Ep. 165: Breaking Boundaries: Breakdancing’s journey from the streets to the Olympic stage; with B-Boy London Reyes

Photo by Ilja Tulit on Unsplash

As a child of the 80s, I was intrigued to hear that breaking will be an event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris! Breaking exploded in popularity in the 80s, but it’s had a resurgence and is now more popular than ever. Breaking expert and insider B-Boy London Reyes tells the behind-the-scenes story of breakdancing’s history as it evolved from a street art form to an official Olympic sport. We discuss the moment the Olympic-inclusion seed was first planted; the surprising economic impact of hip hop; how breaking saves lives; how an American “product” became a global phenomenon; the challenges ahead for the art-slash-sport; and how the music involved in breaking has changed (and why).

Guest

London Reyes, also known as B-Boy London, is featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Hip-Hop Exhibit. London began his entertainment career as a member of the New York City Breakers in the early 1980’s, and his career has fused urban entertainment with the sports world. His experiences have included television and film work, hosting professional basketball events, running a non-profit for underprivileged youth, running for political office, and managing the internationally famous New York City Breakers.

Notes

We discuss:

A brief history of breaking
Breaking’s complex journey to being recognized as an Olympic sport
When and how the process first began of inclusion in the Olympics
Do breakers view their talent as more sport, or art?
The role of music in breaking; how and why the music used in breaking has changed
An upcoming first-of-its-kind event: Breaking Week
The surprising economic impact of hip hop
How breaking saves lives
How an American “product” became a global phenomenon
The challenges ahead for the art-slash-sport

Connect/Other Resources

B-Boy London Reyes on LinkedIn and Facebook
His website
www.nycbreakers.net
Breaking Week
How Break Dancing Got Into The Olympics
https://www.paris2024.org/en/sport/breaking/
https://olympics.com/en/sports/breaking/
To fill his passion of mentoring and helping the youth, London has turned his focus toward community service. He formed the AAA All-Star Program twenty years ago, a 501(c)(3) not-for- profit organization, where children acquire skills to express themselves in a positive manner through Academics, the Arts and Athletics. The children have received scholarships to attend colleges, performed on television, provided entertainment for their community, and made appearances at hip-hop and basketball events including a special performance at Basketball City for LeBron James.

Other episodes we mentioned or that you may enjoy:

In-Episode Promo

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Coda

London shares the significance of the the song “The Breaks” by rapper Kurtis Blow.

Closing Words

And that is a little clip of Kurtis Blow’s “The Breaks”; you can watch the full YouTube video in the show notes, and also find more info on Breaking Week. Thank you so much to London for joining us today, and enlightening us with this behind-the-scenes story of breaking’s complex journey to the Olympics. As always, there are lots of links in the show notes, including dedicated web pages for breaking on the Olympics’ site and the Paris 2024 games’ site, and articles you’ll find really interesting on breaking’s journey to the Olympics.

All Enhance Life with Music episodes are evergreen; so check out the back catalogue for more ways that music can make your life better.

You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Until next time, may your life be enhanced with music.

View Episode Transcript

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MINDY PETERSON, NCTM