What is breakdance?
Breaking is the original hip-hop dance: footwork, freezes and power moves danced to the break. HUB teaches it as its own class for youth and teens.
- Born in the Bronx, 1970s
- Olympic since 2024
- No dance experience needed
Athletic, musical, creative.
Breaking takes strength, rhythm, coordination and imagination in equal parts. Dancers are called b-boys and b-girls, and they meet in circles called cyphers to trade sets.
It pairs naturally with parkour and freerunning. The same body control that makes a clean landing makes a clean freeze.
Kids who love music and a challenge tend to get hooked fast.
A short history.
Black and Latino youth in the Bronx created breaking in the early 1970s, as one of hip-hop's four pillars alongside DJing, MCing and graffiti.
Early 1970s
The Bronx
DJs loop the instrumental breaks of funk and soul records, and dancers battle in the space they open up.
1980s to 1990s
Breaking travels
Crews, films and touring carry breaking to scenes all over the world.
2000s to 2010s
A competitive culture
Major battles, judging systems and online footage connect dancers across generations.
2024
Paris Olympics
Breaking debuts at the Olympics, with cyphers, music and originality still at its core.
The four elements.
Toprock
Standing footwork that opens a set, all rhythm and attitude.
Footwork
Fast, intricate moves on the floor. The technical heart of breaking.
Power moves
Spins and acrobatics that take real strength and control.
Freezes
Held poses that end a phrase and punctuate a set.
How HUB teaches it.
Coaches start with toprock, footwork and freezes, then build toward power moves as strength and control grow. Training happens on padded floors in steady progressions, at both gyms during the week.
Start breaking.
Youth and teen breakdance runs weekly at Sudbury and Norfolk. No experience needed.