Breaking
Breaking is a dance contest held as battles between two breakers who take turns to dance. One performs a set and the other answers with a set: those two sets make a round; after each round every judge votes for one side; the breaker with most votes wins. Judges compare the two breakers round by round across six areas.
New to breaking? Start here
How long
Battles of rounds, each set at most 60 seconds
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Olympic Games (breaking)Held at Paris 2024 only; not on the Los Angeles 2028 programme.Once (2024) · Holder: Philip Kim, "Phil Wizard", and Ami Yuasa, "Ami"
- 2Red Bull BC One World FinalThe best-known breaking battle outside the federation events.Yearly · Holder: Issin and Riko
- 3Asian Games (breaking)Held at the 2022 Asian Games (in 2023); future programmes to check.Every 4 years · Holder: Shigeyuki Nakarai and Guo Pu
India
Mumbai hosted the 2019 Red Bull BC One World Final. The two-time B-Girl champion "India" (2022, 2024) is a breaker's name, not the country.
- Red Bull BC One World Final: Mumbai hosted the 2019 World Final.
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaRed Bull BC One World Final: 2 titles (latest 2024)
- JapanBreaking at the Olympic Games: 1 gold (latest 2024); Breaking at the Asian Games: 2 golds, 2 silvers, 1 bronze (latest 2026)
- CanadaBreaking at the Olympic Games: 1 gold (latest 2024)
- ChinaBreaking at the Olympic Games: 1 bronze (latest 2024); Breaking at the Asian Games: 2 golds, 3 bronzes (latest 2026)
- FranceBreaking at the Olympic Games: 1 silver (latest 2024)
- LithuaniaBreaking at the Olympic Games: 1 silver (latest 2024)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual, version 4, January 2023 |
| International federation | World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) |
| In India | The Amateur DanceSport Federation of India (ADSFI), as WDSF lists it: a full member since 20 June 2007, not recognised by the national Olympic committee. Secondary sources call it the All India DanceSport Federation. |
Where and when it is played
In head-to-head battles. The big events: the Olympic Games (once, in 2024), the WDSF World Breaking Championships and the Red Bull BC One World Final, an invitational, every year.