Breakdancing made its debut as an Olympic sport at the 2024 Olympics in Paris — and a Canadian athlete won a gold medal in its first year.
Vancouver's Phil Wizard, born Philip Kim, took gold on the break, beating France's Dany Dann in the final.
The break won't take place at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but the art form that began on the streets of the Bronx as one of the four pillars of hip-hop was well represented at this year's event. The men's tournament, which took place on Saturday (August 10), was packed with impressive moves as the dancers battled each other one-on-one.
Unlike other music-based events such as rhythmic gymnastics or synchronized swimming, the breakers did not know which songs they would be dancing to, which meant there was a great deal of improvisation. The DJ played many hip-hop classics, from A Tribe Called Quest's “Scenario” to Method Man's “Judgment Day” to New York/Toronto band Main Source's “Live at the Barbeque.”
Wizard and his female athletes made some aggressive moves, showing the art of breaking out to the world after an athlete in the previous day's women's tournament made news for different reasons. After going viral for her less-than-crunchy hops and bunny sprinkles, Raygun (aka Australia's Rachael Gunn), faced significant backlash and accusations of rigging the process to make it to the Olympics.
“I didn't realize this would open the door to so much hate,” Gunn said in a statement this week. “Which was honestly pretty devastating. While I went out there and had fun, I took it very seriously. I worked on my preparation for the Olympics and gave it my all, really.”
The tone was different for Wizard, who expressed his thanks on Instagram this week.
“The outpouring of love and support over the past week has warmed my heart,” she said. “My goal during the win was to enjoy the moment as much as possible, as it was years in the making coming down to a moment. I didn't want to let this moment ever define me and I wanted to show how much love I have for this art, this dance, this community, this sport. Looking back, I can't help but be in awe of everyone who showed up, both on and off the field. The camaraderie between all the competitors was really beautiful, everyone knowing how hard it was to get here.” – Richard Trapunsky
Tragically Modern Documentary 'No Dress Rehearsal' to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
A beloved Canadian band sheds new light on their journey. Celebrating 40 years since their formation, the Tragically Hip will premiere a promising new Prime Video documentary series at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September.
The Tragically Hip: No Rehearsal Dress Directed and produced by late frontman Gord Downie's older brother Mike, it features never-before-seen footage of the band. It recounts their rise to popularity — the band has nine No. 1 albums in Canada and 17 Junos, and is synonymous with Canadian music for many listeners — and the tragic loss of Downie to brain cancer in 2017.
“This project is a labor of love,” Mike Downey said in a statement. “We began to understand what kept the band together, what set them apart and how they captured the hearts and minds of so many fans both in Canada and around the world.”
The brand new trailer for the four-episode series features reflections from the band members on The Hip's ups and downs as well as their final tour with Downie in 2015 following his diagnosis. The interviews are accompanied by concert footage and commentary from well-known Canadians such as actor Will Arnett and broadcaster George Stroumboulopoulos. The band's longtime manager, Jake Goldserves as executive producer.
After its premiere at TIFF, the series will stream on Prime Video, though no date is yet available. Incidentally, the series follows another recent Prime Video documentary about a Canadian icon dealing with the disease: I am: Celine Dion.
TIFF 2024 will also include performances by musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Pharrell Williams. The festival runs from September 5-15. – Rosie Long Decter
PartyNextDoor re-enters the Canadian Albums Chart following Drake collab news
A local star returns to the Canadian album chart this week after an impressive performance at Toronto's Budweiser Stage.
PartyNextDoor's PartyNextDoor 4 (P4) re-entered the chart at No. 87 after that headlining show, which saw a special appearance from longtime Party collaborator Drake.
After playing his own set, Drake brought PartyNextDoor back on stage before the end of the set to duet on “Come and See Me” and announce some special news: “We're working on something for everybody,” he said. “When it gets a little chilly, PartyNextDoor and Drake's album will be there waiting for you.”
Meanwhile, Party's album itself has enjoyed a resurgence, re-entering the chart where it spent the previous three weeks at No. 13. The album is also on the Billboard 200 album chart at No. 152 (Canadian Albums has only 100 spots).
Also on the Canadian album chart this week, Punjabi artist Navaan Sandhu debuted at No. 97 with his album, The best. Amritsar-born Sandhu has amassed millions of streams with the album and the music video for its title track, released two weeks ago, has amassed 2.9 million views.
The chart debut is yet another indicator of the popularity of Punjabi music in the country, with artists such as Diljit Dosanjh, Karan Aujla and AP Dhillon having similar success on the Canadian charts in the last year.
Ye and Ty Dolla $ign's Vultures 2 is the No. 1 album in Canada this week. – RLD
