Born in the Bronx back in the ’70s, breakdancing later found a similar home in the banlieues of Paris, where marginalised communities adopted the style as a vessel for protest. In 2024, it will feature as an Olympic sport for the first time – but what does this mean for its radical history?
Text: Peter Yeung
THE SCENE IS AN ALMOST PERFECT PICTURE OF PARISIAN spring: the Eiffel Tower slouches in the afternoon sun, the Seine’s crisp waters hurtle along below, and atop a hill overlooking it all, bold rays of light beam between the Palais de Tokyo’s grand columns and along its sweeping marble floors.
But within these clichéd, postcard surroundings of western Paris – usually prime for pouting influencers, tourist hordes and the French capital’s haute bourgeoisie – are not-so-subtle signs of resistance. Look closely, and you can witness a subversive reclaiming of public space.
Stacks of boomboxes are pumping out beats that shake the Art Deco façades and rattle the eardrums of bystanders nearby. Swarms of skaters add to the racket with the clattering symphony of a thousand kickflips. And in one far corner, a dozen young men are gathered conspiratorially in a circle.
“This is our world,” says Gosso Nabisso, stretching his arms out wide like a predatory bird. “We won’t scream it in the street. But we own this place. To be a b-boy is a culture and a state of mind. We take it everywhere we go.”
The 28-year-old Parisian – wearing a backward cap, black tee and white Nike trainers – strides into the centre of the group and effortlessly leaps forward into a handstand. He then rotates and twists his body to the rhythm of the music, before abruptly stopping the rotations while balanced on his forearms, legs still flailing mid-air. To finish, he spins several times on the crown of his head before flipping back over to land coolly on his feet. The crowd claps hard in appreciation and he shoots them a confident grin.
Actions speak louder than words for Gosso, one of the “b-boys” – or breakdancers – of Paris, a movement quite literally embodying the fight for urban life. In recent years, the pressures of gentrification and commercialisation have cranked up in their hometown. But through their unique form of contemporary dance – ferocious, carnal, yet elegant – they have found a way to express themselves in a changing city.
“Breaking is the thing I like the most in the world,” says Gosso, who has now taken a seat on the edge of the circle to watch the other b-boys show off their own impressive moves. “I can’t put into words exac
