Breaking Through

BREAKING THROUGH (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 podcast: 10th August 2021

Breaking, also known as break-dancing, born in New York City in the 1970s, is set to make its debut at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

Four-time breaking world champion, BoxWon (Benyaamin Barnes McGee), traces how breaking went from Bronx block parties to NYC's downtown art scene, to the world.

Speaking to legends of breaking, such as Rock Steady Crew's Ken Swift and B-Boy Glyde from Dynamic Rockers, BoxWon reveals how punk impresario, Malcolm McLaren, helped breaking become a worldwide craze in the 1980s - before it vanished.

But when the mainstream got bored, breaking didn't die - it just went back underground, only to re-emerge a decade later more extreme than ever.

Breaking is once again a global phenomenon, with pro dancers coming from all corners of the world - Russia, Japan, and South Korea are now home to some of the world's very best.

But when the International Olympic Committee confirmed breaking as a new sport for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, many people were taken by surprise.

The last time they had heard of breaking was back in the 1980s - a fad which swiftly disappeared with shoulder pads and leg warmers.

Breaking Through tells the fascinating story of how this dance-form survived and evolved outside of the media spotlight, fuelled by the scene's die-hard devotees.

Now, as it attracts global corporate sponsorship and demands for more stringent rules and regulations, we hear about the breaking world's own internal battle to maintain its integrity.

Presenter: BoxWon (Benyaamin Barnes McGee)
Producer: Simona Rata
Research: Emmanuel Adelekun

Studio Mix: James Beard
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith