Throughout history the art of breakdance did not refer to the actual dancing that was being performed. Instead it was meant to talk about the breaks in the music. Later it began to refer to the movements that were associated with the music; hence we see breakdancing as a genre of dance in addition to a form of music that goes with it. Breakdancing itself first began in the 1970s and was typically performed by the youth in the Bronx. Today breakdacning is referred to as a form of street dancing.

Where this form of dance originally came from is unknown. If you were to break this form of dance down into pieces and look at its individual parts you would find that there is a mixture of dance and athleticism that have been combined. When looking at the dance closely you can see areas that look like the Charleston and then there are parts that look like they are coming from a martial arts movie. The art of breakdancing includes moving the feet sideways and onto the toes, spinning on the knees, head and hands. In the 1980's a new element was introduced to the breakdancing genre in California and that was pantomime.

People wishing to learn to do some form of break dance must learn some basic movements but they must know that normally this dance is improvised rather than learned. Once the basic moves are learned, the dancer then listens to the music and finds the beat and goes with the feeling he or she has for the music. This means that typically when a break dance is performed on the street it has not been planned out in advance and it has not been practiced. The dance itself is performed on the spot.

In addition to being able to perform several break dancing moves, a person must be able to dress the part. In recent years there has been a way of dressing in order to perform a break dance. Typically break dancers wear the pants low with oversized. T-shirts and a hat is usually worn that is always tipped sideways. The dance is performed in sneakers. While this does go with the clothing, sneakers are suggested because they are the safest footwear to have on during a break dance. Good sneakers will help prevent the dancers from slipping and hurting themselves. Break dancing is a form of street dance because the hardness of the street offers a good surface for dancing. Even if the dance is not performed in the street it must be done on a hard surface.

Performing a break dance is not without its risks. Even those dancers who have been performing for years have been known to have fallen and have been injured. People today are always trying to perform electrifying moves during their dances and this increases the risk of injury even more. The fact that this dance has to be performed on a hard surface has caused some people to break bones and some have even broken their necks. This dance requires skill and practice and should not be taken lightly.