Rachael Gunn (born 1987 or 1988) is an Australian breakdancer and academic researching the "cultural politics of breaking". She is a lecturer at Macquarie University in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature. [1] [2]
Gunn is set to compete in breaking at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the sport's inaugural debut at the games.
Early life and education
Gunn was born in Hornsby, New South Wales. [2] She danced as a child, and was trained in ballroom, tap, and jazz styles. [2] [3]
Gunn attended Macquarie University for her bachelor's degree in contemporary music, graduating in 2009, and for her PhD in cultural studies, graduating in 2017. [1] Her PhD thesis focused on "the intersection of gender and Sydney’s breaking culture". [2]
Breakdancing career
Gunn breaks under the nickname Raygun. [1] She began breakdancing in the early 2010s, when she was in her mid-20s. [2] [3] Gunn paused competing while finishing her PhD, and returned to competitions in 2018. [3] She is coached by her husband, Samuel Free, [4] and trains for three to four hours a day. [5]
She has competed for Australia at the 2021 World Breaking Championships in Paris, the 2022 World Breaking Championships in Seoul, and the 2023 World Breaking Championships in Leuven, Belgium. [1] [2] In 2023, she won the Oceania Breaking Championships, securing her a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics. [2] [3]
Personal life
Gunn met her husband, fellow breakdancer Samuel Free, at university in 2008. [4]
Publications
- Gunn, Rachael (2016-03-03). "The 'systems of relay' in doing cultural studies: experimenting with the 'Body without Organs' in b-girling practice". Continuum. 30 (2): 183–194. doi: 10.1080/10304312.2016.1143194. ISSN 1030-4312.
- Gunn, Rachael (2019). "Nocturnal Paradox: How Breakdancing Reveals the Potentials of the Night". In Stahl, Geoff; Bottà, Giacomo (eds.). Nocturnes: Popular Music and the Night. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 147–162. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-99786-5_10. ISBN 978-3-319-99786-5. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- Gunn, Rachael (2022-08-18). "Where the #bgirls at? politics of (in)visibility in breaking culture". Feminist Media Studies. 22 (6): 1447–1462. doi: 10.1080/14680777.2021.1890182. ISSN 1468-0777.
References
- ^ a b c d "Rachael Gunn". Macquarie University. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Rachael Gunn". Australian Olympic Committee. 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ a b c d Snape, Jack (2024-04-20). "Breaker Rachael Gunn: 'We are essentially being used to up the Olympic ratings'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ a b Rocca, Jane (2024-07-03). "She is 36, has a PhD and is heading to the Olympics to compete in breakdancing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
- ^ Gebilagin, Lizza (2024-03-11). "How Rachael Gunn is breakdancing her way to the Paris Olympics". Body and Soul.
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