Street break dance

The beat of the African Americans and Latin Americans continue to pulsate after the first emergence of street break dancing. This pop culture shaped the contours of local dance during the early 1970s. The music that goes with it is funk or hip-hop music. DJs highlight the music break and even have it remixed to prolong the breaks and people lap it up.

In a street break dance, a breaker boy or girl, or b-boy or b-girl lets loose to the music. The rhythmic beat stirred dancers to showcase their dancing skills during the break. Rival gangs tried to beat each other with the latest maneuver or footwork. As the dance rivalry escalated newer or more difficult but innovative dance moves were incorporated to outperform each other.
The street break dance went to conquer talent shows and disco clubs. The craze also changed the lives of young people in the ghetto. They saw the dance as a way to express their anger and individuality. This received media attention and accolades for the Afrikaa Bambaataa.
In the 1980s it popularity waned. Its comeback was popularized in commercials and movies. Annual battles of the dance are held and the biggest sponsor for this competition is the Red Bull BC One. This kind of dancing is not structured. It is improvisational, incorporating moves that have to be practiced to perfection. A regular dance round undergoes several transitions. There is the toprock that later changes to the downrock. There’s a frenzy of power moves and then the freeze. The freeze is sometimes called a suicide.
Doing the toprock the dancer performs a series of steps while standing. This is usually the beginning of the dance. After a warm up, the dancer segues to the downrock. This is performed on the floor. The hands and feet do the motions. Here, the break dancer uses the strength of his upper body to dance. The power moves are the flare, swipe, and windmills. This is a display of strength and staying power. The acrobatic butterfly kick is an impressive display of dexterity and grace.

The freeze is the hardest to execute. The dancer suspends himself on the air with the support of one arm. This pose is the handstand or pike. With the lock, there is the sharp transition in the freeze. The suicide puts an end to the dance. The more “painful” the suicide the better.