Dancin’ in the Streets
In one of the most iconic scenes in film history, Gene Kelly tap dances alone on a rainy street as he performs “Singin’ in the Rain.” By no means was he the first — and certainly not the last— to feel the urge to break out in dance right in the middle of the street.
“Street dancing” is the evolution of expressive dance outside of a theater or studio setting. It refers to the dancing you see at the club, in the marketplace, in schoolyards, and yes, on the streets.
Regardless of the specific form, all street dance includes some of the following elements: a heavy focus on improvisation, a blurring between audience and dancer, a competitive spirit, and the encouragement of interaction between dancers.
Here are some must-know styles and terms that can help you become the best dancer on the block:
Argentine Tango (ahr-juhn-teen tang-goh) – Long before “Dancing with the Stars,” this ballroom classic originated in the slums of Buenos Aires, Argentina in the late 19th century. A social dance for two, Argentine tango is characterized by improvisation, with the focus of playing off of the music, as well as the chemistry between the dancers. Unlike some ballroom dances, the dance is not choreographed, but instead the movement is initiated by a strong lead/follow relationship between the dancers.
Breaking (brey-king) – Evolving out of the hip-hop movement of the 1970s, breaking involves elements of “toprock,” “downrock,” “freezes,” and “powermoves.” Initially started by rival gangs to settle disputes, dancers would show off their moves and the crowd would determine the winner. Eventually, these “battles” became an integral part of breaking culture. A group of b-boys/girls (see next entry) who dance together are called a “crew.”
B-boy/B-girl (bee-boi/bee-gurl) – The dancer who is breaking. He or she can also be referred to as a “breaker.”
Capoeira (kap-oo-air-uh) – Also considered a martial art in certain contexts, this Afro-Brazilian art form was developed by slaves brought to Brazil from Africa, and originated as a fighting style disguised as a dance. Accompanying the dance is music from a berimbaus, or a “musical bow.” When performing the form, two dancers spar in a ring made of other dancers, and perform attacking and blocking movements in a fluid manner.
Flare (flair) – Borrowed from gymnastics, this power move consists of a breaker swinging his legs around his torso while balancing on his hands.
Floating (floh-ting) – Popularized by Michael Jackson’s “Moonwalk,” this footwork-oriented technique creates the illusion that the dancer is floating smoothly across the floor by alternating the weight of the body on the ball and the heel. Can be done in any direction and usually used as part of a popping routine.
Freeze (freez) – Hold it! A freeze occurs when a b-boy/girl suspends all body movement in an interesting, difficult or stylish pose. Freezes are a way to show off your strength, especially in your upper body and your core. Often dancers will hold their bodies off of the floor in handstands, pikes, and sometimes with only one hand! Some popular freezes include “Baby Freeze,” “Airchair,” “Handglide,” “Pike” and “Turtle Freeze.”
Headspin (hed-spin) – A move where the weight of the breaker’s body rests entirely on the head, as the dancer spins indefinitely.
Jumpstyle (juhmp-stahyl) – Originating in Belgium, Germany and France in the late 1990s, this style of dancing involves intricate footwork, anchored by a constant jumping rhythm to the beat of the “jumpen” style of music (usually a hyper house beat). You will most likely see jumpstyle being performed by two dancers doing the same steps simultaneously to show the precision, clarity and coordination of the dancers. Jumpstyle may look easy, but it’s very cardio intensive! Another variation of jumpstyle is “tekstyle,” which is a freestyle, improvisation jumpstyle routine.
Krumping (kruhmp-ing) – A high-energy and loose-limbed dance, krumping is a major part of hip-hop culture. The dancer expresses herself through fast and aggressive moments, and may include foot stomps, arm swings and chest pops.
Liquid Dancing (lik-wid dans-ing)– Emerging from rave culture in the 1980s, this style of club dancing emphasizes smooth and controlled movements. The goal of the dance is to create the illusion that the body is liquid; hand movements and ripples through the body are key elements of liquid dancing. Can also be performed with glowsticks or LED keychains to show the path of the arms.
Locking (lok-ing)– Created by Don Campbell in the 1970s, locking is a style of dance that plays with the exploration between tension and relaxation in the muscles, moving from fluid to jerky movements. Lockers (dancers that are locking) work to “lock” their joints while dancing. Locking is often combined with popping (see next entry).
Popping (pop-ing) – By quickly contracting and relaxing a muscle to jerk, a dancer creates a “pop” or a “hit.” It is widely believed that popping originated in Fresno, CA in the 1970s. A dancer will pop their arms, legs, neck and chest to the rhythm.
Power Moves (pou-er moovs)– A difficult maneuver, displaying great upper body strength and coordination. Borrowed and inspired by movements in gymnastics, martial arts, Capoeira, among other forms, a power move is meant to show off your skills – make sure you always stay one step above the next b-boy/girl! See also “Windmill,” “Swipe,” “Headspin,” and “Flare.”
The Robot (roh-bot)– Originated by Charles “Robot” Washington in the 1960s, the dancer attempts to imitate a robot with jerky and staccato movements, often on the beat of the music. By abruptly stopping and starting, the illusion of the dancer as a robot is achieved. You will often see the robot in a popper’s routine.
Stepping (step-ing) – A percussive dance where the body of the dancer is used as an instrument. Generally performed in a group, stepping draws elements of tap, marching, gymnastics, and military-style drills to create complicated rhythms and movements. Stepping originated with African-American fraternities and sororities in the 1950s.
Swipe (swahyp) – A power move where the breaker extends one leg away from the body and hops the other leg over it, causing the whole body to rotate horizontally, sort of like a sideways pirouette.
Tecktonik (tek-ton-ik)– A mix of rave, disco and break dance, this club style dancing originating in France in the early 2000s. The name itself is derived from the French “discotheque” and is danced to electronica and house music.
Top Rockin’ (top rok-ing) – Footwork performed in an upright position, influenced by tap, lindy hop, salsa and Capoera. Top Rockin’ is a way to warm up and get yourself into more complicated maneuvers. It requires coordination, rhythm, and is a great way to show off your style.
Voguing (vohg-ing) – Pose! Pose! Pose! This form of dance originated in the Harlem ball scene, characterized by its mimicking of models posing for fashion magazines. This style features angular, staccato, and sometimes contortionist movements and is heavily featured in the 1990 film “Paris is Burning.” This style of dance was brought into mainstream culture through Madonna’s hit single “Vogue.”
Waving (Weyv-ing) – Growing out of the popping and funk dance scene, waving is the illusion that a wave is passing through the body though isolated movements. Sometimes seen with liquid dancing (see “liquid dancing”), waving is most commonly done with the arms and spine as part of a popping routine.
Windmill (wind-mil)– A power move where the breaker rolls his torso and back continuously in a circular path on the floor while spinning his legs in a V-shape through the air.