"The dance style originated primarily among Puerto Rican and African American youths many of them former members of street gangs (many of them former members of the Black Spades, the Young Spades, or the Baby Spades) during the mid-1970s in the Bronx.
The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially
in regions such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Korea
and the United Kingdom."
B-boying is a form of hip hop dancing which is popularly
known as breaking. It consists of top or up rock, footwork, spinning moves
(power moves), and freeze. B-boying came from Bronx, NY. The term "B-boy"
or "B-boying" was created by
Kool
Herc who was a DJ spinning at block parties in Bronx back in the
days. B-Boys means break boys and they were called so because they dance
to the break part of music. Later, by repeating this break part done by
DJ, "breakbeats" was born.
Although people tend to pick up only power moves, real
b-boys should master the all elements of b-boying. There are controversy
between people who emphasize on style and power moves. One puts his emphasis
on power moves and their combination and the other shows their style and
individuality by footwork and freeze. Rock Steady Crew has been
the one who emphasizes styles to show dancer's individual flavor. Even
though power moves have a great impact and very energetic, it is hard
to put individual flavor into the moves. Also power moves really don't
go with beat since it is spinning. It is closer to gymnastic moves rather
than dancing.
Because of these reasons, Rock Steady Crew suggests
that footwork-emphasiezed style should be the direction of breaking of
90s. Breaking is the most popular style of hip hop dancing and it has
been spreading all over the world while new school dancing such as hip
hop and house limited to big cities in the US and Japan. See examples
of freezes history It was late 60s , early 70s when people started a sort
of b-boying.
Their dancing was called "Good Foot" from James Brown's record
of the same name. The Good Foot was the first freestyle dance that incorporated
moves involving drops and spins, and resembled the beginning s of breaking.
The best way to describe the Good Foot is, according to Michael Holman,
to imagine a majorette marching in a parade taking steps raised high at
the knww but keeping the leg raised at the knee in the air for a beat
before dropping it down and simultaneously raising the other leg. Like
a stop action drum majorette on beat.
As the D.J.s invented new ways to elongate the break beats
in the records, dancers had more time to invent and experiment. Soon moves
like dropping down to the ground and popping up again on beat became standard
and gave these first generation of b-boys the nickname of "boie-oie-oings."
Footwork came in when the bogie-oie-oings started using their arms and
hands to support their bodies in order to free the feet and legs to do
gymnastic steps, shuffles and sweeps.
In Brooklyn a new step inspired by these drops was being
developed and called "Brooklyn Rock" also known as "Up-rocking". Once the
first early break moves had been established, a definite style began to
develop. The famous first generation of b-boys were "Nigger Twins",
"Clark Kent", and "Zulu Kings". Around 1977 breaking was
losing its popularity with black kids and it was about to die.
However, breaking came back with a new generation of b-boys.
It was Puerto Rican b-boys who put new life to breaking and took it into
next level. They started to put many higher levels of acrobatics and gymnastics
into breaking and invented many new moves. B-boys such as Crazy Legs
from Rock Steady Crew who were influenced by Jimmy Lee and Joe
Joe, members of original Rock Steady Crew developed and invented the
new moves such as backspin and windmills.
I want to mention that there are also other b-boys such
as Lil Lep from New York City Breakers who should get props
by developed b-boying. Also, media stars like Bruce Lee and other
Kung Fu film stars and martial artists had a major influence on b-boying
culture. The popularity of Kung Fu films during the mid and late 70s around
the world and especially in New York City, has had a great impact on b-boying
style.
A large number of martial arts moves were incorporated into
b-boying. For example, windmills came from a kung fu which is used to
get up from the floor. By repeating getting-up move, windmills was born.
B-boying became even more popular in 80s. It was first introduced to out
side of New York City and the rest of world by a movie "Flashdance"
in 1983. (Before the "Flashdance", there were already movies like "Wildstyle"
and "Stylewars". But the "Flashdance" was the first major movie
which featured b-boying.) Even though it was not b-boying movie, the short
scene which featured b-boying and popping on a street had a great impact
enough to inspire people to start b-boying all over the world. After the
"Flashdance", many breaking movies were made such as "Breaking'",
"Breaking'2", and "Beat street." "Beat Street" also had
a great impact because it had a scene of battle between Rock Steady Crew
and New York City Breakers.
B-boying became very popular as "BREAKDANCE" by many media coverage. Because of this too much media coverage, when media stop showing
b-boying on TV, people had a sense that b-boying was only a fad. Many
people thought b-boying was dead. Some b-boys stopped b-boying influenced
by media, also. Media mistreated b-boying.
After 1985 or 86, the winter period of b-boying came. Then
Resurgence of b-boying happened around 1990. I don't know how exactly
it happened. I am sure that it was done by the support of real b-boys
who never quit b-boying even during the winter period of b-boying. As
far as I know, it was Calfornia where b-boying gained its popularity again
early. Nowadays, B-boy events such as B-BOY SUMMIT and ROCK
STEADY ANNIVERSARY are organized every year and many b-boys from all
over the world get together and keep the culture alive and even try to
take it into next level.
Ali Ramdani (1984), better known by his stage name Lilou, is an Algerian-French b-boy
breakdancer. He is part of the French crew Pockemon Crew and the
all-star team LEGION X. Since the beginning of his career in 1999 he has
won many international prizes, both with his crew and as a solo dancer.
He has had a black belt in Kung Fu since he was sixteen. He practices Islam and can speak Algerian-Arabic, French and English.
