When Reggie Peters was your age, the playground was the place to be. But he wasn’t there for the swings and slides. It was the early 1980s in New York City. And what was happening at the playground was about to change Reggie’s life.

    Every day in the summer, people would show up with crates of records and turntables. Others brought drums, horns, and saxophones. Teens came in tracksuits and new sneakers, ready to show off their style. Young people—from kindergartners to college students—gathered to enjoy the music. 

    Enjoying meant more than just listening. Kids would set up a piece of cardboard on the ground. That’s when the show began. 

    Dancers would take turns to see who could do the wildest moves. They would spin on their backs or heads. They’d do flips and tumbles and elaborate footwork. With every trick, the crowd went wild.

    What were they doing?

    Today you might know it as breakdancing. But to the people who created it, it was just called breaking. And it was about to take over the world.

    As a kid, Reggie Peters often went to the playground. But he didn’t go for the swings and slides. It was the early 1980s. He was in New York City. And those days at the playground would change Reggie’s life.

    In the summer, people showed up with records and turntables. Others brought drums, horns, and saxophones. Teens wore tracksuits and new sneakers. They showed off their style. Young people gathered for the music. 

    But listening wasn’t all they did. Kids would put cardboard on the ground. Then the show began. 

    Dancers took turns. Each tried to do the best moves. They would spin on their backs or heads. They’d do flips and tumbles and elaborate footwork. The crowd would go wild.

    What were they doing?

    You might know it as breakdancing. But it’s actually called breaking. And it was about to take over the world.

    When Reggie Peters was your age, the playground was the place to be—but he wasn’t there for the swings and slides. It was the early 1980s in New York City, and what was happening at the playground was about to change Reggie’s life.

    Every day in the summer, people would show up with crates of records and turntables, while others brought drums, horns, and saxophones. Teens arrived in tracksuits and new sneakers, ready to show off their style. Young people—from kindergartners to college students—gathered to enjoy the music. 

    However, enjoying meant more than just listening. Kids would lay a piece of cardboard on the ground. And that’s when the show began. 

    Dancers would take turns to see who could do the wildest moves. They would spin on their backs or heads, flip and tumble, and do elaborate footwork—and with every trick, the crowd would go wild.

    What were they doing?

    Today you might know it as breakdancing, but to the people who created it, it was just called breaking. And it was about to take over the world.

    Breaking started in a part of New York City called the Bronx. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was a tough place to live. Work was hard to find, especially in Black and Latine neighborhoods. There was a lot of crime. In many places, gangs ruled the streets.

    The young people living there needed a release. So they found ways to have fun. In 1973, hip-hop music was created in the South Bronx. It grew through parties thrown by teenagers. 

    One of the things that makes hip-hop unique is something called the break. During a break in a song, all instruments usually stop—except the drums.

    Breaks gave dancers a chance to show off their moves. These dancers were known as B-boys and B-girls. They had nicknames like Crazy Legs, Lollipop, and Frosty Freeze. 

    Their moves reflected their personalities. They were the kings and queens of every hip-hop party.

    Breaking started in the Bronx. That’s a part of New York City. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was a tough place to live. Work was hard to find, especially in Black and Latine neighborhoods. There was a lot of crime. There were gangs.

    Young people there needed a release. So they found ways to have fun. In 1973, hip-hop music was created in the South Bronx. It started at parties thrown by teens. 

    Hip-hop has something called a break. During a break, the instruments usually stop—except the drums.

    Dancers showed off their moves during the breaks. These dancers were known as B-boys and B-girls. They had nicknames like Crazy Legs, Lollipop, and Frosty Freeze. Their moves reflected their personalities. They were the kings and queens of every hip-hop party.

    Breaking started in a part of New York City called the Bronx. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was a tough place to live. Work was difficult to find, especially in Black and Latine neighborhoods, and there was a lot of crime, with gangs ruling many streets.

    The young people living there needed a release, so they found ways to have fun. In 1973, hip-hop music was created in the South Bronx, and it grew through parties thrown by teenagers. 

    One of the things that makes hip-hop unique is something called the break. During a break in a song, all instruments usually stop—except the drums.

    Breaks gave dancers a chance to show off their moves. These dancers were known as B-boys and B-girls, and they had nicknames like Crazy Legs, Lollipop, and Frosty Freeze. Their moves reflected their personalities, and they were the kings and queens of every hip-hop party.

    What made breaking special back in the day was that anyone could try it. You didn’t need fancy equipment. You didn’t have to take expensive lessons. All you needed was a floor and time to practice. 

    Maybe that’s why breaking has only gotten bigger. Today you can still see B-boys and B-girls showing off their moves in cities around the world. They dance on sidewalks, in subway cars, and at parties. But you can also watch them on the biggest stages. This year, breaking will be an Olympic sport for the first time.

    Today Reggie works at The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx. He is passionate about sharing the history and culture of breaking. 

    He is also proud of how it’s come a long way from its humble beginnings. “It’s big for people from the Bronx to see kids in places like Japan and Afghanistan loving this thing we created,” he says. 

    What made breaking special was that anyone could try it. You didn’t need fancy equipment. You didn’t have to take expensive lessons. You just needed a floor and time to practice. 

    Maybe that’s why breaking got even bigger. Today you can see B-boys and B-girls dancing around the world. They still dance on sidewalks, in subway cars, and at parties. But you can also watch them on the biggest stages. And this year, breaking will be an Olympic sport for the first time.

    Today Reggie works at The Hip Hop Museum. It’s in the Bronx. He loves sharing the history and culture of breaking. 

    Breaking has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Reggie is proud of that. “It’s big for people from the Bronx to see kids in places like Japan and Afghanistan loving this thing we created,” he says.

    What made breaking special back in the day was that anyone could try it. There was no need for fancy equipment or expensive lessons—only a floor and time to practice. 

    Perhaps that’s why breaking has only gotten bigger. Today you can still see B-boys and B-girls showing off their moves in cities around the world, dancing on sidewalks, in subway cars, and at parties. But you can also watch them on the biggest stages, and this year, breaking will be an Olympic sport for the first time.

Today Reggie works at The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx. He is passionate about sharing the history and culture of breaking. 

    He is also proud of how it’s come a long way from its humble beginnings. “It’s big for people from the Bronx to see kids in places like Japan and Afghanistan loving this thing we created,”
he says.