UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL BREAK/NG A MONTRÉAL: ETHNOGRAPHIE D'UNE DANSE DE RUE HIP HOP MÉMOIRE PRÉSENTÉE COMME EXIGENCE PARTIELLE DE LA MAITRISE EN DANSE PAR LYS STEVENS MARS 2008 UNIVERS ITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL BREAKING ACROSS UNES: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF A MONTREAL HIP HOP STREET DANCE THESIS PRESENTED AS PARTIAL REQUIREMENT OF A MASTERS IN DANCE BY LYS STEVENS MARCH 2008 UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL Service des bibliothèques Avertissement La diffusion de ce mémoire se fait dans le respect des droits de son auteur, qui a signé le formulaire Autorisation de reproduire et de diffuser un travail de recherche de cycles supérieurs (SDU-522 - Rév.01-2006). Cette autorisation stipule que «conformément à l'article 11 du Règlement no 8 des études de cycles supérieurs, [l'auteur] concède à l'Université du Québec à Montréal une licence non exclusive d'utilisation et de publication de la totalité ou d'une partie importante de [son] travail de recherche pour des fins pédagogiques et non commerciales. Plus précisément, [l'auteur] autorise l'Université du Québec à Montréal à reproduire, diffuser, prêter, distribuer ou vendre des copies de [son] travail de recherche à des fins non commerciales sur quelque support que ce soit, y compris l'Internet. Cette licence et cette autorisation n'entraînent pas une renonciation de [la] part [de l'auteur] à [ses] droits moraux ni à [ses] droits de propriété intellectuelle. Sauf entente contraire, [l'auteur] conserve la liberté de diffuser et de commercialiser ou non ce travail dont [il] possède un exemplaire." ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project took a great deal of time, and would not have been possible without the generous support and participation of several people. First of ail 1 would like to thank ail of the dancers 1 have witnessed, admired and been inspired by over the course ofthis research. 1have named several throughout the following pages, but countless dancers 1 have not known by name. 1 thank in particular the individuals who allowed me to pick their brains regarding their knowledge of and histories surrounding breaking, other old school hip hop dances, and contemporary dance counterparts through formai interviews, informai interviews and discussions as weil as by giving me feedback on the final version. This provided me with much of the substance of this research. In particular 1 would like to mention b-girl Lynx (K8 Alsterlund), Natasha Jean-Bart, Skywalker (Johnny Walker Bien­ Aimé), DKC (David Dundas), and Helen Simard. They also include Eugene Poku, Claudia ~ancello, Jessie Goldberg, Victor Quijada, Dana Schnitzer, Ismaël Mouaraki, Myriam Laabadi, Freezer (Gilbert Baptiste), Katherine Blenkinsop and Marike Trempe. Dance scholars Andriy Nahachewsky, Dena Davida, Andrée Martin and Iro Tembeck have encouraged me through this process and provided me with valuable leads to important scholarly sources. Vincent Warren and Marie-Josée Lecours of the Bibliothèque de la danse have also been patient, encouraging, and helpful with various resources. Maya Ostrofsky and Marie Claire Forté assisted with translations. Pamela Newell and Sarah Musgrave let me agonize with them over the arduous process of writing a master' s thesis. 1 am thankful to my thesis advisor Andrée Martin, my father David Fielding and my mother Janet Stevens for their careful revisions and thoughtful comments. Café IV Dépanneur, the Mile-End Public Library, OrdiLab, Sablo Café and Studio 303 must be thanked for the uncountable hours 1spent working in these locations. This work is dedicated to my loving family, Kevin (who told it like it was), Vinny (who appeared in the middle of it ail) and Tita, the dog. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS III LIST OF DIAGRAMS x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS x ABSTRACT IN FRENCH (RÉS UMÉ) Xl ENGLISH ABSTRACT xiii 1. QUESTION AND METHODOLOGY .. 1.1 Introduction . 1.2 The research question . 1.2.1 Objective and limits of study .. 1.2.2 Definition ofterms 5 1.2.3 Research question 9 1.204 Secondary research questions 9 -1.3 Methodology...... .. .. .. 10 1.3.1 Type ofresearch: Cultural Studies 10 1.3.2 Research approaches: ethnography............................................... 12 1.3.3 Case studies and interviews .. ... .... .... .. ... .. .. 16 1.304 The contained and extended dance event 18 lA Literature survey 19 104.1 Breaking and hip hop culture 20 104.2 African American vernacular dance 25 104.3 Academie framework 28 1.5 Theoretical groundings .. 33 1.5.1 Aesthetic ideology 33 1.5.2 Reproducibility 35 VI 1.5.3 Transmission 39 1.5.4 Consciousness 41 1.6 Chapter conclusion .... ... ... ... .. 