Latest news with #breakdancing
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Australian Olympian Raygun back in spotlight one year on from divisive Paris Games performance
Australian breakdancer Raygun is back in the spotlight one year on from her divisive performance at the Paris Olympic Games. Rachel Gunn made international headlines when she scored zero points for her breakdance in the sport's Olympic debut. Gunn, better known by her B-girl name Raygun, took to sport's most prestigious stage with moves that imitated hopping kangaroos, wriggling snakes and the Australian classic, sprinkler. The performance instantly went viral and was the subject of endless memes and relentless ridicule from around the globe. About 12 months on from the infamous act, Raygun is the subject of an Australian Story investigation that delves into why the arts academic isn't celebrated despite being a sporting underdog. US breakdancing pioneer Michael Holman told the ABC there was a lot of backlash from the international breakdancing community because the performance was seen as culturally insensitive. 'The anger that came from Raygun's performance at the Olympics comes from a lot of different places,' he said. 'A slice of that pie came from people who knew what breaking was, saying, 'Wow, you know, that's not great breaking'.' He said breakdancing originated from marginalised teenagers with poor, working class black and Puerto Rican backgrounds. 'So her being white and Australian and jumping around like a kangaroo, that's going to be a loaded gun,' Mr Holman told the ABC. 'Whether she intended it or not, the end result was mockery.' While the university professor was mocked for the performance, others came to her defence including billionaire Richard Branson. The Virgin Group founder invited the Australian breakdancer on-board his Celebration Voyage cruise through the Mediterranean where she danced alongside the global businessman and pulled out the infamous kangaroo hop. Mr Branson said Raygun was plucky, brave, courageous and original. 'Hats off to her for being so bold and different. Since we have a couple of kangaroos on Necker, that move in particular certainly got me smiling,' he said. But the controversy did not end at the Olympics. Back in Australia about four months after the Olympic Games, a comedian was about to stage Raygun: The Musical when a legal storm erupted. Creator Stephanie Broadbridge cancelled the show after she was contacted by lawyers representing Raygun over fears it would damage her reputation. She later rebranded the show to Breaking: The Musical. The comedy club that was going to stage the show was also sent a letter demanding $10,000 from Raygun's lawyers. The comedian alleged the lawyers told her that she was not allowed to perform the dance moves because the kangaroo dance was owned by Raygun. Ms Broadbridge told the ABC that she was captivated at how Raygun handled the situation and was excited that a woman her age was behaving like that in public. 'She's the hero that Australia needed, the female Shane Warne. The one that's flawed but we love her anyway,' she said. 'I wanted to tell that story. I wanted an Australian larrikin story that was a woman.'
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Spark Study Buddy (Challenger): Breakdancing boy in China defies gravity
Content provided by British Council [1] An 11-year-old boy with a disability in China has gained attention on social media after he put aside his crutches to show off complex moves in a street dance competition. Li Junhao, from Bozhou in Anhui province, was raised by parents who also have disabilities. He was diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy at birth, which has led to weakness in his muscles and deformities in his leg joints. [2] A viral video posted on April 9 featured Junhao confidently throwing away his crutches, lifting himself into a handstand and starting a breakdancing routine with difficult moves. Throughout his performance, Junhao relied only on his arms and core, executing moves where his legs swung in the air in circular motions. [3] In a push-up position, he kept his legs off the floor while bouncing and rotating his entire body to the rhythm. Junhao finished with an iconic 'freeze' pose. In this pose, he balanced his entire body on one arm, defying gravity, captivating the audience and earning applause. [4] Junhao's childhood was marked by numerous hospital stays. According to his father, Junhao underwent four major surgeries in different cities and endured excruciating pain. 'Even in his worst moments, he would say, 'I must stand up!'' his father said. Junhao's breakdancing instructor, Qiu Yu, said he trains for two hours in the evening on school days. It goes up to around seven hours on the weekend. [5] 'He never says he is tired, nor has he ever said he does not want to train. He is more hardworking and resilient than any of the other kids I have trained,' Qiu told the Yangtze Evening Post. Junhao's hard work has earned him accolades on stage. [6] In 2023, he secured a spot in the top 32 at a national breakdancing competition in Chuzhou, Anhui. Last year, he won the Best Performance Award at the 5th National Art Biennale Disabled Youth in Beijing. His resilience is also deeply rooted in his family. Junhao's father has only 0.01 visual acuity. His mother also suffers from congenital muscular atrophy. Both his parents have never succumbed to life's challenges. [7] They run a Chinese massage shop and have helped other disabled people learn vocational skills, earning them multiple city-level honours. Junhao is also ambitious. 'I want to become a professional breakdancer and hope to one day perform on stage at the Asian Games!' he said. Source: South China Morning Post, April 30 Questions 1. In paragraph 1, Junhao was diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy ... A. when he was born. B. after he began dancing. C. soon after starting school. D. after an accident. 2. Which word can replace 'executing' in paragraph 2? A. avoiding B. performing C. initiating D. none of the above 3. How does Junhao achieve the 'freeze' pose mentioned in paragraph 3? 4. What do the 'accolades' in paragraph 5 refer to? 5. According to paragraph 6, which of Junhao's family members has a similar health condition? 6. Using information from paragraph 4, write one question using 'when' and one question using 'what' based on the sentences below. (4 marks) (i) Question: When (ii) Question: What Sentence: In 2023, Junhao finished in the top 32 at a national breakdancing contest in Chuzhou. (iii) Question: When (iv) Question: What Sentence: Junhao won the Best Performance Award at the 5th National Art Biennale Disabled Youth. Junhao is a resilient child who has faced multiple surgeries and intense pain. Photo: CCTV Answers 1. A 2. B 3. He balances his entire body on one arm. 4. the awards that Junhao won in various breakdancing competitions (accept all similar answers). 5. his mother 6. (i) When did Junhao finish in the top 32 at a national competition in Chuzhou?; (ii) What was Junhao's achievement at the national breakdancing contest in Chuzhou?; (iii) When did Junhao win the Best Performance Award?; (iv) What award did Junhao win at the 5th National Art Biennale Disabled Youth?
