Breakdancers

Breakdancers master and practice the dance style called "breaking," which made its breakthrough in mass media in the 1980s. Breakdancing evolved from the hip-hop movement of the 1970s and, along with locking and popping, belongs to the broader concept of street dance. Most professional dancers who practice this style of dance generally refer to themselves as street dancers, as they are also proficient in other dance styles within hip-hop. Breakdancers can also be gendered by the terms B-Girl and B-Boy.

What do breakdancers do?

Breakdancing is done to hip-hop music, often with other breakdancers in a jam session. Often two dancers or two crews challenge each other to a battle. One person dances and a circle of other dancers and supporters is formed around them. When one dancer is finished, the next one jumps in and tries to top the previous performance with various acrobatic and advanced moves. Typical breakdancing moves include the windmill, headspin and turtle, but there are many other moves. The inspiration for the dance style came from rock'n'roll and the Brazilian martial art or combat dance capoeira.

What do breakdancers need to know?

Originally, the dance style comes from the street, and by its very nature, dancers watch each other and learn techniques and moves from each other. Struggling and trying to outdo each other while finding their own unique style is one of the factors that evolve the most. Today, when the dance style is not as popular as it was in the 80s, the easiest way to learn the moves is to watch videos on YouTube. Many dance schools offer different types of street dance classes, where breaking is often one of the elements. Acrobatic skills, agility, balance, timing and a very good spatial awareness are some of the qualities that may be required.

Source: Wikipedia, StagePool, Battle of the year