About Breakdance

 

 Breakdance, breaking, b-boying or b-girling is a street dance style that evolved as part of the hip hop movement among African American and Puerto Rican youths in Manhattan and the South Bronx of New York City during the early 1970s. It is normally danced to pop, funk or hip hop music, often remixed to prolong the breaks, and is a well-known hip hop dance style. Breakdancing involves Toprock (movement while standing up), Downrock (movement on the ground), Freezes (acrobatic pauses in movement) and Power Moves (large, often strenuous movements often involving rotation). A breakdancer, breaker, b-boy or b-girl refers to a person who practices breakdancing.

  Breakdancing may have begun as a building, productive, and a constructive youth culture alternative to the violence of urban street gangs.Today, breakdancing culture is a remarkable discipline somewhere between those of dancers and athletes. Since acceptance and involvement centers on dance skills, breakdancing culture is often free of the common race and gender boundaries of a subculture and has been accepted worldwide.

  Breakdancing is significant, because it is part of the hip hop urban subculture. The dance requires a high amount of athletic skill, and is a fixture of modern dance culture. Breakdancing is also noteworthy as one of the biggest "cross-over" elements of urban culture to make a mark in different industries, including fashion and entertainment.

  Modern breakdancing consists of four different types of moves: Top Rock, Down Rock, Freezes and Power Moves. Top Rock moves are introductory style moves, and are preformed standing up. These moves mainly consist of some stylized step movements or arm motions and generally are preformed before and after more complex moves. Down Rock, conversely, is performed with hands and feet on the floor, and showcase the breaker's ability to move their feet while keeping their body on the ground. Power Moves are the most iconic part of breakdancing, and consist of highly athletic and stylized acrobatic moves. Everything from spinning headstands to high-jumping flares fall into this category. This is the hardest element of breakdancing, and is also the most stylistic. Freezes are stylish poses that usually follow a power move or conclude the routine.

 Although some people believe that breakdancing is limited to the urban scene in the United States, it actually has a very large international following, especially in Asian countries. Breakdancing groups like Tokyo Rock Steady and the Korean Expression Crew are fixtures in modern breakdancing, and perform for captive audiences around the world.