“Break will always be from the street,” says another b-girl who goes by the name Frozen. “Everyone has their own style, and creativity is important. We can’t lose this feeling of free dance.” Frozen appreciates the benefits of institutional projects and sponsors, how it offers financial opportunities, but insists that breaking and hip-hop should remain community-led, with or without investment from corporations, the government, or the Olympics.
The future of breaking in the Olympics, past Paris 2024, is currently uncertain: It will not return to the events program in 2028 when Los Angeles will act as host city. The International Olympic Committee has not disclosed the reason for the decision, but it has prompted Ykanji of Juste Debout to question why France is whole-heartedly embracing breaking’s inclusion in the Games when even the birth country of hip-hop is “reluctant.”
Ykanji says he is proud of hip-hop and always happy to see it evolve and adapt with the times, but in his view, there is a consistent underlying issue at play, whether it’s the Olympics or Law 1149. “It’s never a conversation with people from within. It’s always led by those who have political ambitions and know nothing about hip-hop,” he says. “They come and want to change the rules for their own gain. It’s a form of neocolonialism.”
“The street will always be the best place for hip-hop,” says Nguyen of Par Terre. She welcomes the winds of change, but is similarly wary of institutions meddling in the hip-hop community without consulting those within it. “I believe in the role of culture and education in fostering interculturality, but I insist that is very different from the sportification and academization of dance.” Hip-hop is already a strong and vibrant culture as it is, Rickysoul says, and its community should be treated with respect: “If there is a desire to engage with us, it is simply a matter of asking us how.”
Where to find breaking and more dance in Paris
Dance companies and communities in Paris regularly publish events calendars inviting the public to watch or participate in dance performances and/or classes. This month’s programming at Centquatre-Paris (5 Rue Curial, 75019, Paris) includes a ballroom event with a live band and salsa/hip-hop workshops with the choreographer Rodrigue Lino. Throughout the week, the Juste Debout School (3 Rue de l’Est, 75020, Paris) offers open classes on b-boying, vogueing, locking, jazz rock, and more. (Keep an eye out for the dates and location of Juste Debout’s next annual global dance event, its 23rd iteration.) And after performances at Bodø2024 in Norway, Par Terre will return to Paris in September with a ballet of urban African dances, featuring coupé-décalé from Côte d’Ivoire and mbolé from Cameroon, at the Espace 1789 (2 Rue Alexandre Bachelet, 93400 Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine).
Read more of Condé Nast Traveler’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics here.
