Breaking Down Barriers: ChazB on Breakdancing at the Olympics

Hip hop is rightly celebrated as an inclusive cultural movement, accessible and welcoming to newcomers. However, the flip side is that it’s ferociously competitive in a way that otherwise similar music and art forms aren’t. We celebrate technicality and style and want to see that represented in the battle arena, whether that’s rap, beatbox or breaking.

Breakdancing, as it’s better known to mainstream audiences, has been a combative style from the jump. For millions of b-boys and b-girls, it’s inextricably linked with hip hop music, but its visually impressive high flying moves mean it has also proved more applicable to a mainstream sporting context than, say, battle rap. Having made its Olympic debut in 2018 at the Summer Youth Games, Breaking is now set to feature at the full Games in Paris in 2024. The International Olympics Committee have said they want the games to be “more gender balanced, more youthful and more urban”, but the announcement has been with predictable backlash from athletes in other sports. However, by the same token, I was keen to hear from breakers on whether the form would retain its authenticity by joining such a huge sporting event.

Here in Scotland, multi-generational crews like the Flyin’ Jalapenos have led the way for decades, whilst practictioners like Emma Ready in Edinburgh are taking breaking to new audiences with her theatre and education work. Spearheading the movement here in Glasgow is legendary b-boy and organiser ChazB, who I had the pleasure of interviewing in a BBC short a few years ago. I caught up with him to hear his take on the news and what this could mean for breaking in Scotland and worldwide.

Can you introduce yourself for readers?

I’m Chaz Bonnar, better known as ChazB, and I’ve been breaking for 12+ years, travelling across the UK, Europe and North America battling at events. I’ve built a reputation for myself as one of Scotland’s most active breakers. I’ve also been been collaborating with local authorities, schools, and charities across Scotland for the last 4+ years on outreach projects that improves young people’s health and wellbeing through breaking. I’ve organised the Resurgence battle and Baltic Breaks & Waves international events in Scotland over the last 5 years.

Why is breaking becoming an Olympic sport so significant?

Having it become part of the Olympics is a huge deal. It allows for breaking to have a bigger mainstream presence and for breakers to become recognised as “athletes”, and it potentially means they’re making a greater living from breaking by either competing, judging, coaching, organising events etc. I just feel that for a dance style that originates from the Bronx in New York to be featured in the Olympics is amazing.

How will it work?

So, the battles will operate like they usually do. There will be 16 b-boys and b-girls battling it out in a one vs one knockout competition bracket to determine a winner. The only difference is that each battle will be four rounds with a 90s break after two rounds, and each breaker takes it in turn to start off the rounds. The qualification process is unclear, but more news will come out about that at a later date.

Breaking was featured in the youth olympics and there was some backlash – and indeed there has been to this news too – how do you feel about that?

I’m all for it. I’m juts so happy breaking is being taken seriously and will be involved in the Olympics. I’m choosing to see the positives in this and the abundance of opportunities and mainstream options that will become available to us. There will be people that are against this for artistic/cultural reasons, but this move shouldn’t impact their love & passion for the culture and the dance – provided they’re still going to jams, events, and engaging with the culture as they usually do.

Obviously it’s competitive and always been, but given breaking is a part of hip hop culture what would you say to the argument that it’s not something you can objectively judge as a ‘sport’?

Well, only the competitive “battle” element of breaking is heading to the Olympics. The rest of the culture will remain relatively unscathed. Underground jams, events, parties, workshops and Q&As will continue to happen across the world, and there will be a greater emphasis on these happening. I would argue that breaking is both artistic and athletic, and it has always been competitive. For anybody who thinks it’s a bad thing for breaking to go into the Olympics, they should take the responsibility to create the jams and workshops and events they want to see happen instead of complaining about the constant evolution of breaking. This is a new avenue for breakers, only one avenue out of many that already exist. The difference is this is an avenue that allows breakers to potentially make a great living as a competitor.

Do you think the games organisers will consult b-boys and b-girls and listen to their experience in advice?

When it was first announced that breaking was part of the Youth Olympic Games in 2018, nobody knew who was involved and how it would operate. To be honest, this happened before key people from the breaking community were working as part of the Games. The World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) must have the best interests of the global community to make this work and for it to be a great success on a prestigious platform. It’s important for the WDSF and IOC to collaborate with breakers on making sure it’s done properly. It’s also important for breakers to be proactive in their respective countries, to set a good example and create opportunities for themselves to make it easier for future collaborations.

How can we use this news as an opportunity to educate people about hip hop culture and what it’s all about?

More people will take an interest in breaking when they see it’s in the Olympics. That means more opportunities to educate the public on the origins of breaking and its significance in hip hop culture, hip hop’s roots and stemming back to New York’s socio economic problems in the 70s, hip hop as a black culture, its African roots, Universal Zulu Nation… the list goes on. With breaking having more visibility, it will allow for more workshops for young people and events to take place. These are great opportunities to educate the masses about hip hop culture.

What does this mean for Scotland? Do you think local crews will aspire to be Olympians?

This is a great opportunity for Scottish breakers to take their breaking seriously and consider it as a career. We are a small scene so chances are only a handful of breakers will be pursuing the competition aspect. However, this does give breakers in Scotland a great opportunity to collaborate with sports organisations across the country and inspire a new generation of dancers, expanding our scene and seeing newer, younger competitors get involved in Scottish events.

Breakers have the potential to become superstars and Scotland needs a new kind of role model – especially one that’s involved in a dance/culture as awesome as Breaking (which has a youth appeal).

What would be your message to people in Scotland who want to learn more about breaking?

Breaking is one of the coolest activities you can do, with such amazing qualities to it. It’s one of the most artistic and dynamic artforms out there, and a lot easier to learn than people think. Such a great community of people from all walks of life exist in Breaking, as it’s an inclusive culture that welcomes everybody. Readers: get involved now and get ready for your life to change for the better!

You can check out more about Chaz B and the breaking/teaching work he does here. He’s on Twitter and Instagram @ChazB. He’s also a filmmaker and co-founded the media channel Stance Elements.

Jonathan Rimmer

Pics: Creative Commons or by Chaz B