Towards Inclusive and Interactive Spaces for Breakdancing

This paper provides a critical reflection on performance gestures within the context of "breaking", explored in the process of constructing an interactive system using design methodologies drawing on the framework of "defamiliarization". Through a user study conducted as exploratory dance sessions with female practitioners of breaking, we observe the relationship between movement and music generated by the Interactive Breaking Music System (IBMS). We question how practitioners embody breaking aesthetics in the gestures that emerge from their interaction with the IBMS and how this system might be leveraged to create a welcoming environment for b-girl practitioners, and possibly subvert or transform gender norms from breaking culture that manifest through movement.