What Happened To The Olympic Millions For Breaking?

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The Switzerland-based World DanceSport Federation stands accused of misusing breaking to push its own traditional ballroom and Latin dance styles into the Olympics. But it failed. An investigation by Swiss public broadcaster SRF reveals a story of power plays, opaque cash flows and dodgy deals.

This content was published on January 22, 2025 - 09:00 15 minutes SRF Investigativ

Breakers spinning mid-air, hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg lighting up the ceremonial opening, and a Stadium buzzing with fans: breaking made its debut with a bang at the Paris olympics last summer. As some of the world's top breakers battled it out, it wasn't their moves that had everyone talking. Instead, Australian breaker Raygun's unconventional performance became the defining moment of the Games.

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Behind the scenes, another storm was brewing. Breaking is represented by a body with no prior history with the dance. The Lausanne-based World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) is traditionally focused on Standard (or ballroom) and Latin dance. But it brought breaking to the Olympic Games in Paris.

Disappointed breakers

Niels Robitzky, also known as“Storm”, is a prominent figure in the breaking community who enjoys legendary status. The WDSF once turned to him for help to bring breaking to the Olympics.

Today, he is one of the federation's fiercest critics. Storm argues that the WDSF never embraced breaking, silenced critical voices and seized control. Indeed, SRF Investigativ's findings show that breaking was used as a pawn in the WDSF's bid to push traditional dances into the Olympics – a plan that ultimately failed.

'Breakdance' or 'breaking'?

The term“breaking”, rather than“breakdance”, is used to refer to the sport. Dancers call themselves breakers or, more specifically, B-Boys and B-Girls.

The presidium's plan

It's a harsh accusation but one that WDSF President Shawn Tay from Singapore essentially substantiates. Tay took the helm in 2018 after having served as secretary-general and vice-president of the federation. Preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics were already in full swing when Tay revealed his plans to bring breaking to the Games.

In an email addressed exclusively to the presidium (executive committee), and seen by SRF Investigativ, Tay wrote:“Breaking could be our ticket to the Olympics. [...] We need to use Breaking as our chance for Std or Latin to be accepted.”

Tay also emphasised that breaking should not cost too much money and that it needed to be“protected from the hands of others”. In other words, he wanted the WDSF to have a say over breaking and keep control. When contacted for a comment, the federation responded that it had already invested a significant amount of money in breaking by that time and that there was widespread concern about Standard and Latin dance suffering as a result.

Jilou is one of the best-known female breakers in Europe. The 33-year-old German sharply criticises the association and its handling of breaking. SRF

Breakers, however, feel poorly represented by the federation.“I think everyone in the community knows that the federation is not the be-all and end-all,” explains top breaker Jilou from Germany, who says she values the community and culture. The 33-year-old says the core values of breaking – peace, love and solidarity – could be felt in the battles.

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