What do you think when you hear the word breakdance? To most of us who grew up when hip hop was the way of the street, breakdancing was a form of expression.
When the word hip hop comes to mind, we reminisce back to the times when people from all around the world were locking and popping in Manhattan Square.
But the one thing that is still etched into our minds are the breakdance battles all over the neighborhood and watching Michael Jackson on television defying the laws of physics with his moves.
Speaking from a cultural perspective, there has been an increasing interest in hip-hop – especially breakdancing – as a global phenomenon.
Music genres gaining global recognition are no feat these days; however, an entire sub-culture being accepted globally is rare, which is what breakdancing symbolizes.
But how did this symbolism take over the whole world in such a short span? First, let us look at what breakdance symbolizes:
Breakdance And Its Associated Symbolisms
The hip hop movement brought with it an evolved form of dancing that originated from the Latino and African American youths – breaking.
Peaceful Way To Resolve Quarrels
In the late 1960s, New York was muddled into deep financial crisis, and the Bronx resembled a scene from a gore movie, with gang conflict a common occurrence.
However, in 1971, the South Bronx gangs signed a truce.
Here we see the rise of Afrika Bambaataa, the Black Spade gang's young warlord, who became the peacemaker of those times. He formed his organization in 1975, known as the Universal Zulu Nation.
This organization had a single objective, to bring the four pillars of hip hop culture (MCing, DJing, Bboying, and Graffiti) together under a single umbrella.
So, breaking initially was a method to resolve and cope with gang quarrels. The first b-girls and b-boys were the youngsters residing in hostile neighborhoods who danced at block parties, local park jams, or in the streets.
As a result, breakdancing turned to a source of constructing one's identity and provided social status to the ghetto youth.
From the start, breakdance has given youth culture a constructive alternative to the violent urban street gangs.
These days, it has become a culture and a remarkable discipline that falls right in-between athletes and dancers.
Since the involvement and acceptance of the art revolve around dance skills, the breakdancing culture is devoid of all the boundaries such as gender, age, and race which have been globally accepted.
Spirituality
For many, the notion of breakdance lies somewhere between Rubik's cubes and parachute pants, a fad of the Reagan era which only serves as a punch line.
From this perspective, many think that breakdancing and hip-hop don't contribute much to the American culture, and they could not be further away from the truth.
But to people who breakdance (b-boys and b-girls), it is no laughing matter. To them, this form of art is a highly spiritual discipline, like martial arts.
Furthermore, it is also a vehicle for many movements and self-realization. According to many dancers and writers influenced by breakdancing, the art is a metaphor for life.
And the hip-hop culture is an ideology, which allows them to be the best possible version of themselves, which according to them, they do not get from the mainstream culture.
Street Dance – The Dance Of Bronx
We all know that the girls and boys who perform breakdance are elite and sophisticated, but that was not the case when it started.
Earlier, breakdance, which was then called breaking, was practiced in dancing circuits and alleyways by working-class individuals.
Around these times, the Bronx Street dancers were well-known as the torchbearers of this particular dance form.
Not only did they perform over-the-top dance routines, but the dancers had a secret code language of their own.
Furthermore, the people of the Bronx had a symbolic language of their own, and they were the real pioneers of this art form.
The kids in the ghetto not only breakdanced, but they lived a lifestyle that was frowned upon by the locals, and they became famous for it.
This peculiarity was due to the preconceived notion that Bronx locals were unhappy, and there was misery all around.
However, once you entered the Bronx those days, all you could see was this particular culture that they had created which resembled nothing of the notions about them.
Music And Breakdancing Symbolism
It might seem somewhat cliché, but even the music b-boys and b-girls break to has become a cultural symbol.
We all know that for breakdancing recipes, music is a staple ingredient. The original songs which gave the dance the popularity it holds now borrow a lot from the progressive genres of:
- Disco
- R&B
- Jazz
- Funk
- Soul
- Electro
- Electrofunk
Moreover, the prevalent feature of breakdancing music is in the compilations or breaks created from the samples extracted from various songs that DJs then chained and looped together.
And the tempo typically varies between 110-135 bpm (beats-per-minute), shuffling the quarter and sixteenth beats in a percussive manner.
The genre's history has been credited to Kool DJ Herc, who invented the concept later termed as breakbeat. He has inspired a host of artists wanting to emulate his success.
However, what makes breakdance music a symbol is that the selection of music is not limited to hip-hop. Any song can be danced to as long as the beat pattern and tempo conditions are met.
The art form can be easily adapted to fit various music genres (with the use of remixing). In some rare cases, many global competitions have observed unexpected applications and progressions of heavy European electronica and even opera.
A Good Name On The Streets
We all can agree that the streets were not a good place to be before the advent of breakdancing. Yet, even today, the street-birthed arts have a bed cred, and multiple factors account for it.
Many breakdancers symbolize themselves as breaking this stigma. They want to change the image of the street perceived by the public.
Therefore, they have the mindset and want to do something good on the 'streets.'
According to them, there are people out there who do a lot of bad stuff on the street and give it a bad name. But the ones who do good are the ones who make all the difference.
Break-dancers stood out to change the street culture to stand out in a good way.
They did that so people could be fearless and know that some people on the street are putting all their efforts into an art form.
Moreover, they train all the time and put everything into providing positivity and giving the streets a good name.
Find dance classes here on Superprof.
Breakdancing Symbolizes Unity
When we saw the Moonwalk first time during the live solo performance of 'Billie Jean' by Michael Jackson, we all went crazy.
The move became a staple among the West-Coast Street dancers, who used a mechanized and precise movement style known as popping.
However, the technique by MJ included stop-and-start movements or pulsing.
By doing that, Moonwalk on national television in 1983, MJ popularized the style in a way no one had been able to do before.
And even though there is no doubt on the talent of the dance groups of that time, they did not have that mainstream audience crossover appeal that Jackson possessed.
His fame crossed all the demographics with his 1982 album 'Thriller,' and due to the Moonwalk, 'Billie Jean' became one of the top hits of that record.
In his first tour with the move, MJ changed his choreography to adapt Moonwalk into it at various selected moments with a particular move sequence.
The Impact Of Micheal Jackson
Jackson turned breakdancing into a national phenomenon; kids worldwide were imitating him.
However, this moment made dance history, not because of the audience it inspired but because MJ bridged the gap between East Coast breakdancers and West Coast Street dancers.
The Moonwalk blended perfectly in a physically demanding and almost gymnastic genre of breakdancing known for fast footwork, floor spins, and named steps like the worm.
But even before the Moonwalk, MJ had managed to change how Americans perceived dance. And this change was due to MTV, which started in 1981.
MTV brought about videos that gave performers a diverse visual platform to represent themselves and their songs. Before Jackson's 'Thriller, ' singers dancing in their videos were a rarity.
In its essence, Michael Jackson became the symbol for breakdance to come inside the house of everyone in the world.
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Breakdancing: A Culture In Itself
Breakdancing symbolizes multiple things; it represents our expression of an art form, indicates how we perceive our world, and signifies a better and peaceful way to fight our battles.
But we do not believe the list ends there. Breakdancing is a culture in itself, and it symbolizes something different to every dancer who practices the art.
Suppose you want to become a breakdancer and find what the art symbolizes for you. Then, why not connect with Superprof and get in touch with hundreds of certified, trained, and experienced professional tutors near you to start your journey towards becoming the next big thing!
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