Re: Raygun
a major deal with the break dancers was passports. you know those things that you need to travel with.
so the majority of the 'contestants' for the Australian spot didn't or hadn't held one. it cut the field.
a B-Girl who has won most of Australian break comps doesn't have citizenship, which you need to get into qualifying rounds.
ie: a passport, which is $400. many people cannot afford one, partly because they can't afford to travel.
47% of Australians don't hold a valid passport.
so it becomes about privilege. like most of the athletes on display at the games, not just break-dance, not just Australians.
the majority of Olympians are from privileged backgrounds, private schools, money and support.
So Raygun gets a go. the street kids don't. the privileged scholar does. she blows it, but there's a system that enabled it...
so guess what system - Dance Sport Australia get the gig to run the break-dance qualifiers but they know nothing about
this dance form. So they contact Raygun who has a PHD in break dancing. She said, "partner with the Australian Breaking Association and they'll run it for you".
This association was founded by Raygun and her husband and has 20 members. They get 15 entrants into the qualifier - those with passports - and Raygun is selected and her husband is selected as the team coach.
far out huh? ....dodgy Raygun!
she actually as an academic has some interesting things to say about break-dancing, it's cultural appropriation and
the institutionalisation of it. it didn't translate in her 'skillz' but she put a few purists noses out of joint and that's never a bad thing....whatever the scene...
