NEWS that breakdancing could become an Olympic sport has been welcomed by a woman who teaches power moves and freezes.

Jennifer Mayor, who runs Jennifer's Dancers at Bolton-le-Sands and holds street dancing classes in Kendal, Milnthorpe, Morecambe and Lancaster, said she was excited to hear that breakdancing was being recognised as a potential sport for the global event.

Miss Mayor's 13-year-old son, Jay, is currently ranked fourth in the world for street dance. He has just qualified for the United Dance Organisation World Street Dance Championships in Blackpool this August.

"I'm proud of my son, and I'm proud of what he has achieved so far," she said. "And just to even imagine that he may be able to compete for the Olympics in a sport we love is just fantastic."

Jay has also danced with Britain's Got Talent finalists Flawless and has been taught by street dancer and Dancing on Ice judge Ashley Banjo.

Breakdancing, an acrobatic style of street dance, is among four other sports including surfing, climbing and skateboarding which Paris organisers have put forward to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Also known as breaking, the sport was included in the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018. The Youth Olympics saw breakdancers go head-to-head in "battles," a set up that may be used in Paris.

"It's a big break through for breakdancing and dance in general," said Miss Mayor. "It puts us on the map and it will hopefully make people take us more seriously. Dance is not just a form of art but also a sport.

"You've got to be both fit physically and mentally and you've got to be ready to practice and push your body to the limit, just like in any other sport.

"Hopefully, this will inspire more people to take up any style of dance."

The IOC will consider the proposal and will decide by December 2020 whether breakdancing is included in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Miss Mayor added that breakdancing will bring something new and different to the Olympics.

"It's a great step forward and if it doesn't get through then it doesn't mean it won't in the future," she said. "It's just as important to recognise the fact that it has gone this far to be considered as an Olympic sport."

The Paris committee's decision to support the four new sports means that squash been left out along with softball, baseball, chess and snooker.