Team GB breakdancer Karam Singh is determined to go down in history alongside the best in the world at the Paris Olympics this year.
“I could never say that I was ever going to be an Olympian. But we’re here,” said British number one Singh, 26, who is currently ranked second in Europe.
In December 2020, it was officially announced that breakdancing would take part in the Olympics for the first time.
Four years on, 16 of the best “B-boys” and “B-girls” will face off in improvised solo battles on the Place de la Concorde square in the heart of the French capital.
“We’re kind of here to make history,” Singh told AFP, promising to viewers who may not have seen it before that “breaking brings fireworks”.
“I think everybody that’s going to watch it is going to be sort of astounded by what it is.”
Breakdancing, rooted in hip-hop culture, became popular in the Bronx borough of New York in the 1970s.
Singh, from Derby in central England, discovered it through music videos by artists such as Justin Timberlake in the early 2000s.
He remembers telling his sister that he would become a breaker one day, and made his debut on the stage of a funfair in a local park, where a crew of breakers let him try a few head spins.
“They loved my passion,” he said, and recalls rushing to sign up for classes at the age of eight, with a determination to be the best.
In preparation for the last qualifying event and the Olympics, he said he has been training five to six times a week and “enjoying every minute of it.”
– Artist and athlete –
The acrobatic sport is physically demanding, with highly complex floor moves.
“Originality is a huge part of breaking,” said Singh, likening it to playing an instrument, with variations in each breaker’s style and flow.
“When you’re training and creating, you’re an artist, and when you’re preparing for competition, you’re an athlete,” he added.
During the Olympics, breakers’ performances will be judged on technique, personality and the originality of their movements.
Countries such as Japan, the United States and Olympic host France have strong teams while places such as Canada and Kazakhstan have “incredible” individuals, said Singh.
Karam, who has a huge following on Instagram and is also a sponsored Nike athlete, is also involved in projects alongside training.
At a recent London workshop to pass on his knowledge he spent time with young breakers, going over specific moves and offering words of encouragement.
“When I was growing up I had crews, people to look up to,” he said. “I always want to be the person that can offer that.”
The Olympics, he added, has given a new structure to breakdancing, with new rules and a “sporting” element.
“We have things that we’ve heard of for other sports, but we’ve never had ourselves, like nutritionists or physiotherapists,” he said.
For now, the future of breakdancing at the Olympics remains unsure, as it is not guaranteed to remain for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
But Singh is hoping the Paris crowds will take it to their hearts, helping to secure a permanent Olympic berth.
“I think it’s going to touch a lot of people in a positive way,” he said.
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