break dancing: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	breaking • breakdancing • B-boying

Photos and Videos

A young man performs a breakdancing move balanced on one hand on a mat in Washington Square Park, New York, as a group of spectators watches in the early 1980s.

Male break dancer balances upside down on his head with legs spread and arms extended, performing a freeze move against a dark background.

DJ Kool Herc, wearing a red crocheted cap, large sunglasses, and a gray and pink patterned shirt with a star necklace, smiles in front of a window with buildings outside.

The origins and evolution of break dancing

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Olympic Games hip-hop Summer Olympic Games dance eurythmics Western dance Latin American dance folk dance ballet Native American dance African dance 20 Under 40: Young Shapers of the Future (Music and Dance)tap dance dance criticism