Building Self-Building Community In Most Societies

Building Self Building Communitymost Societies Have Social Dances As

Building self, building community. Most societies have social dances as part of their culture. Each era has its own popular dances, which serve as tools to foster interpersonal social skills. Through dance, individuals experience unique forms of expression influenced by their aesthetic frames, leading to improvements in cognition, memory, confidence, mood, and physical health.

Dance also reinforces identity and community within cultural groups. An overview of American social dances by decade illustrates this evolution: the 50s-60s featured the Twist, Monkey, Mashed Potato, Frug, and Surfer Stomp; the 60s saw freestyle dancing become more popular than partner dancing; the 70s introduced Disco, Punk, Slam Dancing, Hip-Hop, and Voguing; the 80s saw rap and hip hop become mainstream; the 90s popularized Raves and Electronic Dance Music (EDM); and the 2000s introduced Krumping, Shuffling, Twerking, among others. A TEDx video featuring choreographer Camille A. Brown highlights the significance of hip hop in this ongoing cultural narrative.

Hip Hop emerged in the 1970s as a cultural movement rooted in the African American and Latino youth of the Bronx, New York. It was a response to the socio-economic struggles, poverty, racism, and gang violence prevalent in inner-city neighborhoods. The culture embodied a form of self-expression through music, dance, graffiti art, and fashion, emphasizing creativity, identity, and respect. Central to Hip Hop are four elements: deejaying, emceeing, graffiti, and breaking (dance).

The origins of hip hop dance trace back to dance parties where DJs extended breakbeats—percussive segments of funk and R&B records—by isolating and looping them using two turntables. This innovation created a platform for dancers, known as b-boys and b-girls, to perform athletic and stylistic moves in a competitive yet communal environment. Pioneers like DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa significantly contributed to the development of turntablism and DJ techniques, which fueled the dance culture.

Breaking, or breakdancing, evolved from these early street parties. It incorporated moves from salsa, mambo, rumba, samba, jazz, martial arts such as kung-fu and capoeira, and body movements inspired by gymnastics and folk dances worldwide. Breaking became a symbol of athleticism, attitude, and creativity, often involving battles where dancers showcased originality and prowess to earn respect and recognition. The style includes top rock, down rock, freezes, spins, and footwork, characterized by improvisation and individual flair.

Beyond breaking, numerous other dance styles under the broad umbrella of hip hop—such as popping, locking, waacking, and house—developed in different regions, notably Los Angeles. These styles share roots with funk and soul dances and contributed to a rich, eclectic movement vocabulary that continues to evolve today. Social hip hop dances, distinct from competitive breaking, focused on communal participation and versioning new moves to popular songs, creating a shared cultural experience.

Media representations of hip hop have played a significant role in shaping its global perception. Films like "Wild Style," "Beat Street," and "Breakin’" brought street dance culture to wider audiences in the 1980s, often emphasizing battle scenes, innovative moves, and the socio-political commentary embedded in the culture. Television shows such as "Soul Train" and the appearance of breakdancers in commercials and performances, helped popularize urban dance styles with mass audiences.

Despite its mainstream popularity, commercialization has raised concerns about preserving the cultural integrity of hip hop. Accurate depiction remains challenging, as many productions tend to package or dilute the raw, socio-economic origins of the culture for entertainment purposes. Documentaries like "Planet B-Boy" aim to present a more authentic view, showcasing the dedication and skill of dancers and the deep cultural significance of breaking and hip hop.

Hip hop's influence extends into contemporary popular culture through dance competitions, television, and movies like "Step Up" and "So You Think You Can Dance," which often feature stylized choreography inspired by urban dance styles. While these productions foster appreciation, critics argue that they sometimes overlook or simplify the culture’s original social and political roots, emphasizing aesthetics over authenticity.

Electronic Dance Music (EDM), an offshoot of hip hop's musical evolution, emerged in the late 1970s with the advent of music produced without live instrumentation, leading to raves, house parties, and subsequent genres like dubstep, techno, trance, and shuffling dance. These styles, sharing a technological lineage with hip hop, further demonstrate the ongoing evolution of urban dance and music.

