B-boy
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A b-boy (or break-boy) is a male dancer who practices breaking or b-boying, an original hip-hop dance style, commonly known as "breakdancing." Equal terms for this are b-girl, to refer to a female who practices breaking, and breaker which is gender neutral.
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[edit] History of breaking
Breaking or b-boying, commonly called breakdancing, is a style of dance that evolved as part of hip-hop culture among Black and Latino American youths in the South Bronx during the 1970s.[1][2]:125, 141, 153 It is danced to both hip-hop and other genres of music that are often remixed to prolong the musical breaks.
There are four basic elements which form the foundation of breaking. The first is Toprock, a term referring to the upright dancing and shuffles. The second element is Downrock which refers to footwork dancing performed on the floor. The third element is the Freeze, the poses that breakers throw into their dance sets to add punctuation to certain beats and end their routines. The fourth element of b-boying is the Power Moves. These are the most impressive acrobatic moves normally made up of circular motions where the dancer will spin on the floor or in the air.
Though widespread, the term breakdancing is looked down upon by those immersed in hip-hop culture. This is because the word breakdance is a term created by the media to describe what was called breaking or b-boying in the street. The majority of the art form’s pioneers and most notable practitioners refer to the dance as b-boying.[3][4][5][6][7]
[edit] B-boy styles
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There are many different individual styles used in breaking. Individual styles often stem from a dancer's region of origin and influences. Although there are some generalities in the styles that exist, many dancers combine elements of different styles with their own ideas and knowledge in order to create a unique style of their own.
- Power: This style of breaking is what most members of the general public associate with the term "break-dancing". Power moves comprise full-body spins and rotations that give the illusion of defying gravity. Examples of power moves include headspins, backspins, windmills, flares, airtracks/airflares, 1990s, 2000s, jackhammers, crickets, turtles, hand glide, halos, and elbow spins. Those b-boys who use "power moves" almost exclusively in their sets are referred to as "powerheads".
- Abstract: A very broad style of breaking which may include the incorporation of threading footwork, freestyle movement to hit beats, house dance, broken link styles, and "circus" styles (tricks, contortion, etc.)
- Trick (Blowup): A style of breaking which focuses on the "wow factor" of certain power moves, freezes, and circus styles. Blowup-style consists of performing a sequence of as many difficult trick combinations in as quick succession as possible in order to "smack" or exceed the virtuosity of the other b-boy's performance. This is usually attempted only after becoming proficient in other styles due to the degree of control and practice required in this type of dancing. The names of some of the moves are: airbaby, airchair, hollow backs, solar eclipse, reverse airbaby, among others. The main goal in blowup-style is the rapid transition through a sequence power moves.
- Flavor: A style that is based more on elaborate toprock, downrock, and/or freezes. This style is focused more on the beat of the song than having to rely on "power" moves only. B-boys who base their dance on "flavor" or style are known as "style heads".
- Burns: A type of move intended to embarrass the opponent by creating obscene or comical moves (i.e crotch grabbing) during battles.
[edit] References
- ^ Brown, Lauren (February 18, 2009). "Hip to the Game – Dance World vs. Music Industry, The Battle for Hip Hop’s Legacy". Movmnt Magazine. http://www.movmnt.com/monsters-of-hip-hop-2_003332.html. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
- ^ Schloss, Joseph (2009). Foundation: B-boys, B-girls, And Hip-Hop Culture In New York. Oxford University Press.
- ^ Klopman, Alan (January 1, 2007). Interview with Popin' Pete & Mr. Wiggles at Monsters of Hip Hop - July 7-9, 2006, Orlando, Florida. DancerUniverse.com (Dancer Publishing). Retrieved 2009-09-09
- ^ Jorge "Popmaster Fabel" Pabon (1999). "Physical Graffiti... The History of Hip Hop Dance". Davey D's Hip Hop Corner. eLine Productions. http://www.daveyd.com/historyphysicalgrafittifabel.html. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
- ^ Jorge "Popmaster Fabel" Pabon (September 10, 2009). "25 Things You Should Know About Hip Hop". Dancer Universe. http://danceruniverse.com/stories/issues/200909/25_things_you_should_know_about_hip_hop/. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
- ^ Isreal (director). (2002). The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy. [DVD]. USA: QD3 Entertainment.
- ^ Adam Mansbach (24 May 2009). "The ascent of hip-hop: A historical, cultural, and aesthetic study of b-boying". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2009/05/24/the_ascent_of_hip_hop/. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
[edit] External links
Hip-Hop at the Open Directory Project
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