even though it takes several hours of practice a day to master it at the highest level, just like breakdancing.
Breaking doesn't take several hours a day. It takes years to reach the level of achievement seen at the Olympics. It has deep cultural roots and an etiquette. The etiquette is as important to the culture as the skill.
The symbolic 'battles' are serious. They are ritual. The 'winners' are highly respected and emulated. The 'moves' in the best breakers seen at the Olympics rival the moves of gymnasts. The dancers fly through the air and defy gravity.
I think the dance is disparaged because of the culture from which it derives. The hand movements. The clothes. The gestures. I think these are off-putting to mainstream observers.
Do breakers belong in the Olympics? I don't know. But it really is disrespectful for a breaker to show up and do what Raygun did. She represented a community, and she did not represent it well. Plus, she took a spot from a serious breaker.
(I got all this from a member of the breaking community who years ago achieved some success in the field.)
RE: Maybe Breakdancers need to take themselves a little less seriously...?