criteria. Throughout the competition, an emcee will energize the crowd with commentary. The identities of the Olympic competition judges remain undisclosed.

“What looks so appealing to the naked eye are the power moves, like the ‘air’ moves, the head spins, the ground power, which are like the windmills and freezes,” said Abaldonado. “It’s the strength, the control, and the speed that’s also visually appealing.”

However, judges will look beyond visual appeal. “It’s like the footwork and dancing on the music or the beat, because that’s like the DNA of breaking,” Abaldonado said. Improvisation is crucial, contributing to the originality score. Breakers will only know the music once they hit the floor, selected by the DJ.

“We practice and rehearse everything, but we also have to adapt in the moment and improvise,” explained Victor Montalvo, or b-boy Victor from Team USA. “We try not to have a fully rehearsed round, because it tends to look robotic.”

For Tony “Mr. Wave” Wesley, a Bronx-based breaking pioneer, seeing breaking on the global stage feels vindicating. Wesley has created a virtual lesson plan complete with flashcards covering breaking’s elements and terminology, available on the digital learning platform Quizlet.

“I always felt that we didn’t do enough for the newer generations. And then I saw my peers dying, leaving us, and all we had was their stories, and they took those with them. So someone has to write that story,” Wesley reflected.

Here’s how judges will evaluate Olympic breakers:

Maintaining physiological control while focusing on athleticism, form, and spatial awareness.

The range of moves that display variation and the quantity of moves, ideally with minimal repetition.

The ability to land and perform moves smoothly, without falls or slips, while maintaining consistency and flow.

The ability to stay on beat, syncing movements to the rhythm of the music.

The capacity for improvisation, creativity, and maintaining spontaneity with style and personality.