Although breaking has its roots in New York, it has been adopted into street culture in cities around the world, including Paris, allowing breakdancing artists to add their own cultural flavor to their performances.

“Breakdancing is everywhere, but we have our own touch. We have a French touch,” said Lahcen Mustapha, the project manager for the breakdancing category at the Paris Olympics.

But breaking is different from breakdancing or the B-boy performances you may have seen in public places.

“(People) have just seen b-boys flipping upside down and doing freezes, so I think they’ll be surprised at how much breaking has evolved,” said French breaker b-boy Kidnael.

While people in other parts of the world worry about whether B-boys and B-girls can make a living from breakdancing, in France they have a guaranteed income through a special national program for working artists.

B-Boy Bibo fell in love with breakdancing when he first saw it in a Paris metro station at the age of 11. He thought the Olympics would encourage more people to enjoy and practice the sport.

“It’s good for professionalization,” said the French breaker. “We used to work on the street and it was very difficult to earn money that way. Now it sheds light on the culture.”

According to the organizers of the breakdance category, the Olympic competitions will also show that breakdance is more than just dancing.

“The DNA of breaking is to be better than yesterday,” said Mustapha. “I teach you and you teach me to be better together.”