ORIGIN

Break dancing, also known as (AKA) breaking or B-boying, originated in the mid 1970’s by urban American Blacks. They began performing this style of dance in Manhattan and The South Bronx of New York City. This dance is used in the American and Hip-Hop cultures and societies, and evolved from the Hip-Hop movement. It is a style of dance used to move to the beat of rap, which is an outgrowth of popular dance music. Break Dancing, when it first started, was very popular among small groups of people in certain areas. During the 1990’s, this type of dance spread and became widely known. This type of dancing was originally performed on the streets in places such as the hood, ghetto and the projects. People first performed it in an attempt to earn money on the streets. Later on, people began to perform this dance in the hip-hop culture as it was used to express themselves in terms of their music. Most Break-dancers learn to dance from their peers. People can perform break dancing in groups or by themselves. When it is performed in a group, the dancers challenge other groups; they are then known as crews. Crew verse crew battles are well known and they compete in order to earn a “Rep” (reputation) on the street. Break-dancers can perform their dances as a synchronised dance or they can perform a freestyle dance. A freestyle dance is when Break-dancers show off their moves by performing dance moves without practicing their sequences, so they make it up to the beat as they go along

MUSIC/INSTRUMENTS

Break Dancing is performed to Hip-Hop or Rap music. Normally, it consists of a Disk Jockey (DJ) playing snatches of a record in short bursts with rhythmical beats, while a rapper recites fast, slangy and rhymed lyrics to the beat. Many different types of instruments can be used such as turntables, which are the most common instruments used to create Rap and Hip-Hop music. This allows the DJ to perform many different styles of music and also to create different sounds of instruments. Furthermore, it allows the DJ to create his/her own tunes by mixing and scratching different songs to generate a mixture of beats. CD players, speakers, and various sound equipment are also used to enhance the sound so people can hear it.

CLOTHING

There are no traditional clothes that have to be worn when break-dancing. The clothes a break-dancer wears have to show off their personal sense of style and colors. Many break-dancers choose to wear a brand name cap that suits them. They also wear a sweatband on their heads to keep their sweat from getting into their eyes when they are dancing. They also choose to wear their “bling” (jewellery, such as chains). They can either wear baggy or tight shirts; tight ones are more practical as they do not restrict movement. They also dress in “hoodies”(hooded sweat shirts), and wear baggy jeans as this is very durable and it protects them from sustaining minor injuries when performing the moves and stunts. Sneakers and takkies are the footwear of choice, with sneakers being preferred as it allows them to perform their moves easily. Occasionally they also wear armbands which prevents the arms and hands from becoming slippery as it soaks up the sweat. Most importantly, break-dancers dress in a way that they want to, they express themselves in their own way in which they feel comfortable; therefore, one cannot be told what to wear unless one is in a crew. Crews normally have a color or logo to represent them; members of the crew have to wear their color or logo so they can be recognised.

VENUE

Street Break-dancers dance wherever they can; this can be in a parking lot, the pavement, basically anywhere on the streets. Break-dancers can also perform in clubs and on dance floors. They also perform on stage at certain areas. They prefer flat places that they can slide on so that they can perform their tricks without sustaining serious injury. Some use cardboard boxes when they are performing on rough surfaces such as tar. Street dancing can occur anywhere in any area that is spacious and which suits the break-dancers style of dancing. Some break-dancers perform in a battle ring; this is normally used in break-dancing tournaments. Here, break-dancers or crews can battle each other while there is a live audience watching around them. One by one each crew or person has a chance to show their moves; at the end the crowd votes for the winner. There is no set place where one has to break-dance as one can perform anywhere that one is allowed and wherever it is possible.

TECHNOLOGY

Not much technology is used in break-dancing as one doesn’t need technology to perform this type of dance, but one does require some kind of technology to create and play the music that is danced to. Some of the technologies that may be used are DJ turntables, which are great to mix and produce songs with. CD players, radios, boom boxes, amplifiers, speakers and other sound equipment are used to express the music. Mikes are also frequently used, as there are rappers that rap to the beat and recite their lyrics while the break-dancers perform. There are also many cables that are used for each electrical instrument. Many different effects may also be used to make a more spectacular show. Lighting is the main one, it is used to enhance the look and give everyone the feel of the music and the dance as the light does not just stay still because some of the lighting effects have the ability to move freely or in a set course. Multiple colors are also sometimes used.