Members of Tokyo’s Ara Style Senior say they were inspired by the inclusion of breakdancing at this year’s Paris Olympics
Head spins and monkey flips are noticeable by their absence. But in their place there is a lot of laughter and a thumping beat, along with the occasional grimace and yelp of frustration.
These superannuated b-girls and b-boys, who meet twice a month at a community centre in the capital’s Edogawa ward, have the organisers of this summer’s“Some of my mother’s friends told her they were interested in learning how to breakdance, and when it was chosen as an Olympic sport, I thought, ‘Why not give it a go?’” Arai tells the Guardian ahead of a recent class.
The keen amateurs being put through their paces are part of a strong Japanese tradition in breaking, which will make its Olympic debut in Paris, three years afterThe country’s four-member breakdancing team – including Ayumi Fukushima, a 41-year-old former kindergarten teacher, 25-year-old Ami Yuasa and Shigeyuki “Shigekix” Nakarai, 22 – will be among its medal hopefuls in Paris.
A few have backgrounds in other forms of dance, but most had never tried breaking until a combination of Olympic excitement and gentle peer pressure brought them through Arai’s door. Now they are converts, practising together between sessions with the help of YouTube tutorials.
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