Dance Professor Appointed to World DanceSport Federation Breaking Division in time for Paris 2024 Debute
Dance Professor Appointed to World DanceSport Federation Breaking Division in time for Paris 2024 Debut
As Tokyo’s Olympians fly home, the Olympic flame hits the road to Paris 2024, where an AMPD professor breaks tradition to answer the age-old question – is dance a sport?
World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) appoints Dance Professor Mary Fogarty to its breaking division, pivotal in breakdancing’s Paris 2024 Olympic debut. Fogarty takes on the part of Welfare Advisor. She will deploy her experience as a practicing b-girl and breaking scholar to shepherd new athletes through events.
“I am here to listen to the concerns of dancers as they emerge throughout this novel process,” said Fogarty. “I intend to be a first point of contact for dancers at events and to provide them with support and guidance for any critical incidents.”
Breakdancing first graced the Olympic stage at the Los Angeles 1984 opening ceremony but wasn’t competitive until the Brazil 2018 Youth Olympics. After a successful test run in Brazil and the advocacy of Fogarty and others, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced breakdancing would make its debut in Paris 2024.
Fogarty will work alongside the IOC to ensure dancers’ experience is kept paramount at the games, noting the importance of advocating for gender and racial equity in the competition.
“My personal goal is to advocate for the rights of dancers, to support the development of talent, and to contribute perspectives that reflect the diversity, activism, artistic expression and fire that have made this dance form thrive in adverse conditions,” said Fogarty.
As Fogarty continues to shape the future of breaking both in the classroom and at the games, the world will eagerly watch on and await the arrival of creative competition on the Olympic stage.
