Australian Olympic Breaker ‘Raygun’ Loses Battles, Wins Our Hearts

The strikes have been downright dizzying on the Olympics debut of a brand new occasion in Paris on Friday: breaking, extra generally known as “breakdancing.” As with different athletic competitions launched to the video games in recent times, there was loads of debate as as to if breaking — right here organized right into a match of head-to-head dance battles noticed by a panel of judges — may even be referred to as a sport. However viewers definitely vibed with the personalities who confirmed up, even when the formal setting robbed the artwork type of its street-cool issue.

One B-girl on the scene for the ladies’s occasion (the lads will do their spinning on Saturday) significantly fascinated these watching at house. Rachael Gunn, stage identify “Raygun,” is a 36-year-old school professor from Australia. With each a music diploma and a PhD in cultural research, she pursues interdisciplinary analysis on breaking, avenue dance, hip-hop, and gender at Macquarie College in Sydney.

Alongside along with her uncommon educational credit, Gunn stands out as 20 years the senior of Australia’s competitor within the males’s match — she and 16-year-old Jeff “J-Assault” Dunne each gained the Oceania breaking championships to qualify for the Olympics. She additionally acquired into breaking later in life than most who pursue it significantly, getting into her first ever battle in 2012. However maybe most of all, Gunn, uh, breaks the mould of this dance style with artistic decisions that left spectators shocked.