Paris celebrates breakdancing as the sport makes its Olympic debut
The atmosphere heats up in Châtelet, a hotbed of hip-hop culture in Paris, which has prepared itself to celebrate the arrival of the dance at the Olympics.
Transcript
00:00One half century after it first appeared on the streets of New York, breakdancing makes
00:06its Olympic debut this Friday in Paris.
00:10Before the start of the competition, the atmosphere heats up at Châtelet, a stronghold of Parisian
00:15hip-hop culture.
00:17It will allow us to highlight this discipline which is both surprising and very physical.
00:24Of course, there are movements that are super beautiful, but the most important thing for me is creativity.
00:29I think it's cool because we are spotted by breakdancing.
00:33Breakdancing is a sport, yes, but for me it's not just a sport, it's above all an art.
00:40For me, when you say sport, our culture is the same, but it's very good that we are in sport
00:46because it's a good, good promotion for the breaking.
00:5132 dancers will face each other in a duel this Friday and Saturday with one goal,
00:56the first Olympic gold medal in breakdancing.
00:59But is dance really a sport? Or is it an art?
01:02And besides, why do we dance all over the world?
01:05An exhibition called Dancez here in Paris asks these questions.
01:13Paris has also opened up an exhibition dedicated to breakdancing in celebration of the sport.
01:19This immersive exhibition invites children and adults through interactive zones.
01:24In all the exhibitions, what we can also see is that there are groups, families who come to participate, to dance,
01:30and in fact there is a link that is also created between groups, people who do not know each other,
01:36and all of a sudden it becomes unity, union, through dance.
01:44Three choreographers have imagined spaces that encourage creativity.
01:48Dance is really one of the first forms of expression that appeared at the same time as man.
01:52Dance appears in religious celebrations, it appears in entertainment, in this desire to celebrate.
01:59In the child, from birth, the motricity that comes into play,
02:04it is after when we grow up that there are inhibitions that come to set up a little.
02:09Invite a child from the age of four and you come to dance,
02:13The Dancez exhibition is on show in Paris until June 2026.