|
|
Streetsounds
Electro
If you came here then you either don't have a
clue what the hell this is, or if you do, then you
probably now have some back trouble or a bald patch
on the top of your head from some break battles
outside the local chippy.
For those who missed out then this was the start of
it all in the UK. Scratch' in, break' in, cuts,
mixes, beat boxes, caps, trainers, designer labels,
hell even the hoodies your all wearing now all goes
right back to here.
History
Breaking was born when street corner DJ's (in
legend it is DJ Kool Herc who was first) would take
the breakdown sections (or "breaks") of dance
records and string them together without any
elements of the song per se. This provided a raw
rhythmic base for improvising and further mixing,
and it allowed dancers to display their skills
during the break.
One of the major breakdance street culture pushes
was Michael Jackson's Robot dance, first performed
on television in 1974. The performance received a
large following with many later breakdance pioneers
further popularizing breakdance in the late 1970s.
Popular speculations of the early 1980s suggest
that breakdancing, in its organized fashion seen
today, began as a method for rival gangs of the
ghetto to mediate and settle territorial disputes.
In a turn-based showcase of dance routines, the
winning side was determined by the dancer(s) who
could outperform the other by displaying a set of
more complicated and innovative moves.
It later was through the highly energetic
performances of the late funk legend James Brown and
the rapid growth of dance teams, like the Rock
Steady Crew of New York City, that the competitive
ritual of gang warfare evolved into a pop-culture
phenomenon receiving massive media attention.
Parties, disco clubs, talent shows, and other public
events became typical locations for breakdancers,
including gang members for whom dancing served as a
positive diversion from the threats of city life.
|
