Cape Town B-boys and B-girls are ready to bust a move in order to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games, following the announcement that popular dance form breakdancing will have a showing.
The decision to include breakdancing was confirmed by the International Olympic Committee earlier this week.
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) acting chief executive Ravi Govender said they are “extremely pleased and excited” about the announcement.
“It is a vibrant sport and debuted at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. It appeals and occupies our youth in our areas even at a non-competition level. We look forward to qualifying our breakdancing athletes to these games,” he said.
B-girl Lakeisha Dick from Ocean View, who is preparing for a chance to compete at the Olympics, has been breakdancing for seven years.
She said breaking motivates her to stay away from bad influences in her area.
The 14-year-old has been a part of the Ocean Tribe dance crew for six years and gets her daily practice in at a park in Ocean View.
Lakeisha is a Red Bull dance winner and two-time Shut Up Just Dance competition winner, among other achievements.
“We are going to try and win as many competitions as possible, to prepare us physically and mentally,” she said.
Lakeisha was elated at learning that breakdancing would be an Olympic sport.
“I'm happy that it's a part of the Olympics. I want to prove myself to the rest of the world who B-girl Keisha is,” she said.
Dick’s crew mate, Tony Johnson, has been breaking for 20 years and is also amped about the chance of participating in the Olympics and represent the country.
The 29-year-old said that dancing gives him a break away from the hardships of gang violence in Ocean View.
“We are hyped about it and we are training differently, with more strength and conditioning,” said Johnson.
He added that he is glad that breaking would have a platform for people to recognise the time and discipline that is put into the dance. “I want to show the rest of the world that people from high poverty driven areas can also compete in the Olympics.”
Mitchells Plain B-boy Toufeeq Baatjies, 24, of the Tough Nation Crew, has represented the country at international breakdancing competitions. He has been breaking for 12 years.
“This is a good way out of the ’hood (Mitchells Plain), because I am currently living in Eastridge. It is risky, the ’hood really pulls you in. I am glad that I fell into my passion and my dad was a breakdancer,” he said.
Recently, his crew won the breakdancing competition Style Wars.
“With the Olympics coming up this is a good opportunity for the children. I definitely want to represent South Africa or even Mitchells Plain. If I make it to the Olympics I can change the mindset of a lot of children here about the Cape Flats,” said Baatjies.
Govender said the Dance Sport South Africa National Federation will arrange the preparation of athletes who are their members.
The federation will also be responsible for the qualification pathway for breakdancing to the Olympics. “The criteria has not yet been published by both the International Olympic Committee and the International Federation,” he said.