NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Break dancing

Breakdancing, known formally as B-boying or B-girling by its practitioners and followers, is a dynamic style of dance that is part of Hip Hop culture and emerged out of the Hip-Hop movement in the South Bronx of New York City during the late 20th century. Breakdancing is one of the many elements of Hip Hop culture. The unique form of dancing is very acrobatic and creative. Breakdance has been performed in countless shows, music videos on MTV and at dance clubs. Celebrate the Century - 1980s - Breakdancing & Hiphop This image is a postage stamp produced by the United States Postal Service after 1978. ... Celebrate the Century - 1980s - Breakdancing & Hiphop This image is a postage stamp produced by the United States Postal Service after 1978. ... A contemporary dancer rehearsing in a dance studio Dance generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of United States. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... -1...

History

Note: Many stories and ideas surrounding the history behind breaking are popularized media concepts. Breakdancing is probably connected to Urban Street Jazz or more likely capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art/dance. Breakdancing as we know it today developed in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s, although there is some controversy, many argue that it was also developing in Los Angeles at the same time. However, majority believe it is strictly of New York origin. The original practitioners (Crazy Legs, Spy, the Nigga Twins, etc.) say that other dances that people commonly associate with b-boying such as capoeira may have influenced b-boys (many b-boys are known to gather influence from old Kung Fu films). However, b-boying does not stem from those dances. See the video documentary "The Freshest Kids" for interviews supporting this claim. Jazz is a musical art form characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. ... Capoeira or the Dance of War by Johann Moritz Rugendas, 1835 Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art developed in the 1500s by African slaves. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Downtown Los Angeles skyline facing northeast toward the San Gabriel Mountains on a clear winter day. ... Alternative meaning: Kung Fu (TV series) Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. ...

Prototypically the pioneers of breakdancing were young and of a lower socioeconomic class. The majority of these were male, and most were Black or Hispanic, and lived in dense urban areas (mostly New York). Many of them were members of street gangs who taught themselves martial arts (particularly capoeira) for self defense. The style was so full of dance-like moves that it translated well to the nightclub, where breakdancers would battle. Breakdancing, both in the nightclub and on the street is competitive in nature, much like the other elements of hip-hop, as well as capoeira. A social class is a group that shares the same or similar social status. ... African Americans, also known as Afro-Americans or Black Americans, are an ethnic group in the United States of America whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa. ... Hispanic, as used in the United States, is one of several terms used to categorize US citizens, permanent residents and temporary immigrants, whose background hail either from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America or relating to a Spanish-speaking culture. ...

One story that is common is that Mestre Jelon Vieira, a widely known master of capoeira, was doing shows in New York City. He then formed the Rock Steady Crew, teaching them movements from capoeira which they then integrated into a form of dance which was to become breakdancing. Whether or not this is true, there is a very strong similarity between many breakdancing moves and many capoeira movements. For example, the movement pictured in the stamp above is very similar to a capoeira movement called queda de rins. Capoeira also has the tradition of a pair of opponents playing a flowing game in which they try to show their mastery inside a circle of onlookers who sing and play music. In any case, the two arts have since diverged sharply. Jelon Vieira is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Capoeira Foundation and DanceBrazil. ...

Etymology

Breakdancing was never an actual term used by the original practitioners. It was a term coined in the 80's when it became more of a media phenomenon. David Toop (1991) describes breakdancing as being an adaptation of the Break, a dance popular before being replaced by the Freak, fueled by Chic's "Le Freak" in 1978, but that was revived by Crazy Legs, Frosty Freeze, and the Rock Steady Crew. He also explains, ""the word break or breaking is a music and dance term (as well as a proverb) that goes back a long way. Some tunes, like "Buck Dancer's Lament" from early this century, featured a two-bar silence in every eight bars for the break - a quick showcase of improvised dance steps." However, in the documentary "The Freshest Kids" hip hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc insists that the name breaking originated in the slang term "break", meaning someone going "off" or crazy, just as the dancers seemed to do when driven by the right beat. Others claim the term originates in the break of the song, which is the best part to dance to. Chic is an American band that was formed in 1975/76 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Crazy Legs (center) holding a t-shirt bearing his name. ... Categories: People stubs | Hip hop musicians | Hip hop DJs | 1955 births ...

