PARIS (AP) — From an Australian b-girl with a memorable “kangaroo” dance to a Lithuanian who won a silver medal in Durragh, Olympic debut of braking Some of the moments raised questions from the audience as to whether the essence of the hip-hop art form was captured Paris Games.
Rachel Gunn, aka “B-Girl Raegan” The 36-year-old professor from Sydney, Australia, has achieved Internet fame, but not necessarily Olympic-level talent. Competing against some B-girls half her age, she was eliminated from the round-robin arena without scoring a single point, and her unorthodox moves failed to match the skill level of her opponents.
At one point, Gunn stood and leaned back, raising one leg and bending his hands to his ears. In another, while lying on her side, she stretches her toes, flips them over, and repeats them in a move known as the “kangaroo.”
Gunn holds a Ph.D. in cultural studies, and as his LinkedIn page notes, he is “interested in the politics of disruptive culture.”
“I’m never going to knock these girls at what they do best — their power moves,” Gunn said. “What I bring is creativity.”
Clips of his routine have gone viral on TikTok and elsewhere, and many are awestruck by his moves on the Olympic stage as a representation of hip-hop and breaking culture.
“It’s like they’re making fun of the genre,” wrote one user on X.
Some of it was ‘weird to look at’
Many black viewers, in particular, called out Lithuania’s silver medalist B-girl Nika (legally named Dominika Panevich) for wearing a thong during each of her fights. Durax, once worn by enslaved Africans to tie their hair, is still worn by black people to protect and style their hair. They became a fashionable symbol of black pride in the 1960s and 1970s, and a popular element of hip-hop style in the 1990s and early 2000s. But when worn by non-black people, durak can be seen as cultural appropriation. Banevič is white.
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Actor Kevin Fredericks Panevich responded to wearing the headpiece on Instagram, saying, “It’s weird to see someone who doesn’t need a protective style or waves rocking a durak.”
The 17-year-old breaker lost to Japan’s B-girl Ami (Ami Yuasa) in the final to win the silver medal.
For his part, Banevich credits the 1970s Bronx breakers — the OGs — or “original gangsters” in hip-hop who created the dance — for his own success and breaking style.
“It’s a huge responsibility to represent and step up for Breakout every time, because they did an amazing job. Big respect to the OGs and the pioneers who invented all those moves. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible,” he said. “Without them, Breakout wouldn’t be where it is today. So I am grateful to them.
Concerns about losing the roots of braking
The challenge for Olympic organizers was to bring breaking and hip-hop culture to a mass audience, with many viewers skeptical of the dance form’s inclusion on the Olympic roster. Others were afraid The subculture is assimilated By the authorities, commercialized and through a rigid judgment structure, the sense of breaking is rooted in local communities, centered on street fights, cybers and constituency parties. Hip-hop was born as a youth culture as a way of escape within the black and brown communities of the Bronx. Feuds and socio-economic struggles Issue an empowering statement at a time when New York politicians are labeling lost, illegitimate children.
Refugee Breaker Manisha Talash, Or “B-Girl Talash,” who evoked that rebellious vibe by donning a “Free Afghan Women” cape during her qualifier — a defiant and personal statement from a 21-year-old who fled her native Afghanistan to escape Taliban rule. Talash was soon disqualified for violating the Olympic ban on political statements on the field of play.
Both American B-girls were eliminated in the round-robin stage on Friday, a blow to the country. The birthplace of hip-hop What could be the only sporting appearance of morality. B-Girl Logistics (legal name Logan Edra) and B-Girl Sunny (Sunny Choi) both placed in the top 12 internationally, but did not make it to the quarterfinals.
“Breaking for the Olympics has changed the way some people dance,” Choi said, noting some of the flashier moves and jam-packed routines. “Changes over time. Maybe I’m old school and I don’t want to change. … I think a lot of people in our community were a little afraid of that happening.
Before Friday’s battles began, American rapper Snoop Dogg made a grand entrance into the arena to the tune of “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” prompting cheers and dancing in the arena.
“I know what hip-hop, hip-hop and break dancing looks like,” she told Vogue before the Paris Games began.
Rapper ICE T expressed his excitement about the breaking competition before yesterday’s battles.
“This will blow the minds of people who haven’t seen it break in a while,” he posted on X. “All Respect to HIPHOP.”
The B-Boys take the stage Saturday for another chance to represent the culture with the Olympics.
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