For the first time at the 2024 Paris Olympics, street dancers from 15 countries, along with a dancer from the Refugee Olympic Team, will compete for gold, silver, and bronze as breaking makes its debut.

This sport has evolved far from its Bronx origins. The body-bending, mind-blowing moves once confined to playgrounds and block parties will now captivate billions of viewers worldwide.

If you’re new to breaking, you might be amazed that such extreme moves are performed without serious injury.

As a former dancer, current performing arts physical therapist, and biomechanics researcher, I study how dancers twist and bend their bodies in extraordinary ways. I train them to perform safely, even as they push their bodies to their limits.

Breakdancers, also known as B-boys, B-girls, or breakers, need more than just creative moves. They must develop exceptional strength and body control, especially for challenging moves like the headspin.

Breaking’s Evolution and Olympic Presentation

Breaking, a street dance style that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, blends hip-hop, martial arts, and gymnastics. At the Olympics, two athletes will compete in improvised battles, taking turns to showcase their best moves and style.

Judges will score the dancers based on five criteria: originality, technique, musicality, execution, and vocabulary (the range of moves). This scoring system is somewhat similar to gymnastics or figure skating but involves more improvisation due to the interactive nature of the battles.

Athletes must be highly versatile and responsive to their competitors. Those with the most robust and varied training are likely to score highest and avoid injury.

The Mechanics of the Headspin

The headspin, a particularly challenging move, requires strong neck muscles. It might leave some spectators wondering how breakers spin on their heads without injuring themselves.

Although specific research on headspins is limited, understanding the physics of spinning can help. A spinning top maintains its rotation due to the conservation of angular momentum. Gravity does not interfere with the spin until friction or wobbling slows it down, causing it to topple.

For a headspin, breakers must spin quickly and keep their torsos as vertical as possible. They need to stiffen their neck muscles to support their body weight while minimizing neck strain.

Breakers control their spin speed by adjusting their arms and legs’ position relative to their rotational axis. They can also start, stop, or speed up their spin by pumping their arms.

The rotational forces during a headspin can actually reduce downward pressure on the head, allowing for some sliding and shifting across the floor.

Risks and Injury Prevention

Although elite B-boys and B-girls make headspinning look effortless, it places significant stress on the neck and can lead to serious injuries. Studies show that while breakers do not have more neck flexibility than non-breakers, they possess greater neck strength, crucial for executing a headspin. However, nearly half of all breakers report neck pain and strains.

There’s even a term, “break-dancing neck,” described in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1985, referring to spinal cord injuries from extreme neck strain during breaking.

So, as competitors take the stage for the first time, let’s hope they break records, not their necks.