Breaking at home
A smooth floor and music at home; a studio and a teacher for freezes and power moves.
What should we practise today?
Tell us where you are and who is playing. You get one card and the reason.
New to breaking? The game in a minute
Read this once before the first card.- The dance in short
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Breaking (often called breakdance) is a dance from hip-hop culture, danced to music with a strong beat. It was part of the Olympic Games for the first time in 2024.
- The four parts of a dance
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Toprock (dancing standing up), go-downs (moving from standing to the floor), footwork (steps on the floor with the weight on the hands) and freezes (holding a still pose). Spinning moves, called power moves, are for advanced dancers with a teacher.
- How a battle works
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In a battle two dancers, or two crews, take turns dancing in rounds, as if answering each other. Judges compare them round by round, looking at things like technique, variety, creativity, musicality and personality.
- Rules of respect children learn first
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- Wait for your turn; one dancer at a time in the circle.
- Never touch the other dancer.
- Watch while others dance, and show it when they do something good.
- At home you dance the basics
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Finding the beat, toprock steps, simple floor steps around the hands, a go-down and a freeze on hands and feet, and making your own short move. The head never takes weight at home, and power moves wait for a teacher.
Words you will hear (18, in plain language)
- Hip-hop posture
- Feet apart, knees slightly bent, leaning a little forward.
- 8 counts
- Counting the music "1 to 8" and starting again; every move is danced on these counts.
- Toprock
- The standing-up part of breaking, danced on the beat.
- Indian step
- A classic toprock: one foot crosses in front with a small kick, then steps back, then the other.
- Go-down
- Moving from standing to the floor with control.
- Footwork
- Steps done on the floor with the weight on the hands.
- Six-step
- A classic first footwork: the feet walk a full circle around the hands in six steps.
- Freeze
- A still pose held for a moment, ending a move.
- Baby freeze
- Two common freezes, learnt with a teacher.
- Power moves
- Spinning moves such as the windmill and the flare, for advanced dancers with a teacher.
- Transition
- The link from one part of the dance to the next.
- Embellishment
- A small extra touch added to a step, such as a shoulder move or a turn.
- Flava
- A dancer's own style, the personal touch in every move.
- Tag
- In these cards, a short 8-count move that belongs to one dancer.
- Motif
- A short set of moves that is repeated and changed.
- Crew
- A group of dancers who dance together.
- Battle
- A breaking competition, danced in turns.
- Cypher
- The circle people stand in while dancers take turns in the middle.
Try it, nothing to buy
Mark the space once. Every card starts from it.The cards, level by level
Nobody is late. A beginner of any age starts at Basic.Ticks and stars are saved in this browser only. Clearing the browser's data, or another browser, starts from zero. Carry them into the app
Basic 7 cards · show· hide The child finds the beat, dances a basic toprock, learns the six-step as a floor pattern and holds a simple freeze for a moment, while learning that breaking has a culture of respect.
- b1✓ Find the beat At home
- b2✓ A first toprock At home
- b3✓ Six-step footwork At home
- b4✓ A baby freeze with a teacher At a club
- b5✓ Floor steps around the hands At home
- b6✓ Go down, freeze in a shape At home
- b7✓ Your tag, your crew At home
Move on when the child can do the self-checks on b1, b2, b5 and b6 on two different days.
Intermediate 3 cards · show· hide Several footwork patterns, transitions, freezes, toprock variations and a short set built to the music. All of this is in a studio with a teacher.
Advanced 1 cards · show· hide A personal style, harder combinations, advanced power moves and freezes, making up moves to the music on the spot, and handling pressure. Power moves are taught by an experienced teacher only.
Teaching this at home
Movement, safety and the words at home. The sport itself needs water, a boat, a horse or a coach.
You do not need to know the sport. Each card tells you where to stand, what to say and what to look at. Pick one thing to say in a session and say only that. The first week looks messy; that is normal. End every session on one that works.
Cards marked At a club are taught by a coach. They tell you what the coach teaches, what is safe at home, and what to ask the club before your child joins.
How to warm up before playing is at workonfitness.com. The rules of the game are at sportsmaze.com.