This study guide was designed to help teachers prepare their classes to see a performance of BREAK! The Urban Funk Spectacular The guide describes the history of the company and includes a series of discussion questions, some activities you may want to do with your class as well as a few terms to remember. We hope it will be useful, and that you and your class find this performance both entertaining and educational. Visit us online at www.breakshow.com WHAT IS URBAN DANCE? URBAN DANCE or STREET DANCING, as we know it today involves Locking, Popping, Breaking, street style jazz and other forms of dance that developed out of urban culture rooted in American cities. It is deeply connected to Hip-Hop music and has become accepted as a legitimate art form seen across the world on television, videos and on theatrical stages as well as utilized in choreography by major dance companies. Locking Locking style involves a “clown look” fun movements like “the funky chicken” and other comedy moves. This was a dance style that was originally a “goof” dance or a “mistake” that became a media sensation with early 1970 TV shows based on unique characters and style. Some teachers out there might remember charactors like Re-Run! The significance of “Locking” was that it was the first style of Urban Dance gathering media attention. Robotics and Electric Boogaloo This style of dance became popular with the electronic funk sound and drum beat in songs in 70’s and 80’s. Many of you might have seen videos of “Michael Jackson’s Dancing Machine” and other Robotic dances of that era! WHAT IS BREAK DANCE? Although the exact beginning of Break dance is unclear, it seems to have emerged as a style of street dance during the 1970's. Involving a variety of footwork patterns and style such as spinning and various gymnastic-like actions, it was heavily influenced by a number of sources. The structure of Break dance performances is attributed to African influence. Basically dance groups or “crews" competed against each other by forming a circle and having the dancers perform in the middle of the circle. The objective in these “battles” was for the dancer to outdo his opponent by being more creative with his movements. This "dancing in the circle" as a means of competition is attributed to similar styles in African dance. Among the theories of the origins of break dance, many consider James Brown and his 1969 hit "Get on the Good Foot" one of its starting points. Inspired by his energetic and almost acrobatic dance on stage, many people began dancing on the "Good Foot", often incorporating moves that involved drops and spins. Other attribute the extreme popularity of martial arts films during the 70's to the beginnings of break dance since elements of these types of movements are also prevalent. The term “Break Dancing” actually arose with the growing recognition of this art form in the media. The early 80's battles between dance crews attracted the attention of the media. B-Boying also known as Breaking or "Breakdance," "Electric Boogaloo," "Popping," and "Locking," was featured in major films such as "Flashdance," "Breakin," "Breakin' 2," and "Beat Street." Street dancing has increasingly grown, receiving worldwide attention over the past 20 years. These various dance styles demonstrate a distinctive American art form that finds its roots in the streets of the inner city. ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE • BREAK! has been regarded as the cutting edge of dance at the dawn of the 21st century • It incorporates various styles of dancing such as "Breaking," "Locking," Popping, and Electric Boogaloo. • The show consists of a company of supremely talented performers in different areas of street dance & percussion. • The dancers and musicians were brought in one arena by artistic director Steve Love. • The dancers’ explosive performances of Power Tumbling, Break Dancing, Robotics, Locking and Popping have thrilled audiences on five continents. • The dancers use elements of footwork, freeze techniques and power moves. • Cast member of BREAK! have exciting styles creating an amazing audience POST PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES 1. Name some of the sources accredited with having an influence on non-traditional dance forms such as Break Dance & Locking tap dance and Break Dance. 2. Discuss some of the moves commonly used in Break dancing. Have the students explain and/or demonstrate their favorite movements. 3. Discuss some of the places they have seen Break dancing and who are their favorite dancers. 4. Discuss the future of urban dance 5. Have the students show in movement what they think street dancing will look like by the time they reach college. 