The Origins and Different Types of Street DanceBelow are a few paragraphs explaining the origins of street dance - a somewhat diverse array of dance styles that includes bboying/breaking, popping, locking, house, hip hop, and street jazz. The excerpt comes from a book called "Street Dance: The Best Moves," written by DJ Hooch. The book includes a lot of step-by-step instructions for common street dance moves, but also has this great section explaining the different types.
Title: "Street Dance: The Best Moves" Author: DJ Hooch Excerpt: |
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What is Street Dance?
Where It Started
Street dance is the broad term that's used to describe a number of different types of dance that originated outside of a dance studio - usually on the streets, but also in clubs, parks, and other open spaces...
While it's tricky to trace the very first type of street dance, because forms of it exist the world over, the precursor to what we now know as street dance is African-American dance. This style of dance developed within communities who were brought to the United States as slaves during the early 19th century.
While it's tricky to trace the very first type of street dance, because forms of it exist the world over, the precursor to what we now know as street dance is African-American dance. This style of dance developed within communities who were brought to the United States as slaves during the early 19th century.
Early styles of street dance include:
What we now see on TV and in films referred to as 'street dance' is a mixture of moves from different forms of styles: bboy, popping, locking, hip hop, and house. These styles emerged back in the 1960s and '70s across the USA.
It was a time when gang warfare was rife. In the middle of these troubled times, a DJ from the South Bronx, Afrika Bambaataa, recognized that there was a need for a way to channel energy towards something positive and creative, towards activities that engaged young people but also gave them an opportunity to express themselves.
- Folk
- Tap
- Traditional jazz
What we now see on TV and in films referred to as 'street dance' is a mixture of moves from different forms of styles: bboy, popping, locking, hip hop, and house. These styles emerged back in the 1960s and '70s across the USA.
It was a time when gang warfare was rife. In the middle of these troubled times, a DJ from the South Bronx, Afrika Bambaataa, recognized that there was a need for a way to channel energy towards something positive and creative, towards activities that engaged young people but also gave them an opportunity to express themselves.
Bboying (or Breaking)
Bambaataa saw the potential for this in what we now know as the culture of hip hop. Hip hop traditionally has four elements: bboying, DJing, graffiti, and MCing. These different elements, which require physical, mental, and creative energy, became ways for rivalries to be played out without resorting to violence.
From Bambaataa's founding principles, hip hop became a global cultural movement. DJ Kool Herc named the dancers bboys because they danced on the break of the beat, and Bambaataa founded one of the first-known bboy crews that he called the Zulu Kings.
From Bambaataa's founding principles, hip hop became a global cultural movement. DJ Kool Herc named the dancers bboys because they danced on the break of the beat, and Bambaataa founded one of the first-known bboy crews that he called the Zulu Kings.
Locking
Locking was a dance invented by street dancer Don Campbell in the late 1960s, and pioneered by his dance group The Lockers, famous for appearing as the house dancers on legendary TV show Soul Train.
As a style locking is visually distinctive, with traditional outfits including baggy pants, newsboy/barrowboy caps, and stripes in abundance. Musically, they dance to funky soul and disco.
As a style locking is visually distinctive, with traditional outfits including baggy pants, newsboy/barrowboy caps, and stripes in abundance. Musically, they dance to funky soul and disco.
Popping
The dance style of popping originated on the West Coast of America in the 1970s, thanks to a dancer called Boogaloo Sam, who was inspired to develop his own styles of dance after seeing The Lockers on TV. These styles became known as popping and boogaloo. Popping got its name from the way the dancer contracts or 'hits' his or her muscles to the beat of the music to create a snapping, or jerking, effect.
Poppers originally danced to a mix of funk and disco, particularly acts like Parliament, Zapp, and Cameo. By the early 1980s they were also using the electro tracks being produced by acts such as Soul Sonic Force, Kraftwerk, Jonzun Crew, and The Extra T's.
Poppers originally danced to a mix of funk and disco, particularly acts like Parliament, Zapp, and Cameo. By the early 1980s they were also using the electro tracks being produced by acts such as Soul Sonic Force, Kraftwerk, Jonzun Crew, and The Extra T's.
House
One of the more recent forms of street dance, house dance originated in the post-disco era in clubs in both New York and Chicago. The dance style is heavily social, with the emphasis on freestyling and vibing to the music played by the DJ.
The music that house style is danced to now includes soulful house, broken beats, and minimal tech.
The music that house style is danced to now includes soulful house, broken beats, and minimal tech.
Hip Hop
As the breaking craze died out in New York and the style of rap music changed, a new dance style arose in the clubs: hip hop freestyle. Like other forms of street dance, this was heavily influenced by the music coming out at the time.
- from "Street Dance: The Best Moves" by DJ Hooch
- from "Street Dance: The Best Moves" by DJ Hooch