Incredible rhythms, fancy footwork, talented dancers, heart-pumping battles-all this makes up breaking, a form of dancing that combines complex moves with stylized dance.
Born in the Bronx's Black and Latino communities, breaking first originated in the '70s at the start of the hip-hop movement. The name refers to the breakbeats that defined hip-hop's early sound and gave dancers a chance to show off their moves. Throughout the '70s and '80s, dance crews formed and competed against each other, introducing new techniques like the headspin, freeze, and top rock.
Music is a critical part of breaking, and the DJs that helm the turntables often mix in elements of hip-hop, jazz, disco, electro, and more to create a compelling track for the dancers, known as b-boys and b-girls, to move to.
In the early '80s, breaking gained momentum in Brazil, providing a new way for the country's youth to connect and interact. To this day on the streets of S o Paulo, dance battles ensue as b-boys and b-girls compete to see who has the best moves.
In 2024, breaking will make its Olympic debut in Paris, and Brazil is preparing for the Games. The Brazil national team is composed of six talented breaking stars: Leony, Luan San, Rato, Toquinha, Mini Japa, and Nathana. While they train, Spotify is with them every step of the way as a team sponsor. In addition to supporting events in the breaking community, we are providing financial aid for the team as they compete at national and international events, as well as financial support for the athletes in their training.
For the Record caught up with team members Leony and Toquinha to learn more about breaking and where they see the future of the sport.
What's your favorite part about breaking? Leony: The part that I love the most is the freedom within breaking-the freedom of being able to do everything in my own time, to do whatever I create in my own way, to be and do what I imagine with my breaking.
Toquinha: The best part of breaking for me is the passion in people's eyes and the adrenaline of the battles!
Is there a particular song or artist you like to break to? Leony: I'm a fan of A Tribe Called Quest. I think they are the best rap group ever.
Toquinha: I really like Veigh s songs! As a DJ, especially for training, I also like Dj Batata'Killa s beats.
Leony
A lot of improvisation is required to be good at breaking. What else do you think is essential to excel at the sport? Leony: You have to have personality and be original. Being unique in breaking is for sure one of the hardest and most valuable things.
Toquinha: To stand out in breaking, you need to have style and a lot of flow. I believe that persistence in training is the key to unlocking what your body can achieve.
What was your reaction when you learned that breaking would become an Olympic sport? Leony: I was happy. I knew this would boost the popularity of breaking in the world, and that's what happened.
Toquinha: When I heard that breaking will be in the Olympics, I was excited, anxious, and motivated to train more!
Toquinha
The Olympics will surely help grow understanding and knowledge of breaking. What else do you hope for the future of the sport? Leony: I hope that with all this exposure, we can reach more people and more places.
Toquinha: Since breaking has become a part of the Olympics, it has opened a lot of doors for me and also for the rest of the world. I train and dedicate myself so that things will be easier for future generations!
What's it been like having the support of Spotify as the team embarks on this journey? Leony: It's been amazing, not only for us as members of the team but for national breaking. Breaking and music are inseparable, and having a company like Spotify helping to spread breaking in Brazil has undoubtedly helped a lot. This gives us recognition and the hope to achieve more.
Toquinha: For me, it was amazing to receive Spotify's sponsorship proposal. It's uncanny how much breaking and Spotify really go well together!
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
12/07/2025
As the death toll continues to mount, with at least 120 killed and more than 170 people still missing on July 10 from devastating Texas floods, a number of broa...
12/07/2025
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., and MIAMI -DirecTV and TelevisaUnivision have signed a deal that will make the ad-supported premium subscription tier of ViX, ViX Premium wi...
11/07/2025
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross Fou...
11/07/2025
If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...
11/07/2025
L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert and General Manager of L3Harris Waco facility Sean Ling held a ce...
11/07/2025
ARLINGTON, Va. WETA, the flagship public media station in the national capital area, has launched WETA+, a new streaming service tailored for the local Washingt...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission has emerged as one of the central players in the broadcast TV landscape in 2025, with its deregulatory policies sparking h...
