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Breakdancing
This nOde last updated December 17th, 2004 and is permanently morphing...
(3 Ix (Jaguar) / 17 Mac - 94/260 - 12.19.11.15.14)

break dancing

break dancing also breakdancing (brâk´dàn´sîng)  noun
A style of dancing in which agility, and often spectacular gymnastic skills, are combined with pantomime and performed especially to the rhythms of rap music.
- break´-dance´ verb
- break dancer or  break´-danc´er noun

visually alluring, breaking was all the rage at my jr. high school in the mid eighties... in hindsight, it was an important step to boost the hip hop cultural meme into the mainstream (whether that was a good thing or not is another matter).  i still cannot promote it as much as i like because it falls into the "performance" camp, which is justified since it came out of a need for empowerment... my preference is to dance the way you feel, so that is why the rave culture seems to have a bigger impact - everyone can get involved, and doesn't involve showcasing "skillz". - @Om* 10/14/01

Main Footwork
Toprock- The first move that should be learned, it is used to clear out a circle and define your style.
Six-Step/Downrock- Basic footwork when you're down on all fours.
Coffee Grinder/Helicopter- Footwork where you sweep one leg under the other.

Basic Power Moves
Windmills/Shoulder Rolls- Probably the most common power move in breakdancing, you roll on your back, shoulder, and forehead like a continous backspin.
Flares- Originating from gymnastics, you swing your legs around your body while only your hands touch ground.

Ab Power Moves
Icy-Ice- You stick your elbow in your side and spin on your hand and head.
Handglides/Handspins- You stick one elbow almost under your belly button, and spin on one hand.
Turtle/Floats- Where your elbows are in your stomach, and you move your hands around with your body in a circle.
Crickets- Using the turtle position you push off the ground and land back in the same position.
Jackhammers- Basically one handed crickets.

Inverted Power Moves
1990's- The move where you spin on one hand with your feet straight up in the air.
2000's- 1990's with one hand on the other.
Solar Eclipse/Leap Year- Fancy hopping handstands.
Headspins- Self-Explanatory.
Elbow Spin- Spinning on your forearm and elbow, or just elbow.

Swipes
Swipes- Rotating around your body using mostly your hands and landing on all fours.
One Footed Swipes- Swipes with one leg kept straight the whole time.
Air Swipe- An advanced way to start swipes.
Head Swipes- Rotating around your head like in swipes.

Poses
Hollowback- A fancy bridge with your feet off the ground.
Two Elbow Pose- Balancing on two elbows as a pose.
Elbow Pose- Balancing on an elbow as a pose.

Miscellaneous
Kip-Up/Springs- When your on your back and kick up on to your feet.
Baby Suicide- From a handstand you let go and fall on your back.
Suicide- From your feet you do a flip and land on your back.
Air Flares- A move where you use both hands to push off the ground and do a full roll rotation in the air.

• Anomalog: Breaking For JP - Pope Aroused By Boys Breakdancing
• electro
• locking
• hip-hop
• popping
• the wave
• Kool Herc
• B Boy
• ghetto blaster
  • Anomalog: Ghettobox TAZ Via Open Source
• tv show _Graffitti Rock_ hosted by Kool Moe Dee
• film _Beat Street_ (vhs/ntsc)
  • electro funk track _Breakers Revenge_ MP3 by Arthur Baker off of soundtrack 12"
    • Arthur Baker produced _Planet Rock_ MP3 by Afrika Bambaataa
• video footage (vhs/ntsc) of _Buffalo Gals_ MP3 by Malcolm McLaren along with Frosty Freeze & The Rock Steady Crew
• video footage _Vin Diesel Breakdancing_ (quicktime) - early footage of lanky Vin Diesel (aka Mark Vincent) breakdancing to Krush Groove in baby blue jumpsuit.  he had a curly tuft of hair and wears a bandana.
• track _Papal Breakdance_ MP3 (160k) by Psychic TV off of _Magick Defends Itself_ 12" on Temple (1986)
• drill & bass track _Rigid Body Dynamics_ MP3 (192k) by Jega off of _Geometry_ 12"x2 on Planet Mu #002 (2000)
• track _Breakdance Electric Boogie_ MP3 by West Street Mob off of 12" on Sugar Hill (1983)
• heavily vocoded: "spin on your back, and spin on your knees... spin on your hands and then freeze..."
• "Breakdance" and "spin on your back" are sampled in track _Dis Yourself In '89 (just do it)_ by Beastie Boys

first mention of Breakdancing in Usenet:

From: Stan King (stan@clyde.UUCP)
Subject: Re: Breakdance
Newsgroups: net.music
Date: 1983-10-03 09:49:24 PST

What is "breakdance"?

----

Send replies to me; I will summarize the interesting ones.

                Stan King                       phone: 201-386-7433
Bell Labs, Whippany, NJ         Cornet:  8+232-7433
                room 2A-111                     uucp:    clyde!stan

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