History
Culture before competition.
Breaking did not start as a sport. It came from music, community, expression, battle energy, and hip-hop culture. The moves matter, but the culture gives them meaning.
Terminology
Why this site says “breaking.”
Many people outside the culture say “breakdancing,” but within the scene the preferred terms are usually “breaking,” “b-boy,” “b-girl,” and “breaker.”
The term “breakdancing” became popular through media coverage, but this site mainly uses “breaking” because it is closer to the way the culture describes itself.
Timeline
Tap through the history.
Tap a point on the timeline to see what happened.
Tap a year to read more
Why history matters.
Without the history, breaking can look like only acrobatics. But the dance is also about identity, rhythm, call-and-response, originality, and presence.
That is why this website treats the moves as part of a bigger culture, not as isolated tricks.