The collaboration will see the British university welcome breakers to its sports and research facilities, including its strength and conditioning suite.

Staff from the university's sports science team will also work with the group to help them prepare, as well as to raise their profile in Birmingham and beyond.

"It’s exciting to be joining up with Break Mission, particularly with the Olympics looming," said Matt Cole, an associate professor in sport and exercise nutrition at Birmingham City University.

"It will be great if we could play a part in helping them produce a potential medal-winner at the Paris Games.

"Breakers are athletes, no doubt.

"They require strength, stamina, flexibility and great timing to perform their moves.

"But all athletes benefit from coaching and analysis, so we’ll be studying their techniques, looking at the stresses and strains that breaking places on their bodies and how we can counter them, as well as offering nutritional advice to help them stay in shape.

"Hopefully we can hone their skills and ready them for some serious competition."

As well as putting on performances and competing in events, Break Mission claims to be focused on raising awareness on social issues, in particular poverty and homelessness.

"We’re really pleased to be working with Birmingham City University," said David Russell, co-founder of Break Mission.

"Like us, they’re focussed on helping people transform themselves and the world around them in a constructive way.

"We hope working with them will help us spread the word about how breaking can help people come together to express themselves and connect with others in a communal celebration of our way of life.

"But of course, we’re also really excited about working with the University’s sports department to sharpen our skills ahead of breaking’s Olympic debut in Paris."

Breaking, governing by the World DanceSport Federation, appeared at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games and is set for a full Olympic debut in Paris in 2024.