BRINGING AN INSIGHT INTO STREET DANCE CULTURE
DISPELLING MISCONCEPTIONS AND TO ENFORCE THE SPREAD OF CORRECT INFORMATION. 9500191800 THE
PROJECTBringing an insight into street dance culture, dispelling misconceptions and to enforce the spread of correct information. The aim of this project is to create a ‘ platform which will communicate correct It's not even information about street dance and thus inform and educate the public. about moves, The target audience is aimed at anyone it's about style. who is interested or involved in street You remember dance. To date research has found that me by my energy, there are significant issues in terms of ‘not my moves street dance culture being portrayed incorrectly, this further supports a need to pursue this project. Research has also - BBoy Smurf, Zulu Kingz / Boogie Brats included finding out about the subject area while including other areas that are directly or indirectly related. Through the incoporation of divergent thinking it has helped to create a more extensive body of research thus informing potential creative issues. WHATIS STREETDANC?E Streetdance was a term coined originally to describe dances that developed outside of the studio setting and in a social space like ‘streets, clubs and parks Just 4 Funk Productions (2014) What Are Street Dances? What is Streetdance?, [online], http://just4funkproductions.com/whatisstreetdance/ (Accessed 9 October 2014).
S treet dance is also used as an umbrella term for styles such as locking, popping, krump, house, b-boying etc. Although these are the correct terms for street dance, there has been various misconceptions’ and misrepresentations about the individual dances and their cultures which has mislead the public. Street dance culture is very important to those who do it as the lifestyle is just as significant as the moves themselves. The dancers take care to preserve the culture by learning from the creators and innovators of the styles, so from there they can spread the information to the next generation of dancers. As Street dance is an umbrella term for several dance styles, this page provides a brief description of the more well known styles of street dance. But there are also other forms and styles which are not included in this page such as Waacking, Voguing, Jerking, Jooking, and many more. LOCKING POPPING was created by Don has different elements Campbell who created which includes the what was called the contracting and relaxing ‘Campbell lock’ which was of the muscles which is later known just as a ‘lock’. known as The Pop, the Elements of locking include use of Poses and Angles. various movements such Sam Solomon is a known as The Lock, Claps, Points figure who has been and the Scooby Doo. influential in Popping. HIP-HOP B-BOYING as a style is a culmination of was originated in New York social dances, influenced by and the style is a part of Soul Train. There has been Hip-Hop culture. several influences such There has been influential as the charleston and the figures in b-boying such twist. Several elements of as the Rock Steady Crew this include the Two Step, & Zulu Kings. Elements of THE Roger Rabbit although the style include Toprock, there are many more. Power Moves and Freezes. KRUMP HOUSE evolved from clowning is rooted in the clubs of STYLES OF and was created by Tight Chicago and New York Eyez and Mijo. It is a battle and is made from fluid orientated intense style movements combined with with elements including complex step patterns. Jabs, Armswings, Chest Elements include Footwork, STREET DANCE Pops and Stomps. Jacking and Lofting. Based on the results of 20 participants. 1.) Which1.) Which gender gender are you? are you? 2.) Are2.) you Are betweenyou between the ages the ages of... of... Male:Male: 60% 60% UnderUnder 16: 5%16: 5% Female:Female: 40% 40% 16-25:16-25: 70% 70% 26-30:26-30: 10% 10% RESEARCH 30+:30+: 15% 15% 3.) Are3.) you Are or you have or haveyou everyou everbeen been a dancer? a dancer? 4.) How4.) Howdid you did firstyou firsthear hearabout about streetdance? streetdance? Yes:Yes: 40% 40% Films:Films: 50% 50% No: 60%No: 60% People:People: 20% 20% QUANTITATIVE T.V: T.V:20% 20% Dancers:Dancers: 10% 10% Streetdance Questionaire The methods of primary and secondary Flyers:Flyers: 0% 0% Internet:Internet: 0% 0% research have been employed, in order Other:Other: 0% 0% Which gender are you? Male Female to differentiate between respective
Are you between the ages of ... Under 16 16 - 25 peoples understanding and possibly 26 - 30 30+ misconceptions and misrepresentations. Are you or have you ever been a dancer? Yes No The evidence that has been found will How did you first hear about streetdance? People Films Flyers further define the direction for this project. Internet T.V Shows Dancers 5.)5.) Do Do you you feel feel streetdance streetdance can can be be for for anyone? anyone? 6.)6.) Do Do you you feel feel that that there there is is a aculture culture around around streetdance? streetdance? Other (Please Specify) : Yes:Yes: 55% 55% Yes:Yes: 90% 90% The research for this project has taken No:No: 45% 45% No:No: 10% 10% Do you feel streetdance can be for anyone? Yes No the form of printed literature and online
Do you feel that there is a culture around Yes No streetdance? sources as well as in the form of articles,
If you wanted to get into streetdance Yes No would you know where to go? videos, debates about street dance
Do you feel that there is a deeper significance as to why a lot of people Yes No and primary research in the forms of especially urban youth are interested or do forms of streetdance? (If yes, please explain why) questionnaires which has supported the secondary research undertaken.
