break dancing

American  

Or breakdancing

noun

1. a style of acrobatic dancing originating in the mid-1970s, often performed to rap music usually by teenage males in the streets, and characterized by intricate footwork, pantomime, spinning headstands, tumbling, and elaborate improvised virtuosic movements.

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Other Word Forms

• break dancer noun

Etymology

Origin of break dancing

The sense of break is unclear; breakdown ( def. )

Example Sentences

And two years later, “Style Wars,” a documentary about the roles of graffiti and break dancing in shaping the city’s burgeoning hip-hop culture, was released.

From New York Times

Now his approach often references “the circular motion that happens in break dancing in kind of establishing a stage, walking around, making full, robust movements with my body,” he said.

From New York Times

With breaking - which is a competitive form of break dancing - being accepted into the Olympics for the first time come Paris 2024, he certainly has plenty to look forward to.

From BBC

So I took break dancing classes, I did belly dancing classes, clogging, I mean, you name it.

From Washington Post

“It’s this idea of expressing absolute joy — break dancing in the sky,” he said, noting that break dancing began in New York City.

From New York Times