In New York, DJ Kool Herc was the first person to coin the term 'b-boy' in 1969. During performances where Herc would be DJing, he would yell out "b-boys go down!" which cued the dancers to begin breakdancing. 1969 was also the year that James Brown recorded "Get on the Good Foot," a song that promoted high-energy, acrobatic dancing and that Afrika Bambaataa claims led to break dancing (Toop, 1991). Many oldschool breakdancers prefer to be referred to as b-boys. "B-boy" was the original term for urban style dancers, while "breakdancer" is better known as it has been used more commonly by the media. The 'B' in b-boy doesn't correspond to a specific word, but most likely means "Boogie", "Bronx" or "Break." Today, the term 'B-Girl' is used as well. State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th) - Land 122,409 km² - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... James Brown, known variously as Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... Afrika Bambaataa (born April 10, 1960) is a DJ and community leader from the South Bronx, who in the late 1970s, was instrumental in the early development of hip hop. ...

The "b" in b-boying probably DOES NOT mean "Boogaloo". Boogaloo was a style developed in the West Coast and pertains more to the general Funk styles dance scene than to the b-boying and Hip Hop scene although those two cultures did end up intermingling. Funk styling, or Popping, is an entirely different dance with origins in California and the funk scene, not New York and the Hip Hop scene. Boogaloo (shing-a-ling, popcorn music) is a genre of Latin music and dance that was very popular in the United States in the late 1960s. ... See: West Coast of the United States West Coast, New Zealand West Coast, Tasmania This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e. ... In music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different though related playing techniques on the double bass and on the (electric) bass guitar. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd) - Land 404,298 km² - Water 20,047 km² (4. ...

Dance

In its early form, breakdancing was divided into three distinct forms: Breaking, dancing and Popping. Breakdance is commonly associated with, but distinct from, Popping which is one element of the Funk styles that evolved independently in California during the late 20th century. Today, each body movement has been classified into a distinct style, technique or genre of breaking and is similar in principle to others but characteristically different. Other styles of dance associated with breakdancing include Uprock, Locking, Tutting, Boogaloo and Liquiding. However, these are not the same as breakdancing, although often are incorporated. Breakdance is too new to be considered a folk dance. In particular, street dances are living and evolving dance forms, while folk dances are to a significant degree bound by tradition. Breakdance was in the beginning a social dance but in the later years, mostly beacause of media and television, its goal has been as a performance dance. Uprock is a soulful, competitive street dance. ... Locking can refer to an act of concurrency management in software a device, used for security. ... Liquiding is a form of dance born out of the rave scene. ... The following dance categories are closely related to each other: Folk dance Folk dance is a term used to encompass a large number of dances that tend to share the following attributes: They were originally danced in about the 19th century or earlier (or are, in any case, not currently... A tradition is a story or a custom that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, originally without the need for a writing system. ... Social dance is a major category or classification of danceforms or dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing. ... Performance dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where performance is the primary focus of the dancing. ...

Breakdancers often call any dancing that takes place on the ground 'downrock' as opposed to 'uprock' or 'toprock'. The rest of the dance is founded around these basic moves. Dancers usually begin by toprocking, and then continue by going down to the floor and performing a '6-step' or similiar that may be heavily variated. Certain power moves can then be formed with combinations. After performing the techniques, the breakdancer will usually end the dance with a 'freeze' which is when he contorts his body to a strange position and literally freezes, stopping all dance motion. Basic Moves These moves are to be considered easier to perform correctly then the power moves. ... Basic Moves These moves are to be considered easier to perform correctly then the power moves. ...

Much of being a successful breakdancer is about having style. The constant debate between b-boys is a debate of who has the most style. Since anyone can learn to breakdance, the dancers must deviate from the set dances slightly to use their own style. In this way they can show-up other breakdancers during battles, thus winning the battle.

Battles

Breakdancing battles were very common. A breakdancing battle is when dancers 'fight' against each other on the dance floor without contact. They form a circle and take turns trying to show each other up through either better style, more complex move combinations, or tougher moves. Usually, breakdancing battles would take place between two opposing breakdancing crews. Some of the major crews are the Zulu Nation, Rock Steady Crew (RSC), Style Elements, Furious Styles Crew, Ichigeki, Team OHH, Fireworks, Havikoro, The Furious Five and Airforce Crew.

Today serious battles are usually held at organized breakdance events. The battles are usually part of a tournament style competition with cash prizes, or they are featured showcase battles, where each crew is paid to dance. It's not uncommon that spontaneous battles will happen at events as well, when rival crews show up with most of their members. A tournament is an organized competition in which many participants play each other in individual games. ... For the comic book series published by DC Comics, see Showcase (comic book). ...