Understanding hip hop as a living, evolving dance and cultural phenomenon is crucial. Its roots in social struggle, community resilience, and artistic innovation continue to make it relevant today. It influences mainstream entertainment, fashion, and youth identity globally. Recognizing the importance of authentic representation and respecting its socio-historical origins underscores hip hop’s ongoing significance as a form of cultural expression and social commentary.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Hip hop is a cultural and artistic movement that originated in the Bronx in the 1970s, rooted in the socio-economic struggles faced by African American and Latino youth. This movement was more than just a musical genre; it embodied an entire cultural ethos characterized by four main elements: deejaying, emceeing, graffiti art, and breaking (dance). Each element contributed uniquely to the development of hip hop as a voice for marginalized communities, providing outlets for expression, resistance, and community building.

The emergence of hip hop dance, particularly breakdancing, played a pivotal role in uniting the culture’s elements. It originated during street parties where DJs pioneered innovative techniques like looping breakbeats using two turntables. These rhythmic sections of funk and R&B tracks became the backbone of dance battles that served as outlets for identity assertion and respect within the community. The athleticism, creativity, and improvisation involved in breaking distinguished it from other dance forms, emphasizing originality and personal style.

Breaking draws inspiration from a range of global dance and martial arts traditions, including salsa, mambo, samba, jazz, kung-fu, capoeira, gymnastics, and folk dances. This eclectic borrowing reflects hip hop’s inclusive philosophy and its capacity to adapt and incorporate diverse influences. Dancers known as b-boys and b-girls would often engage in battles to “one-up” each other, fostering a competitive but respectful environment that nurtured individual talent and resilience. Such battles also helped solidify the communal spirit of the culture, where respect and authenticity were valued above all else.

Other dance styles associated with hip hop, like popping, locking, and waacking, emerged predominantly in Los Angeles and share roots with funk and soul dances. These styles contributed to a diverse movement vocabulary, enriching the cultural landscape and offering new ways for community members to participate and express themselves. Social dances developed outside of formal competition, emphasizing shared experience and enjoyment, as seen in moves like the Dougie, Nae Nae, and Crank that gained popularity in the 2000s.

Media representations have historically played a dual role in hip hop’s evolution. They facilitated its global spread through documentaries, movies, and television shows, but also risked diluting its original socio-political messages. Films like "Wild Style" and "Beat Street" introduced urban dance culture to wider audiences, showcasing the skills and creativity of street dancers. Television shows like "Soul Train" further contributed to mainstream exposure, presenting hip hop as both a cultural movement and entertainment product.

However, commercialization and mainstream media often oversimplify or distort the culture’s roots, reducing its complex social significance to mere aesthetic appeal. Critics argue that this commodification undermines the authenticity of hip hop’s origins, which were centered on addressing issues like racial inequality, poverty, and social alienation. Documentaries like "Planet B-Boy" and "Hip Hop Evolution" attempt to restore the culture’s original narrative, emphasizing the dedication and socio-political context behind the movement.

In contemporary entertainment, hip hop continues to evolve through dance competitions, music videos, and theater productions like "Step Up" and "So You Think You Can Dance." While these showcase the artistic ability of dancers, they often omit the socio-cultural history that shaped the movement. Nonetheless, hip hop remains a vital form of cultural expression with significant influence over global youth identity, fashion, and attitude.

Electronic Dance Music (EDM), closely related to hip hop’s musical evolution, surfaced in the late 1970s as music without live instruments. Raves and house parties became social platforms for electronic music genres such as techno, trance, dubstep, and shuffling dance. These developments demonstrate the continued innovation within urban dance and music, as new technology and community trends reshape the cultural landscape.

Ultimately, hip hop’s power lies in its capacity to transcend geographical and socio-economic boundaries while remaining true to its core principles of authenticity, creativity, and community. Its ongoing evolution reflects the resilience of marginalized communities and the universal human desire for self-expression and social connection. Recognizing and respecting the roots of hip hop ensures that it continues to serve as a meaningful cultural movement that champions diversity, social justice, and artistic freedom.

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