Hip Hop Dance Culture In The 1970's

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In the 1970’s hip hop dance was quickly being molded into a legitimate dance culture. Dancers showed off their skills whenever, wherever. In the 1980’s, as breaking, popping, and locking were being institutionalized all over the United States, hip hop was evolving from random performances to formal competitions. What would have been youth violence in gangs were now dance crews. Dancers in the same neighborhood or block would form a crew and create their own identity. Each crew had their own name, unique dress, and signature dance style. Sometimes clubs would host a featured hip hop DJ and crews would show up for informal battles. Other times, there was a set time and place for neighborhood crews to battle for dominance on the dance floor. Whoever …show more content…

Countries all over the world have taken the hip hop culture and made it their own. It all started with African Americans and Latinos in the United States and now France, Israel, Germany, Brazil, Japan, and many more have created a following. Hip hop has blurred racial lines and crossed cultural barriers. Hip hop is globally recognized as youth’s favorite culture. Youth all over the world have resonated with hip hop culture because, “it is custom made to combat the anomie hat preys on adolescents wherever nobody knows their name” (History of Hip Hop). Each country has created its own unique twist to hip hop, but they are all heavily influenced by the United States’ original sound. Around the world hip hop is known as a “world music”. Hip hop has been used in a positive way in countries like Paris and Cape Town to address environmental issues, politics, and social injustices. Hip hop is seen as “worldly” because no matter where what country it is, the music has a strong, translatable message. The relatable message that hip hop is portraying is not foreign at all. An organization in Sweden uses graffiti and dance to reach out and engage alienated youth. The United States is not the only country that holds immense competitions for crews to battle. Europe hosts multiple competitions, including UK B-Boy Championships in London, Juste Debout in Paris, and Street Dance Kemp Europe in Czech Republic. Japan and Australia also hold international competitions are all ages and different styles of hip hop dance.

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