6. Discuss the history of dance and see if the class can discover other times in history when a dance form evolved from the streets of the community For example, in Africa where “Dance Circles” involve the various dancers trying to outdo each other with creative and acrobatic movements. 7. Explore which different cultures express themselves by openly dancing in the streets. POST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONS 1. How was this performance of BREAK! different from any other dance performances you've seen ? How was it the same? How was the music different or the same? 2. Remember the movements of the dancers. What did the dances remind you of? Did you recognize in these movements elements of other kinds of activities (sports, exercises, etc.). 3. Which segment did you find most enjoyable? Discuss why. 4. Define the following terms & moves: Hip Hop MC (Master of Ceremonies) DJ (Disc Jockey) Graffiti Break Dance Tumbling Power Move Robotics Popping Locking Bucket Drumming Windmills Flairs Air Flairs Footwork Head Spins Back Spins Turtles Top Rock Floor Rock Hollows 90’s 2000’s Rap Dance Battle RESOURCES for STUDY GUIDE Information for the BREAK! complementary Teacher's Guide was compiled from a variety of sources including various websites, Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation, and Grollier Encyclopedia © 1997 Grolier, Inc. Also information gathered from interviews with master dancers from The Electric Boogaloos, The Rock Steady Crew, New York City Breakers and The Dynamic Rockers. BREAK Dance and Street Dance Movies KRUSH GROOVE BREAKIN BREAKIN 2 BEAT STREET Flash Dance CONTACT WWW.LOVEPRODUCTIONS.COM for more information 212.714.9197 HISTORY OF BREAK DANCING BEGINNING B-Boying began in a recreation center in the South Bronx of New York City in the early 1970’s. Street gangs and violence was at an all time high but was about to start its decline, mainly due to the introduction of a new culture that would later be dubbed "Hip Hop" by Afrikaa Bambaataa. This Hip Hop culture would give inner city youth a way to make a name for themselves and escape the anonymity of urban life, by battling other youth with creativity and style instead of violence. It was a young Jamaican immigrant named Clive Campbell (aka Kool DJ Herc) who was primarily responsible for the birth of this culture. Kool Herc developed a revolutionary new way of spinning records using two identical records. Instead of playing the entire the song on a record, he would only play the very upbeat and percussive breaksection of a song, known as the "breaks." Since the breaksection of a song is only seconds long, after the breaksection was through playing on the first record he would start playing the same section on the second record while managing to match the beat seamlessly . By repeating this process, he was able to play a continuous song of nothing but breaksections. Along with DJing, these "breakbeats" laid the foundation for the two more elements of the Hip Hop culture: MCing and B-Boying. It became the MC’s (Master of Ceremony) job to amuse, excite, and motivate the crowd to dance by using Rhythmic Accentuated Poetry (RAP) over those breakbeats. B-Boys were the ones who would dance or "freak out," "bust moves," and "go-off" on the dancefloor with their steps and freezes. These three elements along with graffiti art or writing are what make up the hip hop culture. INFLUENCE Most heads consider James Brown’s hit "Get on the Good Foot" the starting point for B-Boy culture. After its release, people started mimicking Brown’s footworks and began dancing the "Good Foot." Early B-Boying was based largely on an extended version of the Good Foot, also known as Rockin’. So essentially, James Brown was the first B-Boy. The word (B-)Boying most likely came from the African word "Boioing" which means to hop or jump, and is just one of the indicators of the influence African dance. It was the African people’s dance culture which brought the heavy rhythm and the idea of dancing in a circle, but it was definitely a variety of influences that made up early B-Boying including gymnastics, Eastern martial arts, tap dance, Salsa, Afro-Cuban and Native American dances. One of the most influential dances was a South American martial arts/fighting dance known as the Capoeira. Contrary to many rumors, B-Boying didn’t originate from the Capoeira but it played a large role in its early development. The Capoeira originated in the 16th century and was practiced by many of the millions of African slaves brought to Brazil. Since fighting was not allowed but singing and dancing was permitted, the slaves prepared for their resistance by incorporating fighting moves into their dancing. The fight-dance was performed in a circle with a crowd surrounding it, and as soon as a guard or official came close, the fighting would turn into a dance again.