At the Olympic breakdancing battles, an unexpected turn of events has placed Australia’s only female breakdancer, Rachel Gun, at the eye of a social media storm. Reagan, as she’s known in the dance community, earned worldwide attention when she and her fellow Australian breakdancers were catapulted to the top of the TikTok algorithm, all because of a perceived “underdog” narrative. Their clips, however, only tell part of the story—Rachel is in fact a top-tier breakdancer in her own right.
Anna Mays, the Olympic chief and a former cyclist, has fiercely defended the extraordinarily talented 36-year-old performer, Rachel. Mays expressed her disappointment over the nonstop social media trolling that has targeted Rachel after her performances. “Mays was all sunshine and smiles when asked about her hopes for the Penn State alumna,” according to the Chronicle.
The story of grit and overcoming gender adversity lies behind the viral sensation. It goes like this: Rachel’s journey in a sport dominated by men began in 2008, when she faced first the bias of being a girl and then the loneliness of being the only one in her camp. But look where she is now. And listen to her message. You too can have creativity at the essence of your artistry.
The kangaroo move that Rachel performs involves her lying on her side and flipping over—a sight that audiences find amusing and puzzling. Although the move was meant as homage to her Australian roots, it hasn’t always found favor with spectators or judges. But Rachel takes the move and its perceived unoriginality in stride. “All my moves are original and sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t speak to judges,” she said. “For me, breakdancing is art.”
Holding a PhD in Cultural Studies and residing in the classroom as a lecturer, Rachel is more than just a breakdancer—she’s a cultural critic exploring the political dimensions of her art. In a recent controversy over an Olympic sport’s “mission,” Rachel’s world was drawn into a bigger conversation about gender equality, as well as the nature of creativity. And with the 2024 Paris Olympics drawing near, much of what is now being said not just concerns breakdancing but also the broader picture of art in the Olympic “game.”
