The Senegal National Sport Dance and Break Team is combining American and European breaking fundamentals with traditional dance movements to establish a distinct national identity. Coach Francis Siméon Gomis designed these routines to highlight their cultural heritage alongside technical athleticism on a global stage. The roster includes fifteen-year-old Suzanne Toure, who joined the sport three years ago through her younger brother and now competes as the sole female member on the national squad.
Key points
Local competitors are using the home-turf tournament to display a fusion of Senegalese cu…: Local competitors are using the home-turf tournament to display a fusion of Senegalese culture and international breaking.
Coach Francis Siméon Gomis emphasized that the squad's core identity revolves around inte…: Coach Francis Siméon Gomis emphasized that the squad's core identity revolves around integrating traditional dances into breaking routines.
Teenage athletes on the Senegal National Sport Dance and Break Team are targeting medal f…: Teenage athletes on the Senegal National Sport Dance and Break Team are targeting medal finishes at the Dakar games.
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Hip-hop music blasted over a portable speaker while half-a-dozen teenagers practiced their best breakdancing moves in Senagal's capital Dakar. They glided on their shins and jumped into the air, clutched their heels and struck midair poses.
Senegal's breakdancers were honing their craft ahead of the country's historic hosting of the Youth Olympic Games this month. It's the first time an Olympic event is being held on African soil.
I took the photo above last month as 15-year-old Suzanne Toure struck a breakdancing pose. She is the only girl on the Senegal National Sport Dance and Break Team. Three years ago, her little brother introduced her to breakdancing.
Dancers on the Senegalese team mix traditional moves into their routines from national styles such as mbalax and Yela, swirling their arms and legs in a windmill-like motion. "You can sense some American and European influence in our routines, yes, but there are also African dances. It's about mixing these African dances into the breaking," says coach Francis Siméon Gomis.
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