Australia is Breaking into the World DanceSport Championships
Photo credit: Alex Vincent (@__ayvee__) and Johnny Chaing (@photography.JNY)
❖ A delegation of the country’s top Breaking athletes, 2 men and 2 women, will represent Australia at the World Breaking Championships in Paris on 4th December, 2021.
❖ The delegation is the result of a collaboration between the Australian Breaking Association and DanceSport Australia.
❖ The international event is part of the lead up to Breaking’s debut in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
❖ Breaking competitions are held in “battle” format where competitors are judged holistically on their ability to outperform their opponent in athleticism, artistry, and technical ability.
❖ These Aussie Breakers aim to prove that Australia is a force to contend with in the global Breaking competitive world.
Sydney, NSW – an Australian delegation of Breakers have been selected to represent the country at the World Breaking Championships in Paris on December 4th. The representatives, comprising of two men and two women, are Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, Fauntine “Fontz” Lariba, Duc “Mighty Duck” Hoang, and Jackson Garcia. They will be accompanied by coach Samuel Free (“Sammy the Free”).
A collaboration between DanceSport Australia and the Australian Breaking Association was the key to the Australians receiving a place for national representation at this global event. It will be the first time Australia is sending Breaking athletes to compete on the path to Breaking’s 2024 Olympic debut.
The World Breaking Championships will be held in the 1 vs 1 “battle” format. In a battle, Breakers aim to beat their opponent by showing a higher level of athleticism, artistry, and technical ability. They are assessed by an expert panel of judges using a holistic judging model created specifically for Olympic competition.
Despite the barrage of criticism in Australia in response to Breaking’s Olympic inclusion, the Aussie Breaking delegates remain steadfast in their commitment to proudly represent Australia. They hope the Australian public can get behind them as they represent the distinctly Australian style of Breaking on the world stage.
“This is an exciting opportunity not only for Australian Breaking, but also for Australia”, says Dr Rachael Gunn, a Macquarie University lecturer in media and creative industries and one of the Australian representatives. “For the past two years, Australia has been left out of many international competitions due to our border restrictions. We have missed opportunities to build our reputation and gain battle experience in these large-scale global events.”
The World Breaking Championships will be held on Saturday, 4th December 2021 at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The Australian athletes will be bringing their best moves against the top competitors from around the world.
Sponsorship/partnership opportunities are available to support our Breaking athletes.
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview/photo, please contact:
EKL Phone: 0400 991 780
Email: australianbreakinassociation@gmail.com
Image file above are available upon request.
About the Australian Breaking Association (ABA) The Australian Breaking Association's purpose is to help nourish and support the growth of the Australian Breaking and Hip Hop communities. We do this through promoting the culture of Breaking, fostering skills development, supporting sustainable practice, and establishing business and sponsorship opportunities that support both the creative and athletic aspects of the dance. The ABA is a not-for-profit group composed of volunteers from the breaking community, including practitioners, business owners, artistic directors, and community workers.
