While hip-hop in the United States of America, where it originated, faces a generation that takes it as just another mundane marker in the cultural scenery with its recent fixation on the sensational, it seems to be taking a phenomenal turn in India. The Hip-hop culture, which began in New York City in the 1970’s predominantly among African Americans and Latinos, entails the elements of hip-hop music, breakdancing and graffiti art. While hip-hop music dominates it’s culture in the country, breakdancing seem to have broken out of its cacoon recently as the dance form storms the rythym of youngsters everywhere. Breaking in short, specifically the breakdance element originated with the first hip hop DJ, Kool DJ Herc, who, noticing the reaction of some dancers to his playing the part of the record with a drum break, named them break-boys or B-boys. It quickly came to include any follower of hip hop, identifiable by clothing habits, listening tastes or lifestyle, but has returned in latter years to the more specific usage in connection with dance. “Breakdancing is a real culture. B-boys or b-girls hang out together, do things together and basically have a life which revolves around breaking. It’s not really about differentiating ourselves.You just get to know like-minded people,” says Heera who with b-boy Simon has recently started breaking classes at their studio. Heera, who’s lived in New York for a greater part of his life, hopes people find it as attractive as he does while having fun with it.
Perhaps the reasons for the rise in such a culture can be found in the changing urban culture within the country and a wide array of exposure to the sub-cultures it professes. Simon Talukdar or b-boy Simon who’s from Dehradun, has been breaking for quite a while now and has earned himself quite a semi-celebrity status among the circle. Once a part of the Kundu dance company led by Tony from Los Angeles, he has perfomed at a variety of shows even headlining music channel VH1’s hip-hop rules promotional event throughout the country.“We now find hip-hop everywhere, and like the Bronx, each locale embodies a kind of globalism. Breaking embraces and even celebrates its origin while staying true to the local cultures like ours to which it is rooted,” he says. He hopes to battle at the Red bull BC one world break dance championship someday.
“There are four basic elements which form the foundation of B-boying. Toprock which is upright dancing and shuffles; Downrock or Footwork; Freeze which is posing to add punctuation to certain beats and end routines; Power moves which are acrobatic moves made up of circular motions where the dancer spins either on the floor, or in the air,” says Simon on what he teaches at his studio and at the school as well.
Krumping, which is another technique alongside others such as breakdance, locking, popping and freestyling, is a free, expressive, and highly energetic moves and is a major part of the hip hop dance culture. Melvin Louis who teaches krumping with Arts in Motion says about the dance form,“ Krumping is a more aggressive dance form and is intended as an expression of anger or a release of pent-up emotion from the struggles of life through violent, exaggerated, and dramatic moves. Variation, individuality, and movement are the foundations of the Krump. Krump actually reads Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise and has different difficulty levels – the buck which is a higer version of krump and amped which is the last level and the total spirit of krump,”
“The dancers form groups known as “families” or “fams”. Each of the families is organised around a krump dancer known as the Big Homie, who serves as both a dance instructor and a spiritual mentor of sorts. The internal structure of a family is hierarchical, with rank based on the expertise or respect of each dancer,” he adds. For someone who has learned the dance and everything around it entirely from vidoes and the Internet, Melvin has made himself an expert of sorts pretty quickly.
The Break dance culture is only projected to grow here as it has emerged globally as an arts movement and globalised into many cultures worldwide, from Japan and Korea to all over europe. Popular hip-hop is sold almost everywhere in the country with even Indian artists and performers recording and creating something fresh by using technology, speech and the body in new ways.“Breaking’s inspiration differs depending on each culture. Still, the one thing virtually all breakers have in common is that they acknowledge those Black and Latino kids in New York who launched this global movement. It may also be a slice of the American dream some people might be in awe of. Who knows?” says Heera. As James Brown gooves: ‘get on the good foot’ then.
Perhaps the reasons for the rise in such a culture can be found in the changing urban culture within the country and a wide array of exposure to the sub-cultures it professes. Simon Talukdar or b-boy Simon who’s from Dehradun, has been breaking for quite a while now and has earned himself quite a semi-celebrity status among the circle. Once a part of the Kundu dance company led by Tony from Los Angeles, he has perfomed at a variety of shows even headlining music channel VH1’s hip-hop rules promotional event throughout the country.“We now find hip-hop everywhere, and like the Bronx, each locale embodies a kind of globalism. Breaking embraces and even celebrates its origin while staying true to the local cultures like ours to which it is rooted,” he says. He hopes to battle at the Red bull BC one world break dance championship someday.
“There are four basic elements which form the foundation of B-boying. Toprock which is upright dancing and shuffles; Downrock or Footwork; Freeze which is posing to add punctuation to certain beats and end routines; Power moves which are acrobatic moves made up of circular motions where the dancer spins either on the floor, or in the air,” says Simon on what he teaches at his studio and at the school as well.
Krumping, which is another technique alongside others such as breakdance, locking, popping and freestyling, is a free, expressive, and highly energetic moves and is a major part of the hip hop dance culture. Melvin Louis who teaches krumping with Arts in Motion says about the dance form,“ Krumping is a more aggressive dance form and is intended as an expression of anger or a release of pent-up emotion from the struggles of life through violent, exaggerated, and dramatic moves. Variation, individuality, and movement are the foundations of the Krump. Krump actually reads Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise and has different difficulty levels – the buck which is a higer version of krump and amped which is the last level and the total spirit of krump,”
“The dancers form groups known as “families” or “fams”. Each of the families is organised around a krump dancer known as the Big Homie, who serves as both a dance instructor and a spiritual mentor of sorts. The internal structure of a family is hierarchical, with rank based on the expertise or respect of each dancer,” he adds. For someone who has learned the dance and everything around it entirely from vidoes and the Internet, Melvin has made himself an expert of sorts pretty quickly.
The Break dance culture is only projected to grow here as it has emerged globally as an arts movement and globalised into many cultures worldwide, from Japan and Korea to all over europe. Popular hip-hop is sold almost everywhere in the country with even Indian artists and performers recording and creating something fresh by using technology, speech and the body in new ways.“Breaking’s inspiration differs depending on each culture. Still, the one thing virtually all breakers have in common is that they acknowledge those Black and Latino kids in New York who launched this global movement. It may also be a slice of the American dream some people might be in awe of. Who knows?” says Heera. As James Brown gooves: ‘get on the good foot’ then.
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