France: "breakdance" joins Insep before the 2024 Paris Olympics
Audio 04:20
“Breakdance” dancer in June 22, 2021 (illustration image).
ASSOCIATED PRESS - Ted Shaffrey
Text by: Arthur Verdelet
4 mins
The Olympic disciplines evolve from one Olympiad to another.
Paris 2024 is no exception to the rule, which allows
breaking
or
breakdance
to enter the program.
A little less than two years from the Games, Insep, the flagship of French high-level sport, has just opened its doors to French dancers already focused on the Olympic objective.
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“
I stopped my contract, because I worked in Ehpad.
I stopped everything to live this experience with the 2024 cell
”
The loudspeaker spits out the decibels, and the acrobatics follow one another.
As Danisse Civil, said b-boy Dany Dann in the world of
breaking
, there are six dancers who have been training daily at Insep since the beginning of September.
►Also read: JO-2024: breakdance at the Games, "a sick thing!"
Most are in their thirties, and well-known figures on the national or even international scene.
The objective of this France
breaking center
is clear: it is to win medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Dany Dann, 34, is ready to make any sacrifices to get there: "
The Olympic Games is something I think I can only experience once.
I took the opportunity because I told myself that I would not have two chances like that.
I want to experience as many things as possible with dance.
Caregiver, I could do it again, I could get a job, no problem.
It's a question I asked myself for a long time, but I think I made the right decision.
»
Accompaniment of the best French
The federal authorities have decided to speed up support for the best French people.
The change is radical.
The Blues go from rare internships during the year to supervised and collective training.
The history of
breakdancing
begins in the United States, in the New York district of Brooklyn in the heart of the 1970s, before being exported and gaining popularity in recent years.
Discipline resulting from the street,
breaking
adapts little by little to an unprecedented professionalism according to Xavier Fleuriot, director of performance at the French Dance Federation.
“It took a little time to get used to each other, to understand each other, and finally to arrive at this project of creating a France pole at Insep, he says. It is as effective as symbolic, in the sense that it is the place of excellence in terms of sports preparation. We have an important place, it's good to be able to be there to prepare for the Paris Games. »
The group is still discovering the place, but its members already know each other well and appreciate each other.
However, at the Games, the test will be individual.
The Place de la Concorde, in the heart of Paris, will host the
battles
, duels facing the judges where the dancers must alternate movements modeled on the rhythm of the music.
Pioneer of the discipline in France, Kevin Staincq, known as b-boy Lil Kev, hopes to be there.
"
I'm not going to say that I'm happy, because I deserve it,
" he says.
I have been dancing for more than 20 years, I have represented France in all the countries of the world as a flag bearer since the 2000s, both in one-on-one and as a team.
I was one of the first young people in France.
I'm determined and I'm even hungrier than the others, so I don't worry.
»
A complete program
To optimize their chances of medals, the Blues benefit from a copious program: physical preparation in the morning, and dancing in the afternoon.
This is where strategist Omar Remichi comes in.
This renowned dancer who has become the group's trainer multiplies the asides with his protégés.
“
We are working on a training program, between physical and mental preparation, and working hours.
There are, for example, times of
breaking performance
in the schedule, other artistic and charismatic times, still others where we only work on the directions and the foundations
, he explains
.
Sometimes you only work on your back.
You should know that here, we have people who know how to "break".
This is not a dance class.
We are not going to teach them to "break", but we are going to work with them on their faults, their weak points.
»
After more than two hours of dancing, the training is supposed to come to an end.
Nobody wants to leave, but rather to afford extra work.
On the hands, on the feet, upside down, the Games are definitely on everyone's mind.
►Also read: World Final: the "breakdance" makes its cinema in Bollywood
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