B-girl Jeanny, the Togolese breakdance champion in the running for Olympic qualification

Togo is vibrating to the rhythm of two major breakdance events this weekend of May 18 and 19, 2024. While Agbo Nomegnon, aka B-girl Jeanny, competes in Shanghai, China, in the breakdance qualifying series for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, an international breakdance festival kicks off in Lomé.

B-girl Jeanny, is gearing up for a major challenge in Shanghai, China. She is the only representative from West Africa to take part in the qualifiers.

Determined to represent Togo with dignity, B-girl Jeanny has been training tirelessly for several weeks in the Togolese capital under difficult preparation conditions.

Despite the lack of support, she hopes to raise her country's flag high.

“I'm the one representing West Africa. It's a real burden for me, and it's my duty to leave a very good mark so that everyone, the whole world, knows that breakdance is on the way in Togo", she confides.

At the age of 24, B-girl Jeanny hasn't given up since she started breakdancing. In just a few months, the B-girl, who discovered breakdance in 2023, became Togo champion before going on to secure her African qualification in Morocco for the world series for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“I took a liking to dance, to breakdance, which is why I kept going until then. And it was in 2023 that I took my first steps in a 100% breakdance event,” she adds.

While Jeanny is in the running to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Togolese capital, Lomé, is vibrating to the rhythm of the All Star Battle International festival. This annual event showcases breakdance in Togo, bringing together local and international dancers for competitions, workshops and dance performances.

Stéphane Aflagah, from the No Limit Crew association, organizer of the event, explains: “It's an opportunity to popularize breakdancing, because we feel that it's still a relatively unknown discipline. So, on a national level, we had to make people discover what it is. That's why we don't hesitate to invite dancers from other countries. But at the same time, we need to introduce Togolese Breaking to the international scene.

A wonderful opportunity to celebrate and promote this artistic discipline. A double honor for a country that is seeing the emergence of remarkable athletes like B-girl Jeanny, and growing recognition of this Olympic discipline.