Glossary: a few key words to know before reading!
FREEZE: Stopped movement, often with the body balanced above the ground or simply striking a pose to the music.
ROUNDS: A word we commonly use in competition to express how many times a dancer will individually dance in a battle. For example, during qualifications, a dancer will generally do 2 rounds while in the finals, it might go up to 5 rounds per dancer!
FLAVOR: It’s that little ‘’je-ne-sais-quoi’’ that makes the dancer you are watching so unique. The way they move to the rhythm of the music, their body language, attitude or just how they present their artistic personality.

BREAKING popularly known as Breakdance is an historically rich dance style that has been breaking necks for a little over 40 years. A street dance inspired by latin dances, martial arts and so much more, that requires creativity, musicality, control and character. It will take certain dancers years to appropriate their own style, master the dance’s foundation and learn some of the more complex moves.

This art has incredibly evolved since its emergence in the 80s in the Bronx, New York and is now taking over the world with hundreds of thousands of people practicing the art of Breaking across the globe. Breaking has gained so much popularity in the last 10 years and continues to do so year after year. Oh, and by the way, Breaking will be in the next summer Olympics in Paris 2024.

For those who wouldn’t be too familiar with the dance, they might just see some flip flopping around the floor or some sort of unstoppable spinning moves – so it goes without saying that due to its complexity, Breaking will sometimes leave the audience confused, while amazed! We prepared a little guide of 3 essential things you need to know before you attend the BREAKING CANADA 1v1 Championship at Jackalope this year!

1.On which criteria will the dancers be judged? During a 1vs1 battle, dancers will take turns trying to give their best rounds to win against their opponent. The competition’s judges will then look and evaluate if the dancer was dynamic in its moves, dancing and connecting moves to the music as well as using original and unique material. Judges will also look at the complexity and the execution of the dancer’s moves. The best dancer goes forward to the next step.

2.Whatever spins, has to stop! What’s a freeze? When you see a dancer balancing on one hand or swiftly stopping in a cool looking position – that’s a freeze! The use of freezes is a very important portion of the dance. The dancers will use them to hit an accent in the music, make a transition between moves or to finish a sequence/combo. See it like this, a freeze is the punctuation in a sentence – dancers can use a freeze by placing it strategically to help structure and create a narrative to their rounds.

3.Can you SEE the music? In the community of Breaking, you often hear that the DJ is the most important person at an event – See it like this: No DJ, no music, therefore, no music, no dancing! During the competition, the Disc Jockey will randomly play songs for the dancers to discover at the same time as the audience. Music brings the dance to life: it is by moving to the music that one’s style will shine. You get to see how they interpret the music and what’s their flavor! The music in a battle is like the soundtrack to a movie, it will intensify certain moments, create a mood and might make you feel certain ways. Breaking without music is like soda without bubbles, you know?

This coming august, catch the best Canadian breakers go at it for the big title of Canadian Champion during Jackalope’s BREAKING CANADA 1vs1 Championship just by the legendary Montreal Olympic Stadium. Come see or hear, who will be crowned the Canadian champ!

To learn more about the history of the Break in Quebec, you should watch this: