B-Boying/B-Girling

Okay, Okay, now as true Hip Hopers, we all must take a second and take a look back into our roots. yes, I am talking about B-Boying. for thoes of you who dotn knows thats break dancing. also we must look into our past into Popping and Locking. and then forward to the future into a new style, Krumping.

Breakdancing started in 1969. That was the year that James Brown recorded "Get on the Good Foot," a song that inspired an acrobatic dance based on the high energy moves that Brown performed on stage. Soon, kids in New York were doing the Good Foot -better known as B-Boy(short for Break Boy)- which was the direct precursor to the sort of breakdancing we know today.

1969 was also the year that Afrika Bambaataa started organizing ghetto youth into one of the first breakdance crews: The Zulu Kings. The Zulu Kings won contests and talent shows. They performed their moves at dance clubs. Bambaataa recognized the potential for acrobatic dancing, and he encouraged young people to stick with it. But most people thought the Zulu Kings were just another gang.

When the Zulu Kings were challenged by a rival street gang, Bambaataa, they called for a break in the usual street warfare and suggested that the two groups fight with steps rather than weapons. Sure enough, the rival gang was just as ready to square off with dance steps as they were with knives and chains. Afrika Bambaataa's followers grew into the Zulu Nation which was 5000 strong. The kids in the Zulu Nation would rather dance than fight, and breakdancing (a term invented by Afrika Bambaataa) became an integral part of hip-hop.

These dance battles gradually evolved into a highly stylized form of mock combat called "Uprock". In an uprock battle, a dancer would lose if he actually touched his opponent. A B-Boy named Rubberband is credited with developing Uprock. Breakin' was originally known as "Rocking". "Old Style" breakin' and B-Boy'n consisted only of floor work ("Floor Rock" or "down rock") and "top rock" (dancing on two feet, like the Moonwalk). Acrobatic moves such as the headspin had yet to emerge. Floor Rock involved complicated leg moves. Athletic young men found it was a good way to win dance contests. B-Boy'n was especially popular in the South Bronx, where rival gangs would battle over turf, or just to gain each others' respect.

Breakin' remained popular until 1977, when a dance called the Freak took over.Meanwhile, another dance was catching on...one which would lead to the development of the Electric Boogie. This dance was called the Robot. People started doing the Robot as early as 1969, but the dance really took off after Michael Jackson danced the Robot while singing "Dancin' Machine" on national TV.

In 1979, a new breakdance crew was organized called Rock Steady Crew. These dancers were very talented, but breakin' wasn't as popular anymore. People said that Rock Steady were old fashioned. One person who encouraged Rock Steady Crew was Afrika Bambaataa. The kids in Rock Steady Crew were all original members of Bambaataa's Zulu Nation. Bambaataa told them to stick with it. Rock Steady Crew invented many of the "power moves" that made breakdancing famous. Crazy Legs and Frosty Freeze (who specialized in "freeze" moves) practiced in Central Park, New York and on the streets until they had perfected their routine. They added a lot of acrobatic moves such as the headspin, handglides, backspins, and "The Continuous Backspin" (better known as the Windmill).

Here's a video of the Worlds best Breakers as of 2004, also the worlds current best in locking (Hilty and Bosch) are in there; It's a long vid but should load fast.

Tune in next week when we look into Poppin.