Hip Hop

Hip Hop is a very broad genre of dance so it is hard to pin point one specific founder. However, Hip Hop dancing began in the 1970's. Most of the Hip Hop dancing originated in New York. It mainly started with breaking and exploded from there. However, around the same time, people in California were dancing with Hip Hop influences as well. Most of the Hip Hop moves that we know today were originated during recreational dancing. As time went on different styles of Hip Hop emerged. These including: breaking, locking, and popping.

Once Hip Hop began, different styles of dance began to emerge from it. Breaking is considered the very first type of Hip Hop. It was created in South Bronx, New York. Breaking first emerged in African American cultures and then it spread from there. Puerto Ricans also greatly impacted breaking in the 1970's. Breaking is still popular today. On shows like So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew, there are always a few people who are  break dancers.  Locking is another core part to Hip Hop. It originated in California. The founder is said to be Don Campbell. He and his crew spread this style of Hip Hop across the United States. Locking is very similar to popping, especially if it is observed by the untrained eye.

Here is a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdsTdS4rfs

To Dance is a Radical Act

    Before reading this article, I had never thought of dance as being a radical act. I knew it was powerful but would never use the word radical to describe it. However, after reading this article, I see why the author chose that word.  I agree with most of what the author says in this article. I especially agree with the idea that when we dance, we are going back to our roots and what we are suppose to do. We are designed to move and not sit all day. Personally, dance is one of the bests ways to move. It is similar to what we talk about in class about head tail connection or the x position.  The author goes on to say that it is important to find the dancer is all of us, which I also agree with. because "To dance is to play with this movement in ways that allow us to discover and exercise our capacity to make our own movements—movements that align with our health and well-being. " In addition, through dance we learn about our selves. I also agree with the author when it states that there are some things that we can't say with words. In some situations, it is much more powerful to dance or even more than it is to talk. After reading the entire article, the one thing I agree with the most is  one of the first sentences : "Because if dancing matters—if dancing makes a difference to how we humans think and feel and act-then dancing challenges the values that fund modern western cultures.."  I agree with this the most because many times in history, dance has helped people go against the social norm and be themselves. 


  In contrast to what the author wrote, I don't think the world would stop spinning if dance never existed. I think dance is very important in human history and culture but not a necessity. There are many people who are alive today who have never danced and still thrive in society. In addition, there are many other acts, like running or swimming, that have a similar affect that dance has.  The act itself shouldn't matter as long as you are expressing yourself and moving. But, this article opened my eyes to a different role dance has on Earth. 

Poreotics

Poreotics is an all-male dance crew. They won the fifth season of America's Best Dance Crew, which is when I first saw them preform. There are seven members in the group: Dumbo, Can, Charles, Law, Jet Li, Chad, and Danny. Dumbo created the group in California in 2007. He was inspired to start dancing after he saw the movie You Got Served and decided to make his own dance crew. Dumbo calls Poreotics' dance style, "funk style in choreography with a robotic feel." Many of the members of Poreotics never took any dance classes, which shows anyone can be a dancer and be successful. Also, most of the Poreotics dancers either are enrolled in college or have other jobs instead of dancing full time. The Poreotics' dance style is very unique. It combines hip hop with popping. Their movements are always sharp and precise. I think their best dances are when they do something comical (which is what the video shows). They often mash different songs together and different genres of songs, which makes the dance unpredictable. After winning America's Best Dance Crew in 2010, they have returned to the show multiple times. They have also preformed in music videos for Justin Bieber and Bruno Mars and worked with Vitamin Water. They had a small tour in Australia that was featured in three different cities. This is one of my favorite dance groups because each of their dances is high energy, even if it is more serious. I think they truly love to dance and preform, which makes it fun to watch them. The video is from the Hip Hop International in 2010. They received the silver.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=0Z1SagbnPew

My Greatest Strength and Weakness as a Dancer

As a dancer, it is hard to take a step back and evaluate yourself, especially for me. I don't like watching myself dance or thinking about how I am as a dancer. However, I think it is important to evaluate yourself so you can improve. My biggest strength is my choreography, which is also one of my favorite parts of dance. When I get in the right mindset, I can normally choreograph a few eight counts pretty quickly. I think it is one of my strengths because I love doing it. I get invested in a song or idea and work hard until I'm happy with it, which translates in the dance. I also bounce off of the ideas of other people that I am choreographing with. By keeping an open mine, we normally create a cool piece. I think choreographing is an asset because it is hard to teach someone how to choreograph unlike teaching someone a dance move because it is something created within. It is also an advantage because no matter how much technique you have, you still need choreographic skills. People don't come to a show to watch technique, they come to watch a piece. 


My greatest weakness as a dancer is not making a movement big enough. I tend to do something small without fully committing to it. This is a weakness because the dance is more meaningful when the dancers give a hundred percent effort. It is hard to turn a weakness into a strength but I think if I remind myself to always make things big it is possible. Even if I think I am doing something big I need to push myself to make it bigger than that. Despite the fact that I don't like watching myself dance, it is a helpful tool. When I watch myself dance, I see myself doing things small. Because I know I can do better, I get mad at myself. This gives me the motivation to really work on this weakness. I hope this year that I can make my choreographic skills better and turn my weakness into a strength. 

What Dance Means to Me

Dance is whatever you want it to be. To me, it is a way to express what I am feeling. Even if you are learning a dance that someone else has choreographed you still do a movement in different way than the person next to you. When I am watching a performance, each dancer is doing the same movement but it is not the exact same, which makes it interesting. That is why I love to dance because there are no rules and no limits. Each dancer has their own style and perspective. When you preform, you share with the audience your feelings and view whether it be a serious topic or something fun. Dance is the only thing I know, besides art, that has no right or wrong and is never black and white. Every time I walk into dance class, I learn something new or watch an innovative dance that I have never seen before. Dance is always evolving and it will never stop.

Showings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApHUIuofbdk 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmG7R95nLL0

My Inspiration

My inspiration comes from the Jabbawockeez. I love their style of dance. It is a form of hip-hop but they put their own twist and flare on it. They use robotic movements but contrast it with more soft, fluid movements. The Jabbawockeez also play with tempo in almost every dance to always keep their audience guessing.