Southern Olympians: Breaker Victor Montalvo

Victor Montalvo wasn’t even born when breaking—also known as breakdancing—first emerged in the 1970’s on the streets of New York. But now thanks to his father’s influence and decades of perfecting his world-renowned moves, he is competing in the historical debut of breaking at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

All In The Family

Montalvo was born in Kissimmee, Florida. He was just six years old when his family decided to watch the classic 1984 movie Beat Street. It was the first time the young boy had seen the film’s famous breaking battle scenes between the original dance crews of the Bronx. Montalvo’s father, Victor Bermudez, and his twin brother, Hector, told their kids how they had once performed those same moves back in their hometown of Puebla, Mexico in the 1980’s. Inspired by their stories, Montalvo, along with his brother and cousin, began mimicking the windmills and backspins of their fathers.

“They showed us kids how to be creative, to have fun, to move, and to find our own individuality in the sport they introduced us to,” Montalvo told Southern Living. 

The boys practiced day and night and eventually formed a squad that competed in local breaking jams. They suffered plenty of losses but kept going. Then at age 16, Montalvo captured the grand prize at a tournament in Gainesville. After another victory at the 2011 Red Bull BC One Cypher in Tampa, Montalvo qualified for the U.S. national finals in Chicago. It was his first time leaving the Sunshine State. Using the name “Vicious Victor” the newcomer made it all the way to the final round. And although he didn’t win, his performance thrust him onto the global breaking stage.

Suddenly, he was flooded with invitations to compete in tournaments all over the world. Montalvo knew if he wanted to succeed, he had to go big or go home.

“I had a girlfriend in London at the time and the breaking scene was bigger in Europe than in North America,” he explained. “My dad encouraged me to follow my dreams which meant getting a passport and entering break competitions, which ultimately led me to where I am today.”

A Dance Evolution

Montalvo now goes by the name B-Boy Victor and is not only the highest-ranked American male breaker in the world but he’s also the first American to qualify for the Olympics in breaking. And while bringing home the gold is top of mind, he said he hopes the debut of breaking in Paris will inspire a whole new generation of fans.

“I want viewers to see how exciting and dynamic breaking is," he explained. "I want viewers to feel excited when they watch it and see how evolved breaking has become.”

The Olympic breaking competition takes place in the newly transformed Parc Urbain La Concorde in the heart of Paris. The events will feature 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls facing off in solo battles that require athletes to adapt their performances on the fly to whatever beats the DJ plays.

"This ensures all the breakers are on the same playing field, improvising moves on the go without any choreographed routines,” B-Boy Victor said.

Each athlete performs two to five rounds, known as a “throw downs” that last for roughly 60 seconds each. Routines can include standing moves called top rock, floor moves known as down rock or freezes where athletes hold their poses. Judges will award points based on six criteria: creativity, personality, technique, variety, performativity, and musicality. The dancer with the most points wins.

But these are not the same moves that kids from the 80’s grew up on. In fact, one of B-Boy Victor’s signature moves is the backflip flare. First, he does a backflip and lands on his hands. He then goes down into a flare, an acrobatic move that involves balancing his torso between his arms while swinging his legs in circles.

It’s the most rapid yet graceful game of Twister you’ve ever seen. The dancer said what makes his performances unique is his blending of styles: “I bring a traditional style of breaking while adding a new school twist. By including new variations and dynamics, I bring my own originality and creativity to the sport.”

Breaking will make its debut at the Paris Olympics on Friday August 9 with the women’s competition followed by the men’s on Saturday August 10.