42 2. HISTORICAL CONTEXT: THE EVOLUTION OF BREAKING 44 2.1 Introduction , 44 2.2 The emergence ofhip hop 45 2.2.1 Socio-cultural context 45 2.2.2 Youth subculture 46 2.2.3 Graffiti first 48 2.2.4 The DJ innovates: The Trinity 49 2.2.5 The MC raps 51 2.2.6 Breaking 52 2.3 Excavating the roots of breaking 53 2.3.1 African and Afro-American social dance influences 53 2.3.2 James Brown 56 2.3.3 Souf Train 's Funk Styles 57 2.3.4 Mass Media's influence 61 2.4 Breaking in New York City 63 2.4.1 Rocking 63 2.4.2 Breaking: Puelto Ricans innovate 65 2.4.3 The downtown scene 69 2.4.4 Breaking on screen 73 2.4.5 Academies criticize 75 2.4.6 Going global 78 2.5 Breaking in Montreal 82 2.5.1 Breaking hits Montreal: the early 1980s 82 2.5.2 The winter ofbreaking 87 2.5.3 The resurgence: Tactical and Flow Rock crews 89 2.5.4 More established: breaking today 94 vu 2.5.5 Across borders: the artistic frame 97 2.6 Chapter conclusion 99 3. VERNACULAR BREAKING 100 3.1 Introduction .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 100 3.2 Who 101 3.2.1 Dance-makers 101 3.2.2 Dancing participants 102 3.2.3 Non-dancing participants 107 3.3 What 109 3.3.1 Aesthetics ofvernacular breaking 110 3.3.2 The improvisational form 112 3.3.3 Structure 114 3.3.4 Dialogic relationships 117 3.3.5 Composition in breaking 119 3.4 Where 121 3.4.1 Skills development 121 3.4.2 Circle cypher 123 3.4.3 Official competition 127 3.4.4 Freestyle and showcase performances 130 3.5 When 133 3.6 Why 134 3.7 Chapterconclusion 137 4. CONTEMPORARY DANCE BREAK FUSIONS 138 4.1 Introduction 138 4.2 Who 138 4.2.1 Dance-makers 138 4.2.2 Dancing participants 144 4.2.3 Non-dancing patiicipants 146 4.3 What 147 Vlll 4.3.1 Aesthetics in breaking performances 147 4.3.2 Form 154 4.4 Where 158 4.4.1 The studio 158 4.4.2 The theatre 159 4.4.3 Alternate spaces 161 4.5 When 162 4.6 Why 164 4.6.1 The choreographers' motivations 164 4.6.2 The presenters' motivations 167 4.6.3 The spectators' motivations 168 4.7 Chapter conclusion 169 5. DISCUSSION 170 5.1 Introduction: cultural change 170 5.2 Degrees of participation 172 5.2.1 Circle cypher 174 5.2.2 Official battle 176 5.2.3 Freestyle and showcase shows 177 5.2.4 Contemporary dance fusion performances 177 5.3 Techniques of translocation .178 5.3.1 Three principles oftheatricalization 178 5.3.2 Theatricalization principles in breaking 180 5.3.3 Third principle choreographies: RBDG and Sofid State 182 5.4 Socio-political dimension: race and power 183 5.4.1 Commodification and mis-representation 184 5.4.2 Institutional recognition and patronage .186 5.5 Chapter conclusion 190 6. CONCLUSION 192 Appendix A: Essay by author, 2006 195 IX Appendix 8: Article by author, 2004 205 Appendix C: Case Study: Flow Rock crew 21 0 Appendix 0: Case Study: Rubberbandance Group 213 Appendix E: Case Study: SaUd State Breakdance Collective 215 Appendix F: Sample interview questions (choreographer) 217 Appendix G: List of interviews 219 Appendix H: Consent forms of interviewees 221 Appendix 1: Event analysis model : 228 Appendix J: List of dance events formally analyzed 230 Appendix K: Montreal breaking timeline 233 Appendix L: Performance review by author, 2007 238 REFERENCES 243 LEXICON 256 x LIST OF DIAGRAMS Figure 2.1: Breaking's genealogy Figure S.\: Breaking's participatory/presentational axis Figure S.\: Breaking's structurallimprovisatory axis LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS BlM - Les BalletsJazz de Montréal CON - Côte-des-Neiges DFS - Dysfunkshun. crew DRC - Dawn Rock Complex E5 - Ellementale-5 FTBA - Free Translation by Author LGBC - Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal MAI - Montréal, arts interculturel NCC - Negro Community Centre NDA - Définition non applicable NDG - Notre Dame de Grâce Not You - It's not you ... It 's me ... RBDG - Rubberbandance Group RSC - Rock Steady crew SAT - Société des Arts Technologiques Solid State - Solid Slale Breakdance Collective YMCA - Young Men's Community Association RÉSUMÉ La présente recherche est une étude ethnographique d'une danse de rue hip-hop appelée «breaking» (communément appelée «breakdance ») à Montréal dans ses divers contextes et occurrences. En particulier, elle vise à déterminer les changements esthétiques et socio-culturels qui se manifestent lorsque le contexte social ou vernaculaire du «breaking» est reconfiguré en œuvre de danse contemporaine. Un examen historique de la forme de danse encadre l'exploration du «breaking» dans quatre contextes précis: le «freestyle cypher, » le «battle » organisé, la mise en vedette «freestyle » et le spectacle de danse contemporaine. Le transfert ou le glissement de contexte de la danse se décline en plusieurs niveaux: les participants (qui), l'esthétique et la forme (quoi), le lieu (où), la relation au temps (quand) et la raison d'être (pourquoi).