11/07/2025
Calrec will introduce usability, customization and system enhancements across its entire range of Argo consoles during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterda...
11/07/2025
LONDON Encompass Digital Media said it will support live and on-demand viewing of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup across multiple global regions for sports enterta...
11/07/2025
Two-thirds of broadcast engineers reaped the benefits of a pay raise within the last year....
11/07/2025
CARY, N.C. SmallHD has launched the Quantum 27, a new 26.5-inch Quantum-Dot OLED monitor designed to deliver postproduction image quality in a compact, set-frie...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau and Tegna have entered into a consent decree that will settle an investigation into the accidenta...
11/07/2025
WASHINGTON Following news in early July that Paramount had settled President Donald Trump's lawsuit, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Luj n (D-N...
11/07/2025
Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...
11/07/2025
Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks ...
11/07/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Client...
11/07/2025
2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transit...
11/07/2025
A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP Leaders from the HuskerVision and Lawo share their IP learnings By SVG Staff
Friday, July 1...
11/07/2025
CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimble...
11/07/2025
Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Too Hot to Handle: Italy Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalItaly
Link copied to clipboard
July 11, 20...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Will Release Death Inc. Seasons 1, 2 and 3
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Season 1
Season 2
Se...
11/07/2025
AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit
The...
11/07/2025
Ceramics - the humble mix of earth, fire and artistry - have been part of a global conversation for millennia.
From Tang Dynasty trade routes to Renaissance pa...
10/07/2025
The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...
10/07/2025
Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...
10/07/2025
This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...
10/07/2025
The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...
10/07/2025
NEW YORK - July 10, 2025 - Nielsen, the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, today announced that it appointed Richard Pacheco as head of ...
10/07/2025
Local newscasts don't exist in a vacuum. News directors and station management constantly evaluate what's working, what isn't and perhaps most impor...
10/07/2025
Lawo has announced that Stuttgart Media University (Hochschule der Medien, HdM) has comprehensively modernized its central recording studio after selecting an I...
10/07/2025
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has opened early-bird registration for the Media Technology Summit, which will take place in a ne...
10/07/2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. TNDV Television has launched Aspiration 35, a new version of its 40-foot Aspiration truck reimagined for cinematic multicamera productions....
10/07/2025
BURBANK, Calif. Key Code Education, a provider of instructor-led postproduction training, is growing its curriculum with new programs for beginner and intermedi...
10/07/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. Actus Digital will demonstrate how broadcasters can transform compliance monitoring from a necessary expense into a strategic revenue driver at...
10/07/2025
The Federal Register has published a summary of the Federal Communications Commission's Public Notice seeking comments on its ownership rules that lists a d...
10/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Presents the Official Trailer for SuperestarPlay Video
Play Video
Entertainment
10 July 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard...
10/07/2025
In the race to understand our planet's changing climate, speed and accuracy are everything. But today's most widely used climate simulators often strugg...
10/07/2025
As one of the world's largest emerging markets, Indonesia is making strides toward its Golden 2045 Vision - an initiative tapping digital technologies and...
10/07/2025
10 Jul 2025
VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...
10/07/2025
5G for all? What the DFL's use of Easy5G and RefCam could mean for events in...
10/07/2025
Save the Date: PGA TOUR Studios Welcomes SVG Remote Production Summit on Oct 14-...
10/07/2025
Cloud on the Road: How Remote-Production-Service Providers Are Adapting to a New...
10/07/2025
Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber on the NHL Team Taking Live Game Productions I...
10/07/2025
FOX Sports Reboots Small Control Room in Los Angeles as Hub for Vertical-First P...
10/07/2025
SVG Sit-Down: MSE's Zach Leonsis, ViewLift's Rick Allen Go Deep on Joint...
Incredible rhythms, fancy footwork, talented dancers, heart-pumping battles-all this makes up breaking, a form of dancing that combines complex moves with stylized dance.
