Durban’s finest female break dancer is keeping her fingers crossed in hopes of making it to the Paris Olympics.
For Courtnaé Paul, 32, from Redhill, break dancing does not just involve the movement of her body, but is a lifestyle.
She said she was thrilled to make it into the Olympic Qualifier series, where she will compete in Shanghai next month, and Budapest in June. Here, they will be fighting for spots to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Paul is one of four African female break dancers to compete in this qualifier series.
“To say I am excited is an understatement. I feel like I have already achieved more in this space than I thought possible,” she said.
“It has been difficult with lots of trial and error, but extremely rewarding. After the years of blood, sweat and broken bones that have gone into this journey, Paris 2024 would be the ultimate cherry on top.”
She will be competing in the Adult Top 40 B-Girl category. Paul said much preparation had gone into ensuring that she wowed the judges.
“I have been doing this style of dance for many years, so it feels like my preparation is a culmination of those years, mixed with travel, competing and experiencing more of this culture.”
She said she had put a clearer structure into her daily training by working closely with her coaches and sports therapists, as well as competing as often as she could.
Paul said that she began dancing by chance at church when she was 11 years old.
“I have a gymnastics background so it felt natural to incorporate some of those movements into my dances. As I got a little older and became more exposed to music videos, The Bat Centre in Durban and hip hop culture in general, I quickly realised that breaking was the style that resonated most with me,” she said.
Among Paul’s many achievements are opening for artists such as Lil Wayne and Fatman Scoop, winning the Red Bull BC One SA in 2021 and becoming the first South African B-Girl to advance to world finals.
She has also choreographed for award shows and a welcome for Richard Branson, and, recently, for the entertainment sponsor and speaker at the Forbes Leading Women Summit 2024.
“It is hard to pick one single thing but I would say my career is the highlight. Being able to wake up every day and do what I love while changing lives is important for me, and that is my favourite achievement,” she said.
Last month, she clinched first place in the Red Bull BC One South Africa 2024 final.
Paul said the industry was challenging because South Africans did not have the same type of infrastructure or support for the dance/sport that other countries did.
“We fight daily for people to take it seriously, and we have little to no opportunities.
“Another challenge has been how busy my schedule is. I still need to work to not only survive, but thrive, and this makes it challenging to sometimes work 12-15 hour days, and still find the physical and mental capacity to train as an elite athlete,” she said.
Paul said her performances were set apart from the rest by her ability to remain authentic to herself while promoting the “African flavour”.
She said more females were slowly joining the break dancing scene.
“When I first entered the BC One qualifier in Johannesburg, there were no females and I had to qualify by competing with the guys. Four years later, and we now have 4 B-girls who entered.”
Independent on Saturday