Hip-hop dance arrived in Canada in the early 1980s through music videos, films and visiting crews, and quickly took root in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Today Canadian dancers excel in breaking, popping, locking, house, krump, waacking and choreography — and in 2024 Vancouver’s Phil Wizard became the first man ever to win Olympic gold in breaking.
Born in the Bronx in the 1970s, hip-hop reached Canadian cities through television, the 1984 film wave (‘Breakin’’, ‘Beat Street’) and touring crews. Immigrant youth from the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Latin America made it their own, and Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver developed strong battle scenes. Montréal’s JOAT (Jack Of All Trades) International Street Dance Festival and Toronto’s many jams bring dancers from around the world. In August 2024, Philip ‘Phil Wizard’ Kim, a b-boy from Vancouver, defeated France’s Dany Dann in the final at the Place de la Concorde to win the first men’s Olympic breaking gold medal. Canadian dancers also choreograph for music videos, tours and dance shows, and studios across the country teach hip-hop to children and adults. Respect for the culture’s pioneers — and for the cypher, where everyone takes a turn — remains central.