The largest competition each year is probably Battle of the Year (BOTY), held in Germany since 1990, and featuring crews from around the world. Despite its name, BOTY focuses on choreographed routines. After judges rate the routines, the final winner, and de facto world champion crew, is decided in a final battle (along with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places). Recent winners have been from France, Korea, Germany, and Hungary. While crews from the USA have won in the past, the claim is that they are not often winners of BOTY, because competitions in the USA are almost exclusively battles, rather than dance routine competitions as are common in the rest of the world. Nonetheless, this is a good indicator of how widespread the practice and high ability level of this American folk artform has become. Battle of the Year is an annual breakdancing competition held in Germany. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Choreography (also known as dance composition) is the art of making structures in which movement occurs, the term composition may also refer to the navigation or connection of these movement structures. ... Korea (occasionally spelled Corea) is a formerly unified country, situated on the Korean Peninsula in northern East Asia, bordering on China to the west and Russia to the north. ... Folk can refer to a number of different things: It can be short for folk music, or, for folksong, or, for folklore; it may be a word for a specific people, tribe, or nation, especially one of the Germanic peoples; it might even be a calque on German Volk, a...

Fashion

For the breakdancer, fashion is an important aspect of their identity. Many breakdancers dressed wearing Adidas shoes with thick laces. They also wore nylon jumpsuits which were functional as well as fashionable. The slick surface allowed the breakdancer to slide on the floor much easier than if she or he had been wearing a cotton shirt. Also,the popular image of the breakdancer during the 80s always involved a public performance on the street, accompanied of course by a boombox. A fashion consists of a current (constantly changing) trend, favoured for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. ... adidas Stabil and a box Adidas is a German sports apparel corporation. ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 30s - 40s _ 50s - 60s - 70s _ 80s _ 90s - 100s - 110s - 120s - 130s 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 Note: Sometimes 80s is used as shorthand for the 1980s, the 1880s, or other such decades in... Ghettoblaster, a term that can be considered insulting or complimentary depending on the context, is a portable stereo system capable of playing radio stations or recorded music at relatively high volume. ...

Note that b-boys today dress very differently from b-boys in the 80's. T-shirts and sweatshirts with or without street fashion credibilty (Phat Farm, RocaWear, Akademiks, State Property...etc.) were usually worn at two to three sizes larger than would regularly fit its wearer as well as khakis, camouflage pants, jeans or sweatpants also worn at a larger size have long replaced the kangol hats and nylon Adidas and Nike suits from almost two decades ago. (It should be noted that the breakdancing, or bboying, culture no longer holds a stereotypical fashion. Nowadays, bboying has become such a wide-spread and open-minded culture that invites people of all fashions 'valid.' There are several bboying crews that are not sporting what one may expect bboys would be wearing. For example, there are crews that could be labeled 'goth' or 'punk' crews, because they'll wear clothes typical of that to the 'goth' or 'punk' stereotypes I.E. entirely black clothing, tight clothing, bleached hair, make up, etc. ) T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ... A jumper from Marks & Spencer A sweater, pullover, jumper or jersey is a relatively heavy garment intended to cover the torso and arms of the human body (though in some cases sweaters are made for dogs and occasionally other animals) and typically supposed to go over a shirt, blouse, t... Categories: Stub ... State Property is a rap crew from north Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA led by Roc_A_Fella Records rapper Beanie Sigel and comprises of Philly rappers Freeway, Peedi Crakk, Oschino and Sparks, and The Young Gunz which comprise rappers Young Chris and Neef and are also part of Jay-Zs Roc-A... Khaki, in British or European parlance, is a type of green tinged brown fabric, or the color of such fabric. ... Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ... Blue Jeans Overview Jeans are trousers made from denim. ... Sweatpants are long pants that were invented to warm up in and start sweating but are now casualwear. ... Nike, in Greek mythology, was victory, personified as a goddess. ...

Media

In the 1980s, with the help of pop culture and MTV, breakdancing made its way from the suburbs to the rest of the world as a new cultural phenomenon. Musicians such as Michael Jackson popularized much of the breakdancing style in their music videos. Movies such as Flashdance, Wild Style, Beat Street, Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo also contributed to breakdancing's growing appeal. Today, many b-boys and former breakers are dissapointed by the media hype that watered the dance down into money and overfocus on power moves. 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in a modern society. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburban redirects here. ... Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana), is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. ... Flashdance is a 1983 movie that was produced by Adrian Lyne. ... Wild Style is the first hip hop motion picture. ... Beat Street was the first hip hop movie that made it to a wide audience. ...

See also

Basic Moves These moves are to be considered easier to perform correctly then the power moves. ... Krumping (also clown dancing or clowning) is a style of dance that originated in Los Angeles, California. ... In music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different though related playing techniques on the double bass and on the (electric) bass guitar. ... Battle of the Year is an annual breakdancing competition held in Germany. ... Uprock is a soulful, competitive street dance. ... Locking can refer to an act of concurrency management in software a device, used for security. ... The Rock Steady Crew circa 1981. ... The Universal Zulu Nation, originally known simply as The Organization, is an international hip hop awareness group, which arose among reformed street gang members in New York City in the 1970s, formed and headed by Hip Hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. ...