7.)7.) If If you you wanted wanted to to get get into into streetdance streetdance 8.)8.) Do Do you you feel feel that that there there is is a adeeper deeper significance significance as as to to wouldwould you you know know where where to to go go ? ? whywhy a alot lot of of people people especially especially urban urban youth youth are are interested interested Useful texts: inin or or do do forms forms of of streetdance? streetdance? Yes:Yes: 75% 75% * Schloss, J.G. (2009) Foundation, New York, Oxford University Press. Yes:Yes: 35% 35% No:No: 65% 65% No:No: 25% 25%
* Polhemus, T. (1993) ‘Dance, Gender and Culture’, in Thomas, H. (ed) Dance, Gender and Culture, Hampshire, Macmillan Press Ltd.
* LAHipHopDance (2010) Can An Expert Googler Grasp Street Dance? [online], http://lahiphopdance.blogspot. co.uk/2010/10/can-expert-googler-grasp-street-dance.html (Accessed 9 October 2014).
* Guzman-Sanchez, T. (2012) Underground dance masters: final history of a forgotten era, California, Praeger.
* Petracovschi, S., Costaş, C., Voicu, S. (2011) ‘Street dance: form of expressing identity in adolescents and youth’, Timoşoara Physical Education and Rehabilitation Journal, vol. 3, issue 6, pp.7-12. 1.) What is Street dance to you?
Darren: “A term given to many different urban dance styles which originated in either the streets or the clubs”.
2.) Where do you think the best information about QUALITATIVE Street dance is found? Darren: “From the pioneers of the styles who are mostly still alive today and use social networks just like everyone else”.
3.) Do you feel that the culture is portrayed incorrectly through the media? RESEARCH Darren: “Yes”. 4.) Should there be some sort of platform to give people the correct information about Street dance and culture?
Darren: “There are platforms like street styles lab in New INTERVIEWS York, I believe is held once a year”. Qualitative information was collected through interviews, which is important 5.) Do you feel films like Streetdance and Step Up in an addition to the quantitative show what the actual Street dance culture is like? research of the questionaires as it provided more detail. The interviews Darren: “Most dance films do not portray the streetdance posed have helped to gain an insight life correctly. Like the ones mentioned”. from dancers as to their opinions on the issues regarding street 6.) Can you describe what the culture of Street dance dance. This further supported the is to you? questionaires, which were aimed towards a general public. Darren: “A culture where the people in it, understand each other without having to say a word, the same love for This specific interview is with dance and street fashion says it all”. Darren Heslop also known as ‘Tiger’. He is a choreographer, teacher and street 7.) Do you think shows like Got To Dance help to dancer of several styles, meaning he has promote Streetdance in a positive way? a very broad and detailed knowledge of street dance that he has collected from Darren: “No because the producers do what they feel is learning, teaching and actively embracing right for entertainment, not the culture. Although getting the culture of street dance. styles on TV is of course good if it’s danced correctly”. Becoming a good dancer ‘ is not just the learning of complicated moves and routines, it’s a philosophy and a way of life. Taking your art and skills to the next level, which is ‘PURE MASTERSHIP, complete confidence within yourself
- Greg Campbellock Jr. Underground dance masters: OF final history of a forgotten era EVIDENCE By Thomas Guzman-Sanchez MISCONCEPTIONS The public was Twist and Pulse - caught up in the fad Britain’s Got Talent 2010 - Auditions Week 5 ‘but was ignorant of the fact that urban street dance forms had been clumped together and mistakenly stamped as Break dance
Guzman-Sanchez, T. (2012) Underground dance masters: final history of a forgotten era, California, Praeger.
This text is another vital element’ which Twist and Pulse - Britain’s Got Talent 2010 - Auditions Week 5 (2010) YouTube video, added has informed the research undertaken. by Britain’s Got Talent [online], http://youtu.be/Xqwx2U8uu9g (Accessed 9 October 2014). The above quote goes hand in hand with the video on the previous page. This audition is evidence of a misconception that can The public cannot gather information for occur in street dance. During Twist & Pulse’s audition, themselves from something they do not presenter Declan Donelly exclaimed, “I’ve never seen know about. Therefore when the media anyone breakdance to Eastenders before”. transmits information on such a subject This statement incorrectly labelled breakdance with they take this to be correct, although it is potential negative connotations. As the public being told not. This can be detrimental especially for this, increases the spread of incorrect information which a community that struggles to inform an in turn can be detrimental to such a sub-culture. audience on a wider scale. CONCLUSION THE In conclusion this project aims to investigate in depth various forms of media in order to attract the intended audience in terms of those which are mostly viewed and accepted as forms of spreading information, therefore it will enable the production of a variety of interesting and thought provoking final pieces in order to educate and remove misconceptions of street dance. NEXT By approaching different media forms it removes constriction to one strategy and therefore will potentially allow a wider audience to be spread the correct information.
STEPSThe first step to be taken in the continuation of this project is to identify more research into street dance and each of its styles which can be possibly from the dancers themselves to gain an accurate description. This will be important to build a platform of information to source and design from. After this there will be research into a variety of media’s in terms of spreading correct information easily, quickly and to the most people successfully to the intended target audience. Finally design prototypes will be informed by feedback and advice from street dancers.
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