In this book, Joseph Schloss was endeavoring to discuss his encounters in the New York City b-boy scene somewhere around 2003 and 2008. He clarified about the history, community, and great b-boys records. Schloss trusted, “B-boying began with the break, the part of a song where all instruments except the rhythm section fall silent and the groove is distilled to its most fundamental elements”. Additionally, he reasoned that in breakdancing, we must be misrepresented (Schloss). Schloss also portrayed that break dancing is not about being aggressive, but rather it is about the capacity to be aggressive under a few conditions when it is fundamental and they must focus on their decision paying little respect to the outcomes
This was in line with the societal idea of “playing” and finding ways to experiment with norms or popular beliefs. To prevent conforming to the pre-established rules of dance, Tharp tested the limitations and experimented with a range of new possibilities such as combining genres and creating pieces with diverse sets of
Marshall liked a low center of gravity, syncopation, isolations, and the confident sexual appeal that is clearly shown in “All that Jazz” and a plethora of his works. In addition to his specific technique, Marshall entertained the audience. Audiences were elated and enthralled with his saucy contortions of the dancer’s bodies. Marshall created pieces with an addictive presence that gave most audience members goosebumps. His talent and gift of creativity has taken the world by storm and started an influential chain reaction that better’s the dance
After attending a children’s talent show, Sone became enthralled by dancing. So much so that she wanted to take lessons, her mother agreed with her that it was a good idea. Her father had a different opinion, he strongly disapproved as he associated dancing with immoral and scandalous behavior, telling her mother “ ‘I’d die of disgrace if my daughter were to appear that like in public’ (p. 45).” Her life was impacted by his preconceived ideas of what was appropriate for a young girl, and since he was the ‘man of the house’ his ruling was
“Don’t dance for the audience; dance for yourself.” Bob Fosse is the man responsible for single-handedly changing the world of jazz dance. Through his use of adult humor, dark stories, and jazz hands, his style has influenced many aspects of life. Whether it is in the music one listens to, choreography one learns, or even musicals one watches, it is clear to see that Fosse has changed the world with his legendary dancing.
According to Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming service, hip-hop is the world’s most popular genre of music. This is an amazing feat from a genre created less than fifty years ago in New York City. Modern day hip-hop deviates from its original purpose of providing a voice for underrepresented groups as hip-hop spread throughout the country and became overly commercialized. Clive Campbell, better known as DJ Kool Herc, created hip-hop at a Halloween party in the Bronx of New York City in 1973. After noticing positive reactions from the crowd, DJ Kool Herc used a groundbreaking turntable technique to elongate the drum breaks in songs (Blanchard).
In her article, Embodying Difference, Jane Desmond argues that dance offers important insights into the ways moving bodies articulate cultural meanings and social identities. In other words, she explains the importance of studying the body’s movement as a way of understanding culture and society. She has two main arguments. First, she argues for the importance of the continually changing relational constitutions of cultural forms. Desmond further explains that the key to shedding light on the unequal distribution of power and goods that shape social relations are the concepts of cultural resistance, appropriation, and cultural imperialism (49).
Since Blacks could not get into clubs, they had to create their own party culture. Firstly, DJ Kool Herc “laid the first building block of hip-hop” when he hosted a party for his sister Cindy at “520 Sedgwick Avenue with a sound system” that utilized “a guitar amp and two turntables” (Swanson, 2010). This was a pivotal point in time as it is known as the birthplace of hip-hop. More block parties resulted, which created a fun way to pass the time, similar to Manhattan. Techniques like breakbeats, scratching, cutting, and backspacing was formed by influential hip-hop figures like Herc, Grand Wizzard Theodore, and Grandmaster Flash (Swanson, 2010).
Mambo Girl (1957), a movie musical, follows Kailing, a talented young woman widely admired for her singing and dancing capabilities, as she searches for acceptance after learning the truth about her background. Shall We Dansu? (1996) follows Mr. Sugiyama, a Japanese accountant who goes on a secretive and intimate journey into the world of ballroom dance. Both Mambo Girl and Shall We Dansu? emphasize the close relationship between intimacy and Latin dance by linking Kailing and Mr. Sugiyama’s manners of dancing Latin to the emotional connection each has with other characters.
Before this unit, black dancing often differed from whites. First off, many of them seemed more comedic, Josephine Baker from Le Revue Des Revues. Her innovated performance brought her stardom, for she was the first African America international entertainer. She used her whole body in dances, freely moving around. In the 1920s, people deemed her dance ‘savage’ due to the lack of structure and revealing clothes.
The block parties, graffiti art, rapping, disc jockeying and diverse forms of dancing built Hip Hop by the black youth. They expressed their feelings, thoughts, but most importantly the problems they had to face, which were related to their race, gender and social positions. The rights that were given to black people during and after the Civil Rights Movement left the following generations at a lack of how to continue the fight for black rights. Hip Hop gave them this platform and with the usage of black nationalism, Hip Hop can explore the challenges that confront American-Americans in the post-Civil Rights Movement era. In the 1990’s Hip Hop lived its prime, sub genres started to appear and famous groups, MCs led the whole community, providing a voice to a group of people trying to deliver their message.
Sampson Paquette Professor Edwards ENGL101C 9-13-2016 The Dance The essay: “Silent Dancing” By Judith Ortiz Cofer reflects on the transitional period in her life where herself and her immediate family made the move from Puerto Rico to the Big Apple, otherwise known as New York city. The timeline for the essay was set in the 1950’s where cultural fusion and blatant racism ran rampant in the streets.
In the early 1990’s, the hip-hop and rap genre was largely dominated by sounds originating in the West Coast, specifically the South Central Los Angeles area. Artists such as Niggas with Attitudes (N.W.A), Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg were associated with the rap scene to a strong extent. A major reason as to why West Coast hip-hop was a more popular subculture than East Coast hip-hop was its use of G-Funk and party style beats, creating grooves that were easy to dance too (Brackett 483). Despite its beats however, West Coast hip-hop had a very distinct and controversial lyrical style to it. A major component of its lyrical style was the artist’s sociopolitical oppositions and their “criticism of social institutions” (Brackett 471), specifically those associated with police brutality against African-American men.
In the same way, the movements of the B-boys and the upbeat drumming music served by disc jockeys seem to mimic the dance and tunes of African tribes. That being said, hip-hop also functions as tool for African Americans to reclaim their roots and identity (Blanchard 25). Hence, more than capturing the early phases of hip-hop, Beat Street has also shown the genuine and non-commercial relationship of African Americans and this
“Beyond Beats and Rhymes” Summary This movie was a broad discussion about hip-hop music (or more specifically gangster rap) and what kind of social issues the music not only showcases but seems to promote. The producer of this film, Byron Hunt, interviewed people involved in all aspects of the hip-hop industry, including famous rappers, to try to get to the bottom of this. Some of the most prominent issues discussed in the film were the over-sexualization of women, gun violence, and anti- homophobic attitudes. Hunt would ask those involved in the industry about why they think these themes are so prevalent.