PARIS (AP) – Breaking’s Olympic debut had a few moments that made fans wonder

if the spirit of the hip-hop art form was represented at the Paris Games, from the Australian b-girl with the meme-worthy “kangaroo” dance move to the Lithuanian who won a silver medal in a durag.

The 36-year-old professor from Sydney, Australia known as “b-girl Raygun,” Rachael Gunn, rose to internet popularity rather quickly—though perhaps not for her Olympic-caliber abilities. Her unusual maneuvers landed flat and her skill level could not match that of her opponents, therefore she was swept out of the round-robin stage without collecting a single point against some b-girls half her age.

Gunn once stood, lifted one leg, and leaned back, her arms tucked in behind her ears. Once more, she performed a move known as “the kangaroo” while lying on her side. She reached for her toes, turned over, and repeated the motion.

Gunn is “interested in the cultural politics of breaking,” according to her LinkedIn profile, and she holds a Ph.D. in cultural studies.

“I could never outdo these girls at what they do best, which is their power moves,” Gunn declared. “My contribution is my creativity.”

Many people expressed disgust with her antics, which were showcased on the Olympic stage as a symbol of hip-hop and subverting culture, after seeing clips of her dance go viral on TikTok and other websites.

A commenter on X stated, “It almost feels like they are mocking the genre.”

“Strange to see” portions of it
Nicka, whose real name is Dominika Banevič, the silver medalist from Lithuania, drew criticism from many Black spectators in especially for wearing a durag each time she competed. Black people still wear durags to style and protect their hair, same as Africans who were once slaves did to tie up their hair for work.

In the 1960s and 70s, they were a stylish representation of Black pride; in the 1990s and early 2000s, they also gained popularity as a component of hip-hop fashion. However, durags can be viewed as cultural appropriation when worn by non-Black people. Banevič belongs to the white ethnicity.

When actor Kevin Fredericks saw Banevič wearing the headgear, he commented on Instagram, calling it “weird to see somebody who don’t need it for protective style or waves to be rocking the durag.”

After falling to Japan’s Ami (Ami Yuasa), a b-girl, in the final, the 17-year-old breaker went on to win the silver medal.

For her part, Banevič has attributed her success and breaking style to the Bronx breakers of the 1970s, often known as the “original gangsters” in hip-hop who invented the dance.

They performed an incredible job, thus it is our duty to represent them and set the bar higher each time for breaking. Much reverence for the originals and trailblazers who created all those routines. It couldn’t happen without them,” she remarked. The current state of breaking would not exist without them. I’m appreciative of them for that worries that breaking’s roots may disappear
the task facing Olympic organizers was to introduce breaking and hip-hop culture to a broad audience, which included many spectators who had doubts about the inclusion of the dance style in the Olympic program.

Some were afraid that the subculture would be taken over by authorities, turned into a product of the market, and subjected to a strict system of evaluation, even if the breaking spirit has its roots in neighborhood gatherings that revolve on block parties, cyphers, and street struggles. When Black and Brown neighborhoods in the Bronx were branded as unruly, lost youth by New York politicians, hip-hop emerged as a youth culture that offered them an escape from socioeconomic hardships and a means of self-expression.

Refugee breaker Manizha Talash, also known as “b-girl Talash,” harnessed that rebellious spirit during her pre-qualifier match by wearing a cape that read “Free Afghan Women”; it was a personal and bold message for the 21-year-old who had left her home country of Afghanistan to avoid Taliban control. Talash’s disqualification from the Olympics was swift because she had made a political statement while competing.

In what may have been hip-hop’s only Games appearance, the elimination of both American b-girls during Friday’s round-robin round was a blow to the nation that serves as the home of the genre. Despite having rankings in the top 12 globally, B-girls Sunny (Sunny Choi) and Logistx (legal name Logan Edra) were unable to get past the quarterfinals.

Choi remarked, “Breaking for the Olympics has changed the way that some people are dancing,” alluding to some of the more dramatic and intricate routines. Over time, breaking evolves. It’s also possible that I’m just stuck in the past and don’t want to change. I believe that a great deal of individuals in our town harbored mild fears about it occurring.

The song “Drop it Like it’s Hot” was playing when American rapper Snoop Dogg made a spectacular entry into the stadium, igniting applause and dancing in the seats before Friday’s combat started.

Before the Paris Games started, he said to Vogue Magazine, “I am hip-hop and I do know what hip-hop and break dancing is supposed to look like.”

Before yesterday’s bouts, rapper ICE T also shared his delight about the unprecedented rivalry.

He wrote on X, “This is going to blow the minds of people that haven’t seen breaking in a while.” “Respect to Hip Hop for All.”

On Saturday, the b-boys will take the stage to offer Olympic breakers one more opportunity to showcase the culture.

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