Sports
15:37, 04-Apr-2019
Chinese breakdancers prepare to compete at Paris 2024
["china","europe"]
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In an effort of an old institution trying to appeal to a younger crowd, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is considering including breakdancing as a sport in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Not everyone is thrilled about the news, but for some breakdancers in China, it might give them the chance to turn their passion into a career.
Wang "Danny" Shenjiong was the head coach of the Chinese breakdancing team that competed in last year's Buenos Aires Youth Olympics, where breakdancing made its debut.
He is thrilled that the IOC is considering including it in the 2024 Summer Olympics, saying that “without the support of a big platform, any grassroots culture will become more and more niche or even vanish." At the Youth Olympics, a Chinese "b-boy" who goes by the name "X-Rain" finished eighth out of 12 in the boys' competition.
Wang says Chinese dancers are still lagging behind their peers in terms of skills and creativity, but their enthusiasm is high, as their numbers are growing.
"Ten million Chinese are now engaged in some form of street dance," Wang says.
Despite it being associated with underground hip hop culture, many breakdancers yearn for the recognition and prestige enjoyed by other professionals.
The Olympics might just be the platform to help them reach this goal.