II.
African History
It is important to start with Africa . Africa was a source of western
culture and also the cradle of mankind. Dance was detrimental to the African
cultures because it was used as a form of communication well before any formal
language even existed. We will use the ancient empire of Ethiopia as our first
model. “ this was the first ascertainable African state to attain prominence
and power’.1 It derived it’s name from the Greek word “Aithops” which means
dark skinned people. Ancient Ethiopis shared borders with another great empire,
Egypt. Both Ethiopia and Egypt benefited from a shared coexistence which
resulted in a sharing of cultures through trade and considerable intermarriage.
There are wonderful pictures of these two ancient powers in The Ebony Pictorial
History Of Black Americans. These pictures include symbols, religious
artifacts, and clothing from that period which will serve as sources when
considering costumes and backdrops for the video. Drums will serve as a sole
source of music since they too were used for communication.Let's start with
Break dancing.
Breakdancing started in 1969. That was the year that James Brown recorded
"Get on the Good Foot," a song that inspired an acrobatic dance based
on the high energy moves that Brown performed on stage. Soon, kids in New York
were doing the Good Foot -better known as B-Boy(short for Break Boy)- which was
the direct precursor to the sort of breakdancing we know today.
1969 was also the year that Afrika Bambaataa started organizing ghetto youth
into one of the first breakdance crews: The Zulu Kings. The Zulu Kings won
contests and talent shows. They performed their moves at dance clubs. Bambaataa
recognized the potential for acrobatic dancing, and he encouraged young people
to stick with it. But most people thought the Zulu Kings were just another
gang.
When the Zulu Kings were challenged by a rival street gang, Bambaataa, they
called for a break in the usual street warfare and suggested that the two
groups fight with steps rather than weapons. Sure enough, the rival gang was
just as ready to square off with dance steps as they were with knives and
chains. Afrika Bambaataa's followers grew into the Zulu Nation which was 5000
strong. The kids in the Zulu Nation would rather dance than fight, and
breakdancing (a term invented by Afrika Bambaataa) became an integral part of
hip-hop.
These dance battles gradually evolved into a highly stylized form of mock
combat called "Uprock". In an uprock battle, a dancer would lose if
he actually touched his opponent. A B-Boy named Rubberband is credited with
developing Uprock. Breakin' was originally known as "Rocking".
"Old Style" breakin' and B-Boy'n consisted only of floor work
("Floor Rock" or "down rock") and "top rock"
(dancing on two feet, like the Moonwalk). Acrobatic moves such as the headspin
had yet to emerge. Floor Rock involved complicated leg moves. Athletic young
men found it was a good way to win dance contests. B-Boy'n was especially
popular in the South Bronx, where rival gangs would battle over turf, or just
to gain each others' respect.
Breakin' remained popular until 1977, when a dance called the Freak took over.
Meanwhile, another dance was catching on...one which would lead to the
development of the Electric Boogie. This dance was called the Robot. People
started doing the Robot as early as 1969, but the dance really took off after
Michael Jackson danced the Robot while singing "Dancin' Machine" on
national TV. In 1979, a new breakdance crew was organized called Rock Steady
Crew. These dancers were very talented, but breakin' wasn't as popular anymore.
People said that Rock Steady were old fashioned. One person who encouraged Rock
Steady Crew was Afrika Bambaataa.
The kids in Rock Steady Crew were all original members of Bambaataa's Zulu
Nation. Bambaataa told them to stick with it. Rock Steady Crew invented many of
the "power moves" that made breakdancing famous. Crazy Legs and
Frosty Freeze (who specialized in "freeze" moves) practiced in
Central Park, New York and on the streets until they had perfected their
routine. They added a lot of acrobatic moves such as the headspin, handglides,
backspins, and "The Continuous Backspin" (better known as the
Windmill).