US breaking pros want to preserve Black roots, original style of hip-hop dance form at Olympics

By AARON MORRISON
AP Race and Ethnicity News Editor

U.S. breaking pros who hope to compete in the Paris Olympics next year have a challenge. As ambassadors to the country where the hip-hop dance form originated, they want to preserve breaking’s focus on originality and its ties to Black and Latino culture. But as Olympians, they will also have to hone the technical moves their international competitors have perfected. In the past, judges in breaking competitions have been very subjective. But that won’t be the case with the Olympics, where officials will use a newly developed judging system to decide who is the best in one-on-one battles. The Paris Games mark breaking’s Olympic debut.