Sources

Categories: Articles which may be biased | Hip hop dance David Toop (born 1949) is a musician, author, and as of 2001 was visiting Research Fellow at the London Media School. ... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... Graffiti is a type of deliberately inscribed marking made by humans on surfaces, both private and public. ... Rapping is one of the elements of hip hop and the distinguishing feature of hip hop music; it is a form of rhyming lyrics spoken rhythmically over musical instruments, with a musical backdrop of sampling, scratching and mixing by DJs. ... Hip hop music is a style of popular music. ... Collaborations between hip hop artists is a frequent occurence and one of the defining features of the genre. ... Alphanumeric List 1-9 1200 Techniques 2 Live Crew Fresh Kid Ice Luke Skyywalker Mr. ... Some clothing styles fashionable in hip hop culture (such as loose, baggy garments) allegedly derive from uniforms issued to prison inmates, from hand me downs, or because they are useful when shoplifting. ... Feuds and rivalries have always existed in hip hop, which arose in 1970s United States. ... Hip hop slang is a varied accumulation of slang terms that changes frequently and is parallel to the evolution and use of hiphop. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Subgenres Alternative rap Abstract hip hop Battle rap Crunk Freestyle rap Hardcore hip hop Gangsta rap Horrorcore Nerdcore hip hop New school hip hop Old school hip hop Turntablism Fusion genres These are combinations of hip hop music or rapping with other genres. ... In the early 1990s, two styles of hip hop were popular. ... In the 1980s, hip hop music began to break into the mainstream of the United States. ... Southern rap (or Dirty South hip-hop) is a type of hip hop music that emerged in the late-1980s as a popular force, based out of Miami first, then extending to Atlanta, New Orleans, and St. ... Gangsta rap, also known as hardcore hip-hop, was the name given to the subgenre of hip hop which involves a lyrical focus on the lifestyle of street thugs and gangsters. ... G-funk, an abbreviation of Gangsta-funk, is a type of hip hop music that emerged from West Coast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. ... Horrorcore is a genre of hip hop music that evolved from pioneers such as Ganxsta NIP, Esham, The Flalinerz, Brotha Lynch Hung and The Gravediggaz. ... Jazz rap is a fusion of alternative hip hop music and jazz, developed in the very late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Alternative hip hop (Bohemian hip hop) is a style of hip hop distinguished by socio-political lyrics, sparse beats that sample few and/or unusual sources (see jazz rap) and uniquely positive rhymes. ... Abstract hip hop is a subgenre of alternative hip hop that differs from other hip hop music largely in the content of the lyrics. ... Nerdcore hip hop is a musical genre. ... The very first hip hop to come out of the block parties of New York City in the 1970s and early 1980s is called old school hip hop. ... Hardcore hip hop is a form of hip hop music that has confrontational, often violent lyrics, and generally sparse, gritty urban beats. ... Trip hop (also known as the Bristol sound) is a term coined by United Kingdom dance magazine Mixmag, to describe a musical trend in the mid-1990s; trip hop is downtempo electronic music that grew out of Englands hip hop and house scenes. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Hip house, also known as house rap, is a mixture of house music and hip-hop which arose during the 1980s in New York. ... Hip life is a fusion of two styles of music, Ghanaian highlife and American hip hop. ... Alternate meanings: See Go go (disambiguation) Go Go is a form of funk music which arose in the 1980s in Washington D.C.. In the late 1970s, funk had gone electronic, influenced by then popular disco acts, and began using drum machines, synthesizers and other instruments that many purists derided. ... Miami bass (booty bass, bass music) is a form of music known for deep, throbbing beats, hyperkinetic rhythms and, often, sexually explicit lyrics. ... Nu soul (AKA neo soul) is a musical genre that fuses R&B, 1970s style soul, and hip hop. ... Ghettotech is a form of electronic dance music based in Detroit that combines electro, hip-hop, techno, Miami bass, and ghetto house amongst a peppering of most other dance music styles (jungle, drum and bass, R&B) at fast tempos (around 145 to 170 bpm). ... Electro (also known as electro funk) is an electronic style of hip hop directly influenced by Kraftwerk and funk records (unlike earlier rap records that were closer to disco). ... Rap metal is a musical genre that takes influence from both rap music and heavy metal music. ... Daddy Yankee, a reggaeton artist. ... Merenrap, or meren-rap, is a style of hip hop music which was formed from the fusion of merengue music with rapping. ... Atlanta-based Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz often refer to themselves as the Kings of Crunk. ...