In hip-hop parlance, a woman who lives the life and promotes the culture surrounding breakdancing.
“The most difficult part of being a B-Girl I would say it's showcasing who we are, truly, in a male-dominated scene…”
-- B-Girl Vanessa
The term b-girl was derived somewhere around 1974 in Bronx basements by DJ Kool Herc, of course, from break (or beat) girl. Going mainstream in the 1980s, but remaining on the fringe, the identifier applies not only to those females who dance to the breakbeats but also to their crew, entourage, and anyone else that participates in the lifestyle, especially the cultural elements of couture and music.
Sixteen of the best global B-Girls participated in the inaugural (and possibly only) breaking competition in the 2024 Summer Olympics, held at La Concorde's urban park venue, in Paris, France, were:
- B-Girl 671 - China
- B-Girl Nicka - Lithuania
- B-Girl Ami - Japan
- B-Girl Ayumi - Japan
- B-Girl Stefani - Ukraine
- B-Girl Anti - Italy
- B-Girl Syssy - France
- B-Girl Sunny - USA
- B-Girl Vanessa - Portugal
- B-Girl Logistx - USA
- B-Girl Elmamouny - Morocco
- B-Girl Kate - Ukraine
- B-Girl Carlota - France
- B-Girl Ying Zi - China
- B-Girl Raygun - Australia
- B-Girl India - Netherlands
With the top four in the world, as of
today, represented above in
bold.
Whether or not I feel that breaking should be a part of the modern Olympic games, having started high school in 1980, I was compelled to watch. I was not disappointed, by either the music or the moves. Nostalgia, awe, patriotism, and global citizenship all-in-one.
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