The History and Origins of Breakdance

Every dance,every sport,every hobby has its own unique history-and Breakdancing is no exception to this.Taking its roots from various African dances,martial arts like Capoeira and Wu Shu,Gymnastics,Yoga,and the Russian Trepak dance,Breakdancing has evolved into its own original dance with its own unique style and flavor.While it borrows moves from various other dances,Breakdancing seems so much different from other styles of Streetdance that people tend to ask:"Where did all that come from?" or "How did they learn to do all that?"The answer to those questions are that Breakdance came from a man named James Brown,a famous house dancer in the 60's,who created a dance called the Good Foot.That time,the Hustle and House dance were the really famous dances among the youth,and,after seeing James Brown perform his dance to his hit song "Get On The Good Foot',most of them were amazed at the new style that Brown presented,especially those in the New York City area,and from that moment on,The Good Foot officially became the dance of the season.Back then,Breakdancing consisted mostly of footwork,also known as floor rock,based on the Russian Trepak dance wherein a Breakdancer would move his feet in various complex movements on the floor in a very fast motion.In many ways,it was simpler than B-boying of today,which incorporated moves from Gymnastics,martial arts,and Yoga such as the Backspin,Head Spin,Windmill and Chinese Get-Up or Kip-Up.In many ways,it was also more complex than breaking of today,because a breaker had very few moves to work with,so he had to be as creative as possible to make his moves look sick.Old-style Breakdancing was also very famous among various gangs that were found in the South Bronx,and Breakdance battles usually replaced fights for territory or respect.Due to the large influx of gang members who practiced Breakdancing,the dance eventually made its way to Hip-Hop and established itself as a part of Hip-Hop culture and one of its four pllars.Hip-hop's creator,DJ Afrika Bambaataa saw Breakdancing as more than a dance-he saw it as a way of self-expression and as a way of achieving something.He encouraged more people in the Hip-Hop community to work hard at it,and to believe that if they stuck to it,something good would come out of it.Eventually,he established one of the first Breakdancing (later termed B-boying by hip hop's pioneers) crews-The Zulu Kings.The Zulu Kings won a lot of competitions and usually ranked 1st in events-they also paved the way for other crews to form and make a name for themselves in the  Hip-Hop and B-boying scene.One of the crews that emerged after being inspired by the Zulu Kings were the Rock Steady Crew-the crew which introduced new style breaking incorporating spinning motions and power moves.The new style of Breakdance introduced by the Rock Steady involved incorporating the earlier movements used in Breakdance known as floor rock with dynamic moves that give the illusion of defying gravity,otherwise known as power moves,and the only aspect of B-boy wherein the dancer will be dancing while he is standing-the toprock.Influential Dj's such as Cool Herc and Grandwizard Theodore provided the "Break Beat"-the music B-boys dance to.Over time,B-boying evolved and became what it is today-a dance which lets one express himself fully,an important part of hip-hop culture,and also a great form of entertainment,utilizing fast footwork,dynamic movements,and stylish top rock.