Breakdancing History

For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become

While researching for Native American music and dance, I initially approached this essay with the idea that native americans used music and dance like we have done today. When researching I have discovered that dance is used as a form of entertainment and storytelling. But after reading multiple authors and sources on Native tribes music and dance, they are multiple tribes that not only use music and dance as a form of entertainment, but use it as mean to tell the history of their tribe and to pass on their teachings to others.

As Bame once said, “In dancing, each one finds themselves in ecstatic harmony with other participants, it heightens their sense of belonging and attachment and thereby generates social solidarity among them and the entire community”(40). Ultimately, African music and dance is a relationship that can’t be broken apart. It has been a huge part in life where everybody comes together within their communities and grow together socially and

Together are these three attributed to for the huge hit that this dance form has become!

realities of the world as people put their heart and soul in playing, listening, and dancing

Culture and dance cannot remain stagnant, we must always move forward keeping with the times and keeping in touch with one another, and there is no better or more expressive way than through

elissa Moynihan 12/4/14 Research Paper Dancing Through the Ages Jarod Kintz an author known for his sense of humor is quoted as saying: “Dance like there’s nobody watching. Or filming. Never mind that creepy guy in the corner with the camcorder. Just keep dancing” (Kintz, 2011). Dancing has been a great way to show exactly how a culture develops over time.

My favorite dance was the contemporary routine with Derek, Jaja, and Alexia. The choreographer, Stacey Tookey, explained that the piece was about bravery in different forms: Derek played a veteran, Jaja was portraying a woman leaving an abusive relationship, and Alexia took on the role of a single mother. I really enjoyed the dance because of the story it was trying to convey; each dancer dove into character and brought out complex emotions through their movements. The dancers connected deeply with each of their stories, even though they were completely different people. They were portraying things that they had never personally experienced in their lives before. They showed the strengths of the characters along with their weaknesses, they

“It started, some say, back in 1969 with James Brown releasing Get on the Good Foot. The physical panache with which Brown performed inspired fans to develop imitations. What started out as a street/club dance called The Good Foot rapidly spawned a whole genre called b-boy dance, aka break-boy, aka breakdance. ”(Mackrell, Judith). Mackrell also mentions that in the Bronx ghettos of New York, organized rival gangs or crews to compete in dance combats.

Steppin’ Out – The Studio is a dance school that is located in Lee's Summit, Missouri. This dance school was established in 1989. The dance classes they teach include ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, hip-hop, acrobatics, modern, lyrical, and contemporary. Steppin’ Out – The Studio is an award-winning competition team. They are the top competition team of the Lee’s Summit. Steppin’ Out Dance Company has won the highest scores in the most difficult divisions.

Music is a powerful force that plays a role in cultures all around the world. From special ceremonies such as weddings or funerals to church services to casual listening in daily life, music plays a role in all aspects of life. It can be a form of expression, a way to celebrate, or something that people feel a sense of identity with. Although influenced by others’ styles, many cultures have their own overall distinct style(s) of music. In Native American culture, music plays an important role in multifarious ceremonies and rituals including powwows, the Ghost Dance, Nightway ceremonies, and house dedications.

After viewing their performance, I immediately detected two important components associated with the breakdancing culture. The first aspect I noticed was how much the audience contributes to the progression of the performance. I felt like whenever the audience began to get loud and applaud, the performers would be more motivated to continue their dancing. In other words, it seemed like the performers seemed to draw their energy from

When music is created, it integrates the cultural and emotional situations that occur in everyday life. People create dances to the

The history of American music begins with a fundamental process of exchange through all different social lines, where diverse cultures meet, and mix. Music has and always will be defined as sounds that are arranged in a particular pattern that are played to be meaningful and pleasurable. The chronology of music began in the Medieval period, when chanting was introduced into the Church. Music has then moved its way through many stages: renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and leading up to 20th century American music. American 20th century music is made up of a diverse number of styles that are reflected by cultural traditions and the era’s of the past. Immigrants from Spain, France, England, Germany and Ireland all contributed and brought their own unique styles to the forefront, hence creating American music. African Americans created influential musical traditions that include rhythm and improvisation that were later combined with European traditions and other indigenous music.

The history of choreography is also very important Any choreography that seems new, fresh and different is usually a variation of something that has been done before. As long as men and women have lived upon this earth, they have danced. The art of movement is among the oldest